To contact the school over comma splices?

[CocktailQueen]

Or am I being too pedantic?

The school newsletter usually has a few typos, but this week the head teacher's letter but had about 8 comma splices. I winced every time.

Wibu to email her - we are acquaintances out of school - and let her know in a friendly way? I don't know if the office staff type it or she does...

Examples are

We love learning in our school, this week I was delighted to see x and y...

I hope you enjoyed the Xmas service, many thanks to the vicar...

Thank you for all your cards and Christmas gifts, we do appreciate them...

[ChippyMinton]

You may want to move this to Pedants' Corner, YABU.

[Asskicker]

Honestly I think if you approached the head teacher with this, you would be mentally tagged as one of 'those parents' and certainly wouldn't be acquaintances anymore.

I would love to know you plan to point this out in a friendly way though.

[Tillyscoutsmum]

Ha! Comma splices make me sad

I had to attend a training course run by the Literacy Co-ordinator for the LEA and her presentation was FULL of comma splices . I managed to bite my tongue. Unlike one of my colleagues

[memyselfandaye]

So several full stops at the end of a sentence aren't actually full stops, but comma splices?

Who knew?

Go ahead and pull your friend up, she will think you are a dick for trying to embarrass her by showing your superiority, and rightly so, but.....

[NoodleNuts]

I've just had to Google to find out what a comma splice even is

[ElderlyKoreanLady]

YWNBU if this was in the English class materials. But if you did it over a head teacher's letter, you're definitely one of 'those parents'. Sorry OP

[GruntledOne]

I'm a certified pedant, but apart maybe from the first one (where the two sentences seem to be unrelated) I'm OK with those examples. I think the use of English has developed that way and, although I really don't subscribe to the view that "language develops" excuses every horrible error (don't get me started on "would of") I find that reasonably unexceptionable.

[ghostyslovesheep]

if it matters that much to you then yes - please do take it up with the - it will give the entire school something to laugh about

stop sweating over such insignificant stuff and concern yourself with your child's education - if the school are doing that badly fair enough

[Thingsthatmakeugoummmm]

You must really have too much time on your hands! (Biscuit)

[ilovesooty]

Even if the office staff typed it the head teacher should have proof read it.
I think errors like that reflect poorly on the school.

[ilovesooty]

Sorry I forgot to say - I don't think I'd email the head though.

[catfordbetty]

You may want to move this to Pedants' Corner, YABU

Objection to comma-splices has now become the preserve of pedants? Really?! Dear OP, you're on a hiding to nothing.

[lilydaisyrose]

I thought I was pretty good at grammar, but obviously not! I have NEVER heard of this before and am now mortified!

I googled for info and found this quiz!
www.bristol.ac.uk/arts/exercises/grammar/grammar_tutorial/page_47.htm#commspliceex

[Salmotrutta]

I understand OP but sadly there is no way to do this without causing offence so perhaps it's best to "Let it Go"

[surreygoldfish]

Yup - pedants corner maybe with the exception of the first example. I'd let this go. If you were picking them up for witting 'would of' rather than 'would have' YWNBU......I have to restrain myself from correcting that....for some reason over the last year or so it's everywhere.....

[museumum]

I thought my written English was ok but the Wikipedia example "It's nearly half past five, we won't make it before dark" was a perfectly OK sentence!

The two things are clearly one idea - because it is now the time it is and because sunset is a fixed time and our destination fixed then our arrival will be after dark. One idea = one sentence I thought.

Help?

[CanadianJohn]

Memyselfandaye: "several full stops at the end of a sentence aren't actually full stops, but comma splices?"

The three dots at the end of a sentence are an ellipsis, the OP is complaing about the comma in the middle of the sentence.

Pedants (like me) try to avoid comma splices. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma_splice

[SoupDragon]

You might want to proof read your own post more thoroughly when complaining about stuff like this.

[SantasLittleMonkeyButler]

I can be a pedant at times many, many times but would not have picked this up.

I would think this pedantry for the sake of it. Sorry.

[echt]

I have never heard of the comma splice, though I'm aware that I write sentences you'd need an aqualung to read, and often think I overuse them.

I got 9/10, so feeling smug.

[Asskicker]

muse I don't get the wiki example either.

Both sentences could connected.

[Cheerfulmarybrown]

but this week the head teacher's letter but had about 8 comma splices

glass houses and all that

[DickDewy]

I am a foul pedant but I would draw the line at picking them up on comma splices.