Question posted by Reli Elijah Aguilar in my Messenger board on Facebook (October 30, 2018):Hello, sir. I’m confused by this line from a book, “I’m not angry with you, I’m angry with myself.” Is this an example of a comma splice? Why did the author use a comma instead of a period? I think that statement is composed of two independent clauses, so why did the author use a comma? Sorry for asking directly to your Messenger, sir. I still can’t post a question in your Forum because I’m not yet a member.
My reply to Reli Elijah:Strictly speaking, the construction “I’m not angry with you, I’m angry with myself” is a
comma splice as you’ve surmised. Since what are being linked are two independent coordinate clauses, however, the correct punctuation between them should be a
semicolon: “I’m not angry with you; I’m angry with myself.” In colloquial usage, though, particularly in conversations in narrative fiction, using the semicolon to link such coordinate clauses looks too excruciatingly formal. This is why not a few writers would rather punctuate them with a comma without feeling guilty at all of any grammar violation.
IMAGE CREDIT: PUNCTUATIONCHECKER.ORGOf course, those two independent clauses can also be punctuated with a
period such that they become separate sentences. When this is done, however, their coordinate nature doesn’t get properly emphasized, and this might result in the improper articulation of the statement. Linking those two coordinate clauses with a semicolon will ensure that proper articulation both silently and orally.
RELATED READING:How to identify and correct a comma splice in a test sentence
