comma splices

[ritaxis]

I am a grownup and I do not use comma splices in the narrative passages. However, sometimes in dialog the comma splice seems to express the speaker's articulation better than "correct" punctuation. But I'm worried because I don't know what's being expressed there. For example:

"Leave them alone, they're not hurting anything."
"Leave them alone. They're not hurting anything."

or:

"He just came in here Saturday, he looked like a hobo."
"He just came in here Saturday. He looked like a hobo."

or:

"I'm not saying anything, I'm not like that."
"I'm not saying anything. I'm not like that."

or:

"They wouldn't give you the time of day, you had to get your own watch."
"They wouldn't give you the time of day. You had to get your own watch."

(sentences constructed at random) Is there the same difference between the comma-splice and short-sentence versions in each case? If so, what is it? If not, what are the different differences? I can hear differences in my mind, but what are they telling me about the speakers? What do these things mean?

On another front, I have a big vermillion squash in the microwave and I'm going to make a rich, rich soup. With sage.

And Emma's feeling better so she went away.

Comments

[brooksmoses]

I usually use semicolon splices (which are, if I understand correctly, reasonably legitimate) in those cases.

What it expresses for me is that the two clauses are somewhat more closely linked than if they were separate sentences. The splice is sort of standing in for a missing conjunction or something of that nature.

[ritaxis.livejournal.com]

But look at this:

"He came every day, it was the only thing he could do."

"He came every day; it was the only thing he could do."

"He came every day. It was the only thing he could do."

And remember this is dialog we're looking at, not narrative. Don't those all seem different to you? They do me, but I'm not sure in what way.

[ritaxis.livejournal.com]

I think I got it. The difference is in the tone of the word just before the punctuation. With the comma, "day" slides down a tone midvowel. With the semicolon, "day" is a bit longer and rises. Whith the period, "day"is shorter, and has the same tone as "every."

[papersky.livejournal.com]

They're different to me, and the comma splice is right in dialogue.

But I tend to overuse it, and people have complained about it.