ACT English: Five Ways to Fix Comma Splices and Choose the Best One

A comma splice joins two independent clauses (complete sentences) with only a comma. Wrong: "I love reading, I hate tests." There are five fixes: (1) Use a period. "I love reading. I hate tests." (2) Use a semicolon. "I love reading; I hate tests." (3) Use a conjunction (and, but, or, etc.). "I love reading, but I hate tests." (4) Use a subordinating conjunction (because, although, while, etc.). "Although I love reading, I hate tests." (5) Use a transitional phrase with a semicolon. "I love reading; however, I hate tests." On the ACT, multiple fixes might be grammatically correct, but the passage or context hints at which is best (clearest, most concise). Know all five fixes and choose the one that best fits the surrounding sentences' tone and rhythm.

Example: "The study was rigorous, it had flaws." Fix 1 (period): Two separate ideas. Fix 3 (conjunction): "The study was rigorous, but it had flaws." Fix 4 (subordinating): "Although the study was rigorous, it had flaws." All are correct; context determines the best choice.

If the two clauses are equally important and connected, use a period or semicolon. Example: "The temperature rose, the ice melted." Both facts are equally important. "The temperature rose. The ice melted." or "The temperature rose; the ice melted." If one clause is a consequence or contrast of the other, use a conjunction. "She studied hard, she failed." (Contrast) → "She studied hard, but she failed." If one clause is the reason for the other, use a subordinating conjunction. "I skipped lunch, I was hungry." (Weak logic) → "I skipped lunch, so I was hungry." (Better) or "Because I skipped lunch, I was hungry." (Clearest). Ask yourself: "Are these ideas equal or is one dependent on the other?" That determines which fix works best.

Red flag: If the ACT offers multiple fixes, all grammatically correct, pick the shortest or clearest one. Conciseness is always preferred if multiple answers work.

1. "The project was delayed, everyone waited." Fix using subordination: "Because the project was delayed, everyone waited." 2. "I prefer coffee, my sister prefers tea." Fix using coordination: "I prefer coffee, but my sister prefers tea." 3. "He ran the marathon, he crossed the finish line." Fix using a period: "He ran the marathon. He crossed the finish line." 4. "The budget increased, savings improved." Fix using a semicolon: "The budget increased; savings improved." 5. "She finished early, she left the office." Fix using a transitional phrase: "She finished early; therefore, she left the office." For each, justify why you chose that fix over the others. What does the clause relationship tell you?

Daily drill: Take three sentences from news articles and intentionally create comma splices. Then fix each one using all five methods. Write out all five versions. This trains flexibility and helps you see why one fix might sound better than another in context.

Comma splices appear in almost every ACT English passage. If you know only one fix method, you'll miss questions testing other methods. If you know all five and can choose the best one, you'll answer these confidently and quickly. This skill alone can boost your English score by 1-2 points per passage (5-10 overall) because comma splice questions are extremely common and entirely learnable.

Spend this week mastering all five fixes. Practice identifying comma splices and choosing the best fix in context. By test day, you'll recognize splices instantly and fix them automatically.