Don't worry, that's where I come in vs Don't worry; that's where I come in

Question

I know the second one is correct: Don't worry; that's where I come in. As they are both independent clauses.

My question is: would it be incorrect to say: "Don't worry, that's where I come in"? Or is it one of those which is technically incorrect but generally accepted? As I feel like the second version is a bit too formal for general use.

Thanks!

Does this answer your question? Is the use of a semicolon in the sentence 'The south sided with the King; the north with the usurper.' correct? Only a hyperprescriptivist would consider the comma splice unacceptