Comma splices: what they are and how to fix them

A comma splice happens when two complete sentences are joined with only a comma.

Comma splice: I was exhausted, I went straight to bed.

Both halves could stand alone as sentences, so a comma is not strong enough to hold them together.

Fix 1: use a full stop

I was exhausted. I went straight to bed.

Fix 2: add a joining word

I was exhausted, so I went straight to bed. (Other joining words: and, but, or, yet.)

Fix 3: use a semicolon

I was exhausted; I went straight to bed. A semicolon shows the two ideas are closely linked.

Fix 4: make one half depend on the other

Because I was exhausted, I went straight to bed.

How to spot them

Look at every comma in your writing. Cover the words before it, then the words after it. If both halves make complete sentences, you have a comma splice.

Try it: fix this using two different methods: “The bell rang, everyone rushed for the door.”