Little Seagull Edit- Comma Splices, Fused Sentences

As a writer, I have always had the habit of using run-on sentences or putting commas where they don’t belong. After reading The Little Seagull‘s tips on comma splices and fused sentences, I got some really helpful advice. For example, I didn’t realize that comma splices, which I use a lot, are often seen as mistakes. As a way to avoid this common mistake, the book suggested a list of things that could be done instead. This includes: Making the two clauses into two separate sentences, using a comma and a coordinating conjunction to make the two conjunctions one sentence, or using a semicolon. Now that I have knowledge of all these helpful hints, I can go back into my narrative and revise it thoroughly. An example of this would be “My mom went to the grocery store earlier, when she came back I had to carry the groceries.” The book taught me that this should be split into two sentences.