Grammar is a tricky thing. For every rule you understand perfectly, there’s a handful that remain as confusing and elusive as ever. Though being a stickler for grammar rules shouldn’t be an author’s first priority while writing, it never hurts to have a firm grasp on the rules, even if it’s just so you can break them.
Let’s tackle a common grammar mistake that writers might not even realize they’re making—comma splices.
What are they?
Comma splices occur when two independent clauses are improperly connected by commas alone; they’re run-on sentences with a comma. (Reminder: run-on sentences occur when two independent clauses aren’t properly connected. They are not sentences that feel too long.)
Comma splice examples:
The sunset was starting, I left my camera in the car.
The ice cream is melting, I need a napkin.
I love my new dress, I’ve never owned something so fancy.
How to Identify Them
When trying to identify a comma splice, look at the phrases that come before and after the comma. Can they each stand on their own as complete sentences? If so, they’re independent clauses and the sentence is a comma splice.
Take one of the sentences above for example. “The sunset was starting” can stand on its own, as can “I left my camera in the car.” It’s a comma splice.
How to Fix Them
There are three common ways to fix a comma splice.
1. Separate the clauses into two sentences
The sunset was starting. I left my camera in the car.
The ice cream is melting. I need a napkin.
I love my new dress. I’ve never owned something so fancy.
2. Replace the comma with a semicolon
The sunset was starting; I left my camera in the car.
The ice cream is melting; I need a napkin.
I love my new dress; I’ve never owned something so fancy.
3. Add a conjunction (if it makes sense)
The sunset was starting, but I left my camera in the car.
The ice cream is melting, and I need a napkin.
A conjunction doesn’t fit so well for the dress sentence, so it’s best fixed by a period or semi-colon.
What Not to Do
Make sure you don’t try to fix a comma splice by using a comma followed by a conjunctive adverb.
Conjunctive adverbs include: however, similarly, nevertheless, moreover, therefore, certainly, hence, by contrast, furthermore, in other words, in addition.
Adding one of these words or phrases still results in a comma splice. However, you can add one to help fix a comma splice if you’re using a period or semicolon before the second independent clause. (Notice how these two sentences are an example of this?)
Break the Rules
Some grammar rules were made to be broken. While comma splices should be avoided in formal, professional writing, there’s room for them within fiction where writing is allowed to be more casual, conversational, and where individual style and impact is prioritized. Comma splices can remain when they are used intentionally to enhance style, narrative, and rhythm.
Comma splices are commonly used in fiction when authors want to create a sense of urgency or to convey a sense of speed within a character’s racing thoughts or speech. They create a sense of natural rhythm and flow that is found in real-life speech, whereas a period or semi-colon would create a full stop. Full stops often interrupt the flow of a sentence and its emotion, injecting a stiffness that wouldn’t be found in real-life speech and might be at odds with the author’s intention for the scene.
Comma splices can be used outside of dialogue/thought as well. When they enhance the style and narrative rhythm you’re aiming for, leave them. Perhaps the most famous example of a comma splice in fiction is the first line from Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities:
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”
When they serve a purpose within your writing, comma splices are perfectly acceptable within fiction. Prioritize style and flow over grammar rules when appropriate.
Remember: break whatever rules you want when it comes to your writing. It’s your voice and your story. A good editor knows when rules are broken for a reason and when making corrections according to those grammar rules only stifles an author’s style and voice.
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