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12 January 2012

No comma splices, please; we're allergic

Over in the Economist column 'Johnson' (named after the dictionary-maker) they've been debating the dreaded comma splice, leading to a post that begins:
SEVERAL months ago I was surprised to see Arnold Zwicky, a linguist, use a comma splice. A few commenters took me to task for being over-picky. The question came up again in the comments several days ago, when k.a.gardner, a frequent commenter, asked for a post on the comma splice. One of my colleagues quickly replied that "The comma-splice rule is totally arbitrary," and a back-and-forth ensued.
What is a comma splice?  Prof Zwicky wrote back in July
"this is not even a tempest in a teapot, it’s a fuss in a thimbleful of spit."
That's two independent clauses joined only by a comma, or a comma splice, sometimes called a "comma fault".
Pop over to the Economist and have your say, or join in our discussion here. Comma splice.  Pedantry or plain speaking?

3 comments:

  1. Well, having read the many erudite and facetious comments on the Economist site, all I have to say is this: I just want to be able to understand what I'm reading the first time I read it. Comma splices often jar, as the poor wee comma is insufficient for the job it has to do. But they don't bring me out in hives ;)

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  2. It surprises me how often we see comma splices in journalism. Call me old fashioned, but 'back in the day' the sub-editor knew how to construct a sentence.

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