Fixing Comma Splices - General Grammar Reference

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Grammar and Style » General Reference » Comma Splice » Fixing Comma Splices

Pass your mouse over the following examples of comma splices and run-ons to see a demonstration of the different ways you can fix them.

1. You can use a period to turn the independent clauses into separate sentences. This is good for when you have two clearly separate ideas.

2. You can separate independent clauses with a comma and a coordinating conjunction, and the conjunction can help clarify the relationship between the two clauses.

3. Separating independent clauses with a semicolon can show that the first clause is a more important idea than the second; it can also show that the two clauses are equivalent ideas.

4. You might want to make the second clause the main point: to do this you can separate the independent clauses with a colon.

5. If you want to show that the idea in one clause depends on the idea in the other, you can make one of the clauses a dependent clause, using a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun.

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