A comma splice is committed when two independent sentences are joined by a comma, such as the following (incorrect) sentence:

It is nearly half past five, we cannot reach town before dark.

The proper punctuation here is the semicolon:

It is nearly half past five; we cannot reach town before dark.

Commas are sometimes acceptable when the clauses are short and alike in form, such as

The gate swung apart, the bridge fell, the portcullis was drawn up.

(Examples from the online 1918 edition of The Elements of Style.)

However, do not use a comma and a conjunction to connect independent and dependent clauses.

The ball hit George and knocked off his glasses.

Not:

The ball hit George, and knocked off his glasses.

See also

• Comma
• English grammar

External Links

• Rules governing comma usage