Comma splice rules1/7/2024 My advice is to avoid comma splices in business writing. Done ignorantly by ignorant people, it is awful.’ Done equally knowingly by people who are not published writers, it can look weak or presumptuous. ‘Done knowingly by an established writer, the comma splice is effective, poetic, dashing. Lynne Truss, author of Eats, Shoots & Leaves, says: The gates swung apart, the bridge fell, the portcullis was drawn up. In Elements of Style, Strunk & White say that comma splices are better than a semicolon when the clauses are short and alike in form, or when the tone of the sentence is conversational. Having said that a comma splice is an error, a comma splice can be effective when used by accomplished writers. Towards the bottom of some pages, the number of comma splices increased, no doubt to fit more words on the page. This error came to my attention, because I was reading business documents with a template that constrained word length. You could correct this sentence with a semicolon, conjunction, dash or full stop. (comma splice)Īs a general rule, a comma is not strong enough to join two independent clauses. An independent clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone. So what are they?Ī comma splice occurs when you use a comma to join two independent clauses (also known as main clauses). Comma splices and run-on sentences are common problems in business writing.
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