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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
Can one list independent clauses in a single sentence list?
Commas are used to separate things in a list, but what if the list is of independent clauses?
Example: She knew this house, she visited it often, but it didn’t belong to her father.
Example: She knew this house, she visited it often, but it didn’t belong to her father.
Top answer
I'd call this a borderline case. I would accept it, especially in a work of fiction, but if you ask a particularly fussy English teacher, you might get the opinion that it's wrong - more specifically, that it's a "comma splice". Still, the clauses are all related, so you might argue that that makes it OK.
- I'd call this a borderline case.
- I would accept it, especially in a work of fiction, but if you ask a particularly fussy English teacher, you might get the opinion that it's wrong - more specifically, that it's a "comma splice".
- Still, the clauses are all related, so you might argue that that makes it OK.
- CJ
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5 Answers
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I'd call this a borderline case. I would accept it, especially in a work of fiction, but if you ask a particularly fussy English teacher, you might get the opinion that it's wrong - more specifically, that it's a "comma splice". Still, the clauses are all related, so you might argue that that makes it OK.
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In a work of fiction I would simply use an em-dash to get round the comma splice issue.
She knew this house-she visited it often-but it didn't belong to her father.
The one I struggle with is where "and" is the coordinating conjunction.
The music played, the lights dimmed and couples took to the floor.
I usually just let it go and claim asyndeton with
She knew this house-
The one I struggle with is where "and" is the coordinating conjunction.
The music played, the lights dimmed and couples took to the floor.
I usually just let it go and claim asyndeton with
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That's not how I posted that. It seems to have done something weird with my em-dashes.
She knew this house - she visited it often - but it didn't belong to her father.
Just pretend those dashes are em-dashes!
She knew this house - she visited it often - but it didn't belong to her father.
Just pretend those dashes are em-dashes!
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OK, I've researched this a bit more, just in case anyone else should ever venture onto this thread and check this out.
In the first sentence, using "but" as a connective conjuction, the middle phrase does not form a comma splice, because it is a parenthetical element (i.e. you could put it in brackets).
In the second sentence, using "and" it is acceptable to create a list of inde
In the first sentence, using "but" as a connective conjuction, the middle phrase does not form a comma splice, because it is a parenthetical element (i.e. you could put it in brackets).
In the second sentence, using "and" it is acceptable to create a list of inde
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Hi,
Commas are used to separate things in a list, but what if the list is of independent clauses?
Example: She knew this house, she visited it often, but it didn’t belong to her father.
Yes, you can use commas like that.
But in the original example, I'd prefer
Commas are used to separate things in a list, but what if the list is of independent clauses?
Example: She knew this house, she visited it often, but it didn’t belong to her father.
Yes, you can use commas like that.
But in the original example, I'd prefer
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