3 Comma Splices and How to Repair Them

3 Comma Splices and How to Repair Them 3 Comma Splices and How to Repair Them 3 Comma Splices and How to Repair Them By Mark Nichol A comma often serves to link two independent clauses, but it does so in partnership with a conjunction (as shown in this sentence). When a pair of independent clauses butt up against each other with a comma but no conjunction, the grammatical infraction is known as a comma splice- the name refers to the writer’s effort to splice the clauses together with a comma, which is the wrong use of the tool. Which tool is the correct one? Several are available in your writer’s toolbox: The semicolon (a supercomma of sorts) is usually the best choice, but depending on the interrelationship of the clauses, you could, alternatively, employ a period (creating two distinct sentences) or even a dash (showing an abrupt break in thought). Here are three sentences containing a comma splice and their revisions. 1. â€Å"You can sense the frustration, their morale is down,† Smith said of his colleagues. â€Å"‘You can sense the frustration; their morale is down,’ Smith said of his colleagues† is the technically correct solution, but a semicolon is overly formal for a quotation. In this case, use the more casual dash: â€Å"‘You can sense the frustration- their morale is down,’ Smith said of his colleagues.† Another option is to break the statement into two sentences; but insert the attribution between them: â€Å"‘You can sense the frustration,’ Smith said of his colleagues. ‘Their morale is down.’† (Do not use a semicolon or a dash after an attribution.) 2. The devices themselves don’t use logarithms, rather they are tools to reduce multiplication and division of natural numbers to simple addition and subtraction operations. A transitional word such as rather between two independent clauses is a clear signal that a stronger punctuation mark than a comma is required, because one should follow the word, and a stronger punctuation mark should set the clauses off from each other. A semicolon will suffice: â€Å"The devices themselves don’t use logarithms; rather, they are tools to reduce multiplication and division of natural numbers to simple addition and subtraction operations.† (Rather can also begin a separate sentence, but the second clause is so closely related to the first that a semicolon seems more suitable.) 3. The frame was finished two years later- a little behind schedule, the structure was supposed to open in 1989. The inclusion of a dash in this sentence complicates it, because it introduces confusion about which phrase deserves the most emphasis. A simple solution is to demote the â€Å"Hey, look at me!† dash to a more workmanlike comma and use a semicolon to tack on the final phrase as an independent clause: â€Å"The frame was finished two years later, a little behind schedule; the structure was supposed to open in 1989.† One could use a dash in place of the semicolon, but the information that follows isn’t surprising enough to merit the attention-seeking punctuation mark. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Synonyms for â€Å"Leader†Proved vs. Proven20 Movies Based on Shakespeare Plays