I thought I would make a post on how to find comma splices. They’re not exactly the easiest thing in the world to discover. What I’ve noticed, in my own writing, is that I tend to have them in dialogue. This is because we don’t speak like we should be a writin’. If you get my drift.

This week is on finding comma splices. If you have any suggestions for grammatical rules you would like me to write back, comment and tell me! I’ll make a post!

HOW DO I FIND COMMA SPLICES?

Finding comma splices can be a tricky matter.  It is especially hard to do in your own work.  I suggest taking the time to read each sentence individually (after you’ve written everything of course, no need to worry about this when you’re writing).  If you know that you commonly make the mistake of putting comma splices into your writing, then this can be helpful.

Look for commas.  FIND the commas. Then look for a coordinating conjunction.  Once you’ve determined there isn’t one, then you need to see if each clause on either side of the comma is independent.  Can they stand-alone as a sentence?  Does it make sense without the other half?  If both can stand alone, you have a comma splice.  From there you have to determine which resolution is the best option.