The semicolon is dead;long live the comma splice.

[cakeorwine]

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/may/18/marked-decline-semicolon-use-english-books-study-suggests

Apparently fewer people are using semicolons nowadays, they prefer using commas in their sentences.

The comma splice is really annoying. Either use a full stop or a semicolon but don't use a comma when you don't need to.

I got 9/10 but in the one I got allegedly wrong I didn’t think any of the sentences needed a semicolon - a full stop would have been preferable.

I love the semi colon that much I have a tattoo of it on my wrist 😄

I was walking to the shops, it took a long time.

When you connect 2 independent clauses with a comma.

🤣 @TwoLeftSocksWithHoles

10/10. I do like semi-colons!

Same here

10/10. I'm not sure what's worse - the almost extinct semi-colon or rampant misuse of apostrophes (as demonstrated by at least 50 percent of MN posters).

I got 10/10, but had never previously heard the term "comma splice." How long has that been a well known phrase?

I got 10/10; love me a semicolon.

Well I'm not surprised to read that; half the posts on here are borderline illiterate.

(10/10.)

10/10; I'm a semicolon die-hard.

Thanks. So a comma splice (spelt it right this time) is literally just a comma where there should be a semi-colon?

Them giving it a name kind of gives it a legitimacy it does not deserve.

10/10 here.

I teach Year 3 and the comma splice is everywhere, especially in EAL students who find it very hard to understand. We don’t explicitly teach the semi colon yet but I try to prevent the comma splice with alternative sentence construction.

I scored 7. I could have got 8; I was being lazy though.

I do agree that the semi colon is underused.

There's a trend toward shorter sentences. I feel the semi colon has a role to play in these.

Ir's given a name so people who like semi colons can comment when they see one!

Bloody love a semicolon; I regularly have to do a lot of rewriting to remove some as I can love them a bit too much!

There is nothing I hate more than a comma splice. I have given up on so many books due to repeated comma splices.

I regret to inform you that comma splices are still alive and well in the writings of Year 6 children. I mention them almost daily.

10/10 but one of the questions is a style choice, not a right/wrong issues.
The term comma splice has been around for ages; many types of errors have names (e.g. dangling modifier). I don’t think it gives legitimacy to name it as the term splice clearly isn’t a compliment and describes two sentences frankensteined together

I went to the shops and then I got a bus and then I went home and then I watched some TV and.......

According to Google AI, since 1924!

I do like a semi-colon but I never feel entirely confident using them (only scored 8/10 on the quiz). I blame my 1980s comp education - all the emphasis was on content rather than grammar. I swear none of my English teachers even mentioned a semi-colon till A level 😭

Apparently I can use semicolon properly - well, according to the Guardian quiz. Didn't know what a comma splice was until I read this thread, though.

10 out of 10, go me! That said, I do like a comma splice in casual writing like e-mails.

9/10. The one I got wrong was the result of reading too quickly. My work involves a lot of writing, and I use semi-colons regularly.

The quiz highlighted a connected pet hate of mine, namely the use of "however" after a comma before another clause. For example, "She hated school, however she liked art lessons". In that situation it seems to me "but" is almost always more appropriate, and "however" should normally come at the beginning or end of sentences, or after semi-colons. For example:
She hated school. However, she liked art.
She hated school; however, she liked art.
However well-behaved the children were, the teacher was exhausted.
She hated school. Fridays were enjoyable, however.