The Roadrunner's Guide to English: Comma Splice

Commas splice (CS): A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are joined by only a comma.

Comma splice: IC, IC.
Example: We hiked in the Blue Ridge Mountains for three weeks, we were very tired.

Some Easy Ways to Correct Comma Splices

1. Change the comma to a period and capitalize the next word. (IC. IC.)

              Correct: We hiked in the Blue Ridge Mountains for three weeks. We were very tired.

2. Change the comma to a semicolon. (IC; IC.)

              Correct: We hiked in the Blue Ridge Mountains for three weeks; we were very tired.

3. Add a coordinating conjunction before the second independent clause.
    Coordinating conjunctions: and, or, but, nor, for, so, yet. (IC, CC IC)

              Correct: We hiked in the Blue Ridge Mountains for three weeks, so we were very tired.

Caution: Don't simply delete the comma; this will create a run-on or fused sentence.

Directions: For each sentence below, write CS if the sentence is a comma splice or C if the sentence is correct.

____ 1. My apartment is too small, I have no room for my treadmill and exercise bike.

____ 2. I'm exhausted, however, I will go to school anyway.

____ 3. Tom opened his freezer, then he noticed that two cans of beer had exploded.

____ 4. Although I understand the definition, comma splices still confuse me.

____ 5. A comma splice occurs when two complete sentences are joined only by a comma, I need to remember that rule.

____ 6. It's means "it is" or "it has," its' is always incorrect.

____ 7. I hiked for five hours yesterday, consequently I am too tired to go hiking again today.

____ 8. For example, I like to read suspense novels, email my friends, and play cards with my daughter.

____ 9. My son Geoffrey plays drums in band called Talent Scam, and he likes to surf at Playalinda Beach.

____10. Some people value money and material possessions, others value love and family.

Commas splice (CS): A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are joined by only a comma.

Comma splice: IC, IC.
Example: We hiked for three weeks, we were very tired.

Some Easy Ways to Correct Comma Splices

1. Change the comma to a period and capitalize the next word. (IC. IC.)

     Correct: We hiked for three weeks. We were very tired.

2. Change the comma to a semicolon. (IC; IC.)

     Correct: We hiked for three weeks; we were very tired.

3. Add a coordinating conjunction before the second independent clause.
    Coordinating conjunctions: and, or, but, nor, for, so, yet. (IC, CC IC)

     Correct: We hiked for three weeks, so we were very tired

Caution: Don't simply delete the comma; this will create a run-on or fused sentence.

Directions: For each sentence below, write CS if the sentence is a comma splice or C if the sentence is correct.

____ 1. Don't go in there, you will be horrified.

____ 2. She was, however, tired and worn out.

____ 3. First, I must go shopping, then I have to decide what to fix for dinner.

____ 4. Maria is running a temperature of 102, therefore, she should not go to school today.

____ 5. Although she had a fever, Maria still wanted to go to school.

____ 6. Mary Grace Thompson lives with her divorced father, for her mother ran away with the local tax collector.

____ 7. Every day Frank brings calm to other people's catastrophes, however, now catastrophe has struck his life.

____ 8. I was sick last week, consequently I've fallen behind in my work.

____ 9. Not only had her goals changed, she spent less time with her friends.

____10. She knew that at home her endless horse talk was boring, yet she wouldn't stop long enough for her father to ask about her symptoms.

Commas splice (CS): A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are joined by only a comma.

Comma splice: IC, IC.
Example: We hiked for three weeks, we were very tired.

Some Easy Ways to Correct Comma Splices

1. Change the comma to a period and capitalize the next word. (IC. IC.)

     Correct: We hiked for three weeks. We were very tired.

2. Change the comma to a semicolon. (IC; IC.)

     Correct: We hiked for three weeks; we were very tired.

3. Add a coordinating conjunction before the second independent clause.
    Coordinating conjunctions: and, or, but, nor, for, so, yet. (IC, CC IC)

     Correct: We hiked for three weeks, so we were very tired

Caution: Don't simply delete the comma; this will create a run-on or fused sentence.

