A comma splice refers to a sentence error in which two independent clauses are joined by only a comma between them.Here is an example:

The students have prepared thoroughly for the exam, they are not afraid to take it.

Once you have identified a comma splice, you can correct it with the four methods listed below.

Method one: Make the two independent clauses into two separate sentences.Or join the two independent clauses with a semicolon (分号) when the second clause is closely related to the first.

The students have prepared thoroughly for the exam.They are not afraid to take it.

The students have prepared thoroughly for the exam；they are not afraid to take it.

Practice 2-3-1

Correct the following comma splice by making them into two separate sentences, or join the two independent clauses with a semicolon.Answers are provided only as suggestions.

1.The scientist is not a person who gives the right answer, he is the one who asks the right questions.

2.Perseverance is not a long race, it is many short races one after another.

3.The brightness of the sun lifts my spirit, I feel energetic and ready to work.

4.I didn't do it for reward, I did it for love.

5.Child obesity is not just a problem in America, it is now a serious problem around the world.

Method two: Use a comma followed by one of the seven coordinating conjunctions (并列连词) : and, but, for, yet, so, or , norbetween the two independent clauses.

The students have prepared thoroughly for the exam, so they are not afraid to take it.

Practice 2-3-2

Correct the following comma splice by using a comma followed by one of the seven coordinating conjunctions between the two independent clauses.Answers are provided only as suggestions.

1.When a dog bites a man that is not news, when a man bites a dog that is news.

2.Quitters never win, winners never quit.

3.They were undecided about whether to continue, they had lost their sense of direction.

4.She must know what is happening, she is a complete idiot.

5.There were only a few miles from their destination, they kept on walking.

6.He had no friends, did he make any.

7.One mother can take care of three children, three children cannot take care of one mother.

Method three: Use a semicolon before the conjunctive adverbs (连接副词) : therefore, still , consequently, furthermore, moreover, however, instead, likewise, indeed, also, nevertheless , otherwiseor conjunctive phrases (连接短语) : in fact, for example , for instance , on the other hand, in contrast, as a result , in additionand a comma after.

The students have prepared thoroughly for the exam；therefore, they are not afraid to take it.

Practice 2-3-3

Correct the following comma splice by using a semicolon before the conjunctive adverbs or conjunctive phrases and a comma after.Answers are provided only as suggestions.

1.There is much to be proud of in today's world, however, there is probably just as much to be ashamed of.

2.A foreign student faces many problems, for example, he has to cope with a new culture.

3.A short nap relaxes me, in addition, it gives me the energy to spend on my homework.

4.Susan often keeps wondering if she has made the right decision, likewise, Virginia questions her judgment all the time.

5.Commercially raised animals such as chickens or beef cattle can reach marketable size within a matter of (仅仅) months or a year, in contrast, the American lobster must grow for an average of six to eight years before it reaches the proper size.

Method four: Make one of the independent clauses into a dependent clause by introducing it with a subordinate conjunction (从属连词) : after, before, until, when, whenever, while, since, now that, because, as, as if, if, unless, alth-ough, even if, even though, though, where, wherever, in order that, so that.

Because the students have prepared thoroughly for the exam, they are not afraid to take it.

Practice 2-3-4

Correct the following comma splice by using a subordinate conjunction to make one of the independent clauses into a dependent clause.Answers are provided only as suggestions.

1.You cannot find the right book, you should ask a librarian for help.

2.My cat is fed well, she is still skinny.

3.Playing football after school is good for children, it promotes a sense of teamwork.

4.She was crossing the street, she lost the heel of her right shoe.

5.An optimist sees a half-filled glass half full, a pessimist thinks it's half empty.

Practice 2-3-5

Correct the following comma splice by using any of the four methods you have just learned.Answers are provided only for the first five sentences as suggestions.

1.Beethoven was not born deaf, he lost his hearing gradually.

2.Without grammar little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed.

3.It was the night before Christmas, the children were excited.

4.More and more people who live alone adopt a pet for company, consequently, the pet services industry has expanded greatly.

5.Money cannot make you happy, it can keep you comfortable.

6.The meaning of the sentence is ambiguous, you can interpret it in several ways.

7.Westerners have long enjoyed exploring the“mysterious Orient”, few of us in the Orient have had a real taste of the“mysterious Occident”.

8.Charity isn't doing something you have to do, it's doing something that you want to do.

9.The recruiters (招聘人员) interviewed the job-hunter, they did not come to any conclusions.

10.The best-selling items in the zoo gift shop are the stuffed pandas and the polar bear T-shirts, the profits from these items help support the real animals in the zoo.

11.Our daughter is our hope, we always try our best to let her grow faster and healthier.

12.Some animals have not learned how to be good parents, as a result, baby animals are sometimes brought up in zoo nurseries and even in private homes.

13.Life on earth depends on water, there is no substitute for it.

14.They decided not to take a vacation, they needed the money to remodel (装修) their kitchen.

15.Physical changes can be documented quite easily, on the other hand, psychological growth is difficult to measure.

Practice 2-3-6

Write several sentences, each containing two independent clauses.Be sure to punctuate them correctly.Answers will vary.