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4. Comma Splice | Definition, Examples, & Rules

Commas

• Overview
• Comma splice
• Oxford comma
• Serial comma
• With coordinating conjunctions
  • Comma before or after and
  • Comma before or after but
  • Comma before or
  • Comma before so
• With subordinating conjunctions
  • Comma before because
  • Comma before while
• With other words and phrases
  • Comma before as well as
  • Comma before or after however
  • Comma before such as
  • Comma before too
  • Comma before which

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Comma Splice | Definition, Examples, & Rules

Published on July 25, 2022 by Eoghan Ryan. Revised on October 31, 2023.

A comma splice is a grammatical error that occurs when a comma is used to join two independent clauses without a conjunction. An independent clause can function as a standalone sentence, because it has its own subject and verb.

To fix a comma splice, you can:

• Replace the comma with a semicolon (;) to show that the two parts of the sentence are closely related
• Replace the comma with a period (.) to create two separate sentences
• Add a coordinating or subordinating conjunction (e.g., “and,” “although”) to indicate the relationship between the clauses or to emphasize one of them

Comma splice sentences	Comma splice corrections
Rose likes fruit, she doesn’t like vegetables.	Rose likes fruit; she doesn’t like vegetables.
Eli is a volunteer firefighter, Ben is an event planner.	Eli is a volunteer firefighter. Ben is an event planner.
Sam studied for his exam, he felt confident.	Sam studied for his exam, and he felt confident.

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Table of contents

1. What is a comma splice?
2. Using a semicolon to fix a comma splice
3. Using a period to fix a comma splice
4. Adding a conjunction to fix a comma splice
5. Is a comma splice ever OK?
6. Worksheet: Comma splice examples

What is a comma splice?

A comma splice occurs when a comma is incorrectly used to join two independent clauses. This is considered a grammatical error because it can affect the clarity and flow of a sentence.

To fix a comma splice, you can use a semicolon, use a period, or add a conjunction.

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Use the best grammar checker available to check your comma placement quickly and easily.

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Using a semicolon to fix a comma splice

You can replace the comma with a semicolon when a logical or sequential connection between the two parts of the sentence is clear. A semicolon is similar to a period, but it suggests a closer link between the two clauses.

The word appearing immediately after a semicolon should begin with a lowercase letter.

• Ted finished his chores, he felt tired.
• Ted finished his chores; he felt tired.

Using a period to fix a comma splice

You can replace the comma with a period so that each of the independent clauses is a separate sentence.

This is particularly effective when the ideas of the two clauses are distinct and the relationship between them does not need to be emphasized.

• Jeremy lives in Alaska, he has been fishing ever since he was a child.
• Jeremy lives in Alaska. He has been fishing ever since he was a child.

Adding a conjunction to fix a comma splice

You can also fix a comma splice by retaining the comma and adding a coordinating or subordinating conjunction to one of the clauses.

Add a coordinating conjunction

To keep the two clauses together in a single sentence, you can add a coordinating conjunction like “and,” “but,” or “so” immediately after the comma.

This helps you to convey the relationship between the two independent clauses.

Coordinating conjunction	Function	Example
And	Indicate connection	He plays the guitar, and he can sing.
But	Indicate contrast	Sarah tied her shoelaces, but the shoes were still loose.
So	Introduce a result	Mike lost his phone, so he had to buy a new one.

Add a subordinating conjunction

A subordinating conjunction can also be added to either the first or second clause if you want to keep the two clauses in a single sentence. This places emphasis on the clause that doesn’t contain the conjunction.

Subordinating conjunction	Function	Example
Although	Introduce a contrast	Although I’ve been lifting weights, I haven’t gotten any stronger.
Because	Introduce a result or outcome	Everyone brought their umbrellas, because it was expected to rain.
Once	To mean “as soon as”	Once the dog starts barking, the baby wakes up.

Conjunctive adverbs

A conjunctive adverb (e.g., “however,” “thus,” “therefore,” “nonetheless”) connects two clauses by using the second clause to modify the first. Conjunctive adverbs are typically placed at the start of a sentence or clause and followed by a comma.

Comma splices often occur when conjunctive adverbs are mistaken for coordinating conjunctions and used in a similar way. To fix this, replace the comma with a semicolon or a period, or use a coordinating conjunction instead.

• I don’t speak French, however I wish I did.
• I don’t speak French; however, I wish I did.
• I don’t speak French. However, I wish I did.
• I don’t speak French, but I wish I did.

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Is a comma splice ever OK?

While comma splices are not acceptable in formal or academic writing, they are very common in conversational contexts like text messaging, social media, and email, and nobody is likely to object to them there.

They can also be used in creative writing. For example, comma splices are commonly used in fiction to emphasize the speed of a character’s speech or thoughts. This rhetorical device is called asyndeton.

“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 …”

Worksheet: Comma splice examples

Test your knowledge of comma splices by using our practice worksheet below. Determine which sentences contain a comma splice.

• Practice questions
• Answers and explanations

1. George has lived in New York, Houston, Toronto, and Paris.
2. Linda got out of bed, brushed her teeth, and ate breakfast.
3. The bakery is on the left, the hardware store is on the right.
4. I want to go to the cinema, however I have to finish writing an essay.
5. Salman left at four o’clock, so he’ll be here soon, you should stay to meet him.

1. George has lived in New York, Houston, Toronto, and Paris.
   • This sentence does not contain a comma splice. Here, commas are used only to separate the individual parts of a list.

2. Linda got out of bed, brushed her teeth, and ate breakfast.
   • This sentence does not contain a comma splice. The clauses “brushed her teeth” and “and ate breakfast” are not independent as they do not include a subject.

3. The bakery is on the left, the hardware store is on the right.
   • This sentence contains a comma splice, since the comma links two independent clauses. You could fix it by replacing the comma with a period or semicolon or adding a coordinating conjunction.

4. I want to go to the cinema, however I have to finish writing an essay.
   • This sentence contains a comma splice. Here, a conjunctive adverb is incorrectly used as a coordinating conjunction. To fix this, the comma could be replaced with a period or semicolon, or “however” could be replaced with “but.”

5. Salman left at four o’clock, so he’ll be here soon, you should stay to meet him.
   • This sentence contains a comma splice. While it correctly connects the first and second clauses with the coordinating conjunction “so,” it incorrectly connects the second and third clauses with a comma splice. One way to fix it would be to replace the second comma with a period or semicolon.

Sources in this article

We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.

This Scribbr article

Ryan, E. (2023, October 31). Comma Splice | Definition, Examples, & Rules. Scribbr. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://www.scribbr.com/commas/comma-splice/

Cite this article

Sources

Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015). Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Garner, B. A. (2016). Garner’s modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

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Eoghan Ryan

Eoghan has a lot of experience with theses and dissertations at bachelor's, MA, and PhD level. He has taught university English courses, helping students to improve their research and writing. Why do I see ads? Ads help us keep our tools free for everyone. Scribbr customers enjoy an ad-free experience!

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