Comma Splices and Fused Sentences

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Comma splices and fused sentences are common problems for both beginning and experienced writers. For beginning writers, the problem often lies in either not knowing what an independent clause is, or not knowing how to properly join two independent clauses. An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb.

Independent clause: I ran to the store.
Two independent clauses: I ran to the store, and I bought some milk.
Four independent clauses: I ran to the store, and I bought some milk; however, it was raining hard, so I was late.

Comma Splice

A comma splice occurs in a sentence that uses only a comma to separate two independent clauses.

Incorrect:    Be careful not to overcook the onion rings, they should be a golden brown.
His mother is a clerk at a department store, his father is a police officer.

Fused Sentence

A fused sentence combines two independent clauses with no punctuation.

Incorrect:    My mother is an artist she completely redecorated our home.
Class was great today I understood everything that went on.

Solutions

Punctuation

Period. Create two sentences out of the two independent clauses by placing a period between them.

Example:     My mother is an artist. She completely redecorated our home.

Although this is a correct way to separate two independent clauses, breaking every single clause into its own sentence creates monotonous and child-like prose.

Semicolon. A semicolon can be used in place of a period to connect two closely related independent clauses.

Example:     Be careful not to overcook the onion rings; they should be golden brown.

However, the use of a semicolon to join two unrelated independent clauses is inapropriate.

Incorrect:    Be careful not to overcook the onion rings; the tomatoes are on the counter.

Note: For more information on the semicolon see the handout The Colon, Hyphen, Dash & Semicolon.

Colon. Sometimes a colon can be used much like a semicolon, but it indicates a stronger explanatory or sequential relationship between the independent clauses than does a semicolon.

Example:     Richard was faced with a hard decision: should he date Barbara or Dana?

Note: For more information on using the colon, see the handouts Punctuating a Series and The Colon, Hyphen, Dash & Semicolon.

Coordinating conjunctions

Use a comma plus a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, so, for, yet) to appropriately join two independent clauses.

Example:     His mother is a clerk at a department store, and his father is a police officer.

Remember, coordinating conjunctions show relationships between ideas. Therefore, it is inappropriate to join two completely unrelated ideas with a coordinating conjunction.

Incorrect:    His mother is a clerk at a department store, and the Alaskan timberwolf howls at the moon.

Note: For more information on comma usage, see the handout Commas.

Subordinating conjunctions

Many times a sentence needs to show a relationship between ideas, such as cause/effect, hierarchy of ideas, or reasoning. Subordinating conjunctions show a relationship between independent clauses.

Unclear realtionship:     The educational system will fail. Changes need to be implemented.
Clear relationship:         The educational system will fail unless needed changes are implemented.

Here are some common subordinating conjunctions:

After before since where

although except that so that hereas

as in order that then while

as if if that

as though provided unless

because provided that when

Use the subordinating conjunction where it makes most sense in the sentence.

Awkward:    My mother is an artist, since she completely redecorated our home.
Clear:          Since my mother is an artist, she completely redecorated our home.

The awkward sentence could imply that mother was not an artist until she redecorated the home. The clear sentence, on the other hand, shows that mother was already an artist before redecorating the home, and she redecorated because she is an artist. Not only is the second sentence more clear, but it is more concise and conveys more information than the first sentence.

Conjunctive adverbs

Similar to coordinating conjunctions and subordinating conjunctions, conjunctive adverbs show relationships between ideas. When linking two independent clauses, a conjunctive adverb is preceded by a semicolon and followed by a comma.

Example:     My mother is an artist; consequently, she completely redecorated our home.

Here are some common conjunctive adverbs:

accordingly likewise then

besides moreover next

consequently nevertheless further

hence therefore namely

however nonetheless thus

indeed on the other hand

Note: for more information on connecting and showing relationships between ideas see the handout Coherency.

James Gunter, spring 2005
Based on a handout by Marrisse Henderson, Feb. 1993