a comma splice is the use of a comma to join two independent clauses. for example:  although acceptable in some languages and compulsory in others (e.g. bulgarian), comma splices are usually considered style errors in english. some english style guides consider comma splices appropriate in certain situations, such as when being poetic or with short, similar phrases. ==prescriptive view== comma splices are condemned in the elements of style, a popular american english style guide by e.b. white and william strunk, jr. according to joanne buckley,buckley, joanne. checkmate: a writing reference for canadians. scarborough, ontario: nelson. 2003. comma splices often arise when writers use conjunctive adverbs to separate two independent clauses instead of using a coordinating conjunction. a coordinating conjunction is one of the seven words: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. a conjunctive adverb is a word like furthermore, however, or moreover. a conjunctive adverb and a comma (or a conjunctive adverb between two commas) is not strong enough to separate two independent clauses and creates a comma splice; only semicolons and periods are strong enough to separate two independent clauses without a conjunction. for example, the following sentence contains a comma splice with a conjunctive adverb:  grammarians disagree as to whether a comma splice also constitutes a run-on sentence. some run-on sentence definitions include comma splices, but others limit the term to independent clauses that are joined without punctuation, thereby excluding comma splices. ==acceptable uses== strunk & white notes that splices are sometimes acceptable when the clauses are short and alike in form, such as: {{quote|the gate swung apart, the bridge fell, the portculli
English_grammar Punctuation