Two things come to mind when I hear the word ‘splice’. The pine-lime popsicle I used to eat as a kid. And splicing tape in a sound editing suite (I took radio classes in the pre-digital era).
Both have positive associations. But when ‘comma’ and ‘splice’ come together, I put on my breastplate and raise my sword … I mean, activate track changes (doesn’t sound as exciting, does it?). But before I tell you why, let me explain what it is.
What's a comma splice?
A comma splice is when two independent clauses are joined with a comma. (For grammar neophytes, independent clauses are complete sentences.) Here are two examples:
❌ I love popsicles, they’re my favourite treat.
❌ I submitted the story, he didn’t like it.
As you can see, the two clauses are complete sentences. You don’t need to add anything more to understand their meaning. But you may be thinking, ‘Gab, they look fine to me. What’s the big deal?’
Well, when you look at the examples, you’ll notice that the comma isn’t strong enough to bring those two clauses/ideas together. This can affect meaning and flow. You don’t want this. When flow is interrupted, your reader gets confused or loses interest.
Instead, you want your reader’s eyes to glide smoothly over the text and extract your message quickly and easily.
So how do you fix a comma splice?
Luckily, you don't need a linguistics degree to correct a comma splice. Here are three common ways to do it:
1. Turn the clauses into separate sentences
The most popular fix is to add a full stop between each independent caluses. This turns them into new and separate sentences. For example:
✅ I love popsicles. They’re my favourite treat.
✅ I submitted the story. He didn’t like it.
2. Add a semicolon
If you don't like the finality of a full stop and want to suggest a connection between the two clauses, choose a semicolon. For example:
✅ I love popsicles; they’re my favourite treat.
✅ I submitted the story; he didn’t like it.
3. Add a conjunction (e.g. and, but, so, because, however, even though, etc.)
If you want to create flow in the sentence (or you just hate semicolons), you can add a conjunction to connect the clauses more seamlessly. Just make sure you choose carefully or you might alter the meaning of the clauses. For example:
✅ I submitted the story, but he didn’t like it.
✅ Even though I submitted the story, he didn’t like it.
Is a comma splice ever allowed?
Yes, my pesky little rule-breakers – but with a caveat. If you’re writing fiction, poetry or casual texts/emails, comma splices can help you create a sense of drama or rhythm, as long as the clauses are fairly short and don’t create ambiguity. Use them sparingly and intentionally, like these:
✅ We came, we saw, we fixed it.
✅ They will ask me in court, they will maraud me with questions. (Edna O’Brien)
The comma splice: Bringing it all together
Comma splices are one of the most common errors made by writers. Luckily, they're easy to fix. If you're ever in any doubt, here's a quick summary:
Identify the comma splice (check to see if the clauses still make sense on their own).
Correct it with a full stop, semicolon or conjunction.
Keep the comma splice in fiction or poetry – as long as it’s short, easy to follow and used for effect or rhythm.
Are you guilty of using comma splices? Or maybe you're confused about where to put your commas. Let me know in the comments below.
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