Why the comma splice isn’t nice

“Hi Raj, I got your email, I’m on holiday now for a week, maybe Susan can help you, Jamie”

We’ve all received an email like that. Maybe you’ve sent one yourself. The problem? The use of the ‘comma splice’ – a downright cowardly punctuation mark that’s basically in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The comma splice is a bit of a weakling in the world of punctuation. Technically speaking, it describes when a comma is used to join two independent clauses (parts of a sentence). The trouble is, a comma just isn’t powerful enough for this purpose. As a result, you end up with a breathless string of independent statements that runs on and on.

While this may be fine for messages and emails outside of work, it doesn’t make you look very professional to your colleagues. But fear not! Writing Machine is here with three top tips to rid your writing of that yellow-bellied comma splice for good.

1. Use full stops

The simplest way to get rid of the comma splice is to chop up your text into standalone sentences.

“Hi Raj. I got your email. I’m on holiday now for a week. Maybe Susan can help you? Jamie”

2. Use a conjunction

Do those full stops make it sound a little too formal for your liking? Try using a conjunction (such as and, or, but, so, because, although) to join up all the independent statements.

“Hi Raj. I got your email, but I’m on holiday now for a week, so maybe Susan can help you? Jamie”

3.Try a semicolon

If there is a link between two of your clauses, you can use a semicolon. In our example, the fact that Jamie is out of the office is linked to his suggestion that Susan could help instead:

“Hi Raj. I got your email. I’m on holiday now for a week; maybe Susan can help you? Jamie”