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...

There is no way you can email an acquaintance to pick them up on their grammar without appearing a complete arse.

I am sure the head teacher is extremely busy with a hundred more important things to worry about than the perfect use of commas. Primarily, the safeguarding & educating of children. FFS.

Also, is this a primary school? If so, then correcting the Head Teacher's grammar would just be rude.

If we are talking about the English department of a university, where the students would be marked down for using the same phrasing themselves then yes, it may be appropriate to mention it.

10/10. Very smug :-)

I didn't know it was called that, but it am familiar with the concept which I remember being taught at about age 9. Basically if it would make sense it separate sentences, you can't whack a comma in!

But sorry think you need grit your teeth with this one. YABU!

wtf is a comma splice
just for you 'op'

Emailing her would be very wanky.

I wouldn't. Just leave it. It is annoying though.

Wiki sentence shows two clauses that aren't connected. If you don't want to use two sentences ("It's nearly half past five. We won't make it before dark") then:

"It's nearly half past five; we won't make it before dark."

or

"It's nearly half past five, so we won't make it before dark."

would be acceptable.

I proof read for a living, but I admit to being very slack in my casual communication. Personally I feel it takes a lot of effort to be strict about grammar (especially if you're checking and correcting). Out of work I switch off so don't really care!!

CanadianJohn You may pick me up on my mistake, but you have also made one in that post directed at me.

Your op has a comma splice in it. There is no need for a comma after the word 'but' because it is a conjunction which joins your two clauses together.

I get the rage over misuse of reflexive pronouns. I'll join your cause if you join mine!

Hmm, the problem with sticking rigidly to the rules on comma splices is that it can make text seem stilted and overly formal, which is stylistically wrong for a chatty newsletter. Over-use of semi-colons is not considered good form either.

Also, not everyone will agree on what constitutes an independent clause. So in your examples, OP, I'd agree that the first is definitely wrong. The second might be, though arguably not if the rest of the sentence was "..many thanks to the Vicar for ensuring this." - the second clause could stand alone but is easier to follow as a single sentence. The third might be wrong grammatically but, "Thank you for all your cards and Christmas gifts. We do appreciate them." sounds rather stilted, unless you are writing a Hemingway parody.

I think form should serve function when you are writing in an informal context.

How would you rewrite the head teacher's sentences?

I don't think that's a comma splice, framey.

But I agree - I think it is daft to pick up on things like this.

FWIW I use dashes, so any idiot can see I am proper illiterate.

I have never heard of a comma splice! I did get 10/10 on the quiz though 😇

I wouldn't pick the school up on something as esoteric as this. It's bad enough that I wince when I read what's on the whiteboard at the end of the day (and I still don't make an issue of it with the teacher).

Your OP is full of punctuation errors of your own.

I have never heard of this and still don't get it! Surely without the commas the sentence would sound like a robot had written them I'm rubbish at grammar though?

Yes. Yes you must! How can they possibly be providing your child with a good education if they produce such terrible errors in their own writing?

I wouldn't. I would want to, though. Our Head is similarly grammatically challenged and the fortnightly newsletters she churns out make my teeth itch. I did once email her (nicely) to point out a glaring, glaring error in big bold blue lettering on the front page of the school website, but I have sat on my hands since.

There's a big difference between grammar and punctuation errors in an informal Internet forum and in a letter sent out to parents. I can't understand how there is nobody in a school that can proof read a bloody letter. It reflects appallingly on the school. I'd never expect basic errors in a lawyer's letter, for example, so surely a school should be the same?

Grammar and punctuation on any communication coming out of a school (or business) should be correct. Mistakes do reflect badly. I'm not too sure though errors such as comma splices, which are not widely noticed, warrant an email.

Also they get such long holidays and all those inset days? You'd expect them to know not to use a comma splice. For the love of god won't someone think of the children unfortunate enough to be involved with this school!

Call OFSTED, they'll know what to do.

I had not heard of these! Just completed the test and got 9/10. I don't get the first one as the two clauses don't seem independent to me!