Directions: For each sentence below, write CS if the sentence is a comma splice or C if the sentence is correct. Correct any comma splices using one of the methods described above.

1. Every year I make New Year's resolutions, for example, I will try to drink more water.

2. Every year, however, I seem to fail at my resolutions.

3. I did not want to fail this year, consequently, I changed my resolution.

4. I finally understood that goals needed to be specific, so I modified my goal.

5. This year I will drink four glasses of water every day, this goal is specific and measurable.

6. While this is a measurable goal, however, four glasses of water a day is not sufficient.

7. I don't care, at least this year I will be successful.

8. Today I found out my bad cholesterol is a little high, therefore, I will reduce my fat intake.

9. I was reading the dictionary today, and I read that a "chrisom child" is a child who dies in its first month, this struck me a very sad.

10. Perhaps I should stop reading the dictionary, on the other hand, it is useful for correcting my spelling.

Commas splice (CS): A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are joined by only a comma.

Comma splice: IC, IC.
Example: We hiked for three weeks, we were very tired.

Some Easy Ways to Correct Comma Splices

1. Change the comma to a period and capitalize the next word. (IC. IC.)

     Correct: We hiked for three weeks. We were very tired.

2. Change the comma to a semicolon. (IC; IC.)

     Correct: We hiked for three weeks; we were very tired.

3. Add a coordinating conjunction before the second independent clause.
    Coordinating conjunctions: and, or, but, nor, for, so, yet. (IC, CC IC)

     Correct: We hiked for three weeks, so we were very tired.

Caution: Don't simply delete the comma; this will create a run-on or fused sentence.

Directions: For each sentence below, write CS if the sentence is a comma splice or C if the sentence is correct. Correct any comma splices using one of the methods described above.

1. My son was a very healthy child, however, my daughter is often sick.

2. My daughter, however, has never broken a bone.

3. Geoffrey broke his wrist by falling from a seesaw, he broke his arm by falling from a ladder.

4. The seesaw accident was not his fault, however, he should not have been on the ladder.

5. He was supposed to be watching his little sister, instead he was hanging lights for an end-of-year party.

6. I let him invite his friends to the party, I did not know he had 200 friends.

7. The party was a nightmare for me, furthermore, it bothered the neighbors.

8. There were teenagers everywhere, for example, they filled the kitchen, the living room, the deck, and even the loft in the garage.

9. At 10:00 p.m. I asked these teens to go home, by midnight there were only 12 "friends" left.

10. All twelve asked to spend the night, and five of the 12 were girls.

Comma Splice Practice 5

Identify and correct any comma splices in the following email entitled "Rules of Chocolate." 

Chocolate is a vegetable.  How so?  Chocolate is derived from cacao beans, beans are vegetables.  In addition, sugar is derived from either sugar CANE or sugar Beets, both are plants, which places them in the vegetable category.  Thus, chocolate is a vegetable, you should have at least five servings of vegetables a day.

To go one step further, chocolate bars also contain milk.  Milk is a healthy dairy product, therefore, chocolate bars are a health food.

Chocolate covered raisins, cherries, orange slices, and strawberries all count as fruit, consequently, you can eat as many as you want.

If you've got melted chocolate all over your hands, you're eating it too slowly.

Consider this problem.  How do you get 2 pounds of chocolate home from the store in a hot car?  The solution is easy, eat it in the parking lot.

If you are trying to lose weight, here is a delicious diet tip.  Eat a chocolate bar before each meal, it will take the edge off of your appetite, and you will eat less.  If calories are an issue for you, store your chocolate on top of the refrigerator.  Calories are known to be afraid of heights, they will jump out of the chocolate to protect themselves.

If I eat equal amounts of dark chocolate and white chocolate, is that a balanced diet?  Don't they actually counteract each   other?

Are you having trouble accomplishing your daily goals?  Here's a suggestion for you, put "eat chocolate" at the top of your list of things to do today.  That way you will get at least one thing done!