|
In a sentence that consists of two independent clauses, those clauses should be separated by a semicolon, not a comma. Separating them with a comma but no conjunction is a very common writing error called a ‘comma splice’.
Where you have two independent clauses, they should be (1) separated by a semicolon, OR (2) joined by a conjunction OR (3) broken into two sentences. Here's an example: ‘It was a long trip home, I had to catch two buses and a train.’ I could rewrite this as: ‘It was a long trip home. I had to catch two buses and a train.’ (separate sentences) OR ‘It was a long trip home; I had to catch two buses and a train.’ (substitute semicolon) OR ‘It was a long trip home, because I had to catch two buses and a train.’ (add a conjunction).
1 Comment
Jane Smith
7/11/2020 02:59:42 pm
Not sure whether your sentence is made up of two independent clauses? Ask yourself this: if you replaced the comma with a full stop, would each of the two parts of the sentence make a complete sentence in its own right? If so, they're independent clauses. And if that's the case, they shouldn't be separated by a comma. Change it to a semicolon or leave them as two sentences - or add a conjunction as explained above. Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
About this blogThrough my experience as an editor, a reader and a book reviewer, I’ve noticed that some writing faults keep just popping up again and again. As an author, I’m especially aware of those writing crimes that I’m frequently tempted to commit myself. This series of brief tips addresses the common writing problems that I’ve encountered. Following them will help make your writing clear, accurate and stylish. Archives
February 2021
|
RSS Feed
