Comma splices are two independent clauses that are incorrectly joined by a comma. The steps for identifying and fixing them are the same as those for spotting run-on sentences:

1. Find the subjects and verbs of the sentence.

2. Identify whether each subject and verb belongs to an independent or a dependent clause.  

   Independent clauses:	Jasper was a birdwatcher.
   	Juanita enjoyed stargazing.
   Dependent clauses:	Since Jasper was a birdwatcher
   When Juanita enjoyed stargazing

3. If you find two independent clauses joined by a comma in the same sentence, draw an imaginary line between them.

   Jasper was a birdwatcher, | Juanita enjoyed stargazing.

4. Fix the comma splice in one of these ways:

   a. Separate the independent clauses with a period or a semicolon.
   Correct: Jasper was a birdwatcher; Juanita enjoyed stargazing.

   b. Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction: and, or, nor, but, for, so, yet.
   Correct: Jasper was a birdwatcher, but Juanita enjoyed stargazing.

Remember: Independent clauses are mini-sentences: they can stand alone as grammatically complete units. If two or more of them are smuggled into the same sentence with only a comma separating them, they must be broken apart in one of the above ways.

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