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The fact is, though, that in the U.S. a lot of people who are sure they understand the "rules" of English firmly believe that all comma splices are not just errors, but really big errors, and that any one who commits a comma splice is demonstrating a fundamental inability to control a sentence. If I were to use a perfectly acceptable comma splice, I can be sure that an awful lot of people would assume that I have no mastery of sentence boundaries. […]

 

Sometimes it seems that the rule against comma splices is the only rule that many people –English teachers especially!– have managed to master, and so they are always on the hunt for an opportunity to wield it against someone. (link) While it is true that in American usage most comma splices are errors, it is also true that some are worse errors than others, and some are not errors at all. I am not even sure it is considered a matter of concern in British usage [...]

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 [...]

Barbara Wallraff, who writes the delightful "Word Court" column on the back page of The Atlantic Monthly, has recently published a book on the correct use of language. [...] The current Quality Paperback Book catalogue quotes from her a wonderful line about comma splices--

 

"Take this sentence, for example: 'It's not a comet, it's a meteor.' According to Wallraff, 'punctuating this sentence with a semicolon would be like using a C-clamp to hold a sandwich together.' "

 

Precisely!

 

There are times when a comma splice is a justifiable stylistic device, not an error.

The fact is, though, that in the U.S. a lot of people who are sure they understand the "rules" of English firmly believe that all comma splices are not just errors, but really big errors, and that any one who commits a comma splice is demonstrating a fundamental inability to control a sentence. If I were to use a perfectly acceptable comma splice, I can be sure that an awful lot of people would assume that I have no mastery of sentence boundaries. […]

Sometimes it seems that the rule against comma splices is the only rule that many people –English teachers especially!– have managed to master, and so they are always on the hunt for an opportunity to wield it against someone. (link) While it is true that in American usage most comma splices are errors, it is also true that some are worse errors than others, and some are not errors at all. I am not even sure it is considered a matter of concern in British usage [...]

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 [...]

Barbara Wallraff, who writes the delightful "Word Court" column on the back page of The Atlantic Monthly, has recently published a book on the correct use of language. [...] The current Quality Paperback Book catalogue quotes from her a wonderful line about comma splices--

"Take this sentence, for example: 'It's not a comet, it's a meteor.' According to Wallraff, 'punctuating this sentence with a semicolon would be like using a C-clamp to hold a sandwich together.' "

Precisely!

There are times when a comma splice is a justifiable stylistic device, not an error.

Looking back over the previous questions about comma splice I came across this unanswered Q:

Looking back over the previous questions about comma splice I came across this relatively recent question:

There definitely exists a wider grammatical debate about the appropriateness of the comma splice.

if large numbers of well educated English writers are using comma splices as well-considered stylistic alternatives to semicolons and conjunctions (which they consider outdated and excessive), how long can some grammarians continue to deem it a to-be-avoided error?

There definitely exists a wider grammatical debate beyond this website about the appropriateness of the comma splice.

if large numbers of well educated English writers are using comma splices as well-considered stylistic alternatives to semicolons and conjunctions (both of which they may consider outdated and excessive), how long can some grammarians continue to deem it a to-be-avoided error?