I thought I knew where to put commas but I found that it was wrong. When I was in high school I was taught that a comma goes where you want your reader to take a pause. Also, I was taught that a sentence cannot be 3 words. Both of those things I now know are incorrect. A comma cannot be placed in a sentence if it creates a comma splice. A comma splice is when two independent clauses are separated by a comma instead of a period. An independent clause is a sentence that includes a subject and a verb. When using a comma, it should be when a dependent clause is separated with an independent clause by a comma. The dependent clause depends on the independent clause and would not make sense without it. A subject tells us who or what is the focus of the sentence. The verb is an action. There are many types of verbs to look out for but there are 3 main types:

  • “Physical verbs-
    • Examples: run, jump, hear
  • Mental verbs-
    • Examples: know, believe, think
  • States of being-
    • Examples- am, are, is” (Verbs 2019)

An example I found that is a comma splice was “Koala bears are not actually bears, they are marsupials” (Comma splice 2019) In this example both sides to the comma can be its own sentence. In the first section, “Koala bears are not actually bears”, “koala bears” are the subject and “are” is the verb. That would make that a complete sentence. For the second half, “they are marsupials”, ‘they” is the subject and “are” would be the verb. Then the “t” in they would be capitalized.

There are many ways to fix a comma splice but three that were more common:

  1. Adding a conjunction: Adding in a word such as but, and or so after the comma would make the sentence proper           Example: Instead of “Koala bears are not actually bears, they are marsupials”, you could add a conjunction which would make the sentence “Koala bears are not actually bears, but they are marsupials”. That would make the sentence correct.
  2. Change the comma to a semi-colon: A semi-colon is a more pronounced pause then just a comma. I myself do not feel very comfortable using a semicolon. If a semicolon is used “make sure there is a close, logical connection between the two independent clauses.” (Comma Splices 2019)        An example of this would be, “‘I am not angry with you; I am not happy with you, either.'”
  3. Make separate sentences: This to me would be the safest way to fix my comma splices. If both sides of the comma are independent clauses then separate sentences would work the best for me.

One way I found for myself to help find comma splices is after completing my paper, I reread it and every comma I see I think to myself whether both sides of it could be a complete sentence. If both sides have both a subject and a verb, then I know it was a comma splice. I find myself not catching them when I first type my paper.

 

Citations:

“Comma Splice.” Grammarly, 6 Mar. 2019, www.grammarly.com/blog/comma-splice/.

Shrives, Craig, and Craig Shrives. “What Is the Subject of a Sentence? (with Examples).” Subject of a Sentence | What Is the Subject of a Sentence?, www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/subject.htm.

“Verbs | What Is a Verb? | Types of Verbs & Examples.” Ginger Pages, 2019, www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/verbs/.