Ed wrote:
I'd appreciate your comments about the last sentence in the following. In particular, I would like to know if you consider it a comma-splice, and, if so, what you would do about it (if anything) in a student's writing? 
With all these people I have at least one thing in common, either hair or eye color, or even disliking or liking the same people. It doesn't matter what we have in common, we will always have something to talk about.

The comma cannot splice two independent sentences. A full stop between them is essential:

It doesn't matter what we have in common. We will always have something to talk about.

But that is the least of this student's problems. The more severe one is in his non-sequitor. I should want to refer his `sentence'  back to him with a question something like: Did you intend to say: `Whether or not we have anything in common, we will always have something to talk about' ? (Authorial intent has to be established before the punctuation of its statement can become an issue!)

(Ed ... are you indulging a spot of leg pulling here?)

Sophie


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ed Vavra 
  To: [log in to unmask] 
  Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2001 7:43 PM
  Subject: A comma-splice?


  I'd appreciate your comments about the last sentence in the following. In particular, I would like to know if you consider it a comma-splice, and, if so, what you would do about it (if anything) in a student's writing? 
  With all these people I have at least one thing in common, either hair or eye color, or even disliking or liking the same people. It doesn't matter what we have in common, we will always have something to talk about. 

  Thanks, 
  Ed V.