Comma splice

A comma splice is two complete sentences joined by nothing but a comma: The store was closed, we went home. A comma is not strong enough to hold two sentences together on its own.

See it work

One broken sentence, four correct fixes:

The store was closed · we went home.

✗ Fused sentence: two complete sentences with nothing joining them.

The fixes

Full stop, semicolon, comma + coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), or subordinate one clause (Because the store was closed, we went home).

The "however" trap

It rained, however we went. is a splice. "However" is an adverb, not a joining word: It rained; however, we went.

Are they ever acceptable?

In fiction and informal writing, very short, parallel clauses are sometimes spliced for rhythm: I came, I saw, I conquered. In essays and professional writing, fix them.

Frequently asked

What is the difference between a comma splice and a run-on?

A comma splice is one kind of run-on: the one with a comma at the join.