Question #N1146
The sentence "The cat sat on the mat, and then it ate the mouse." contains a comma splice. Which of the following revisions corrects the comma splice?
A. The cat sat on the mat and then it ate the mouse.
B. The cat sat on the mat, it then ate the mouse.
C. The cat sat on the mat, and then it ate the mouse.
D. The cat sat on the mat then it ate the mouse.
Correct Answer is: A
A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are joined together with only a comma. To correct a comma splice, you can either use a semicolon, a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet), or separate the two sentences with a period. Choice A corrects the comma splice by using a coordinating conjunction. Choice B is incorrect because it doesn’t separate the two clauses with a coordinating conjunction, semicolon, or period. Choice C is incorrect because it is the original sentence with the comma splice. Choice D is incorrect because it is a run-on sentence, where two sentences are joined together without any punctuation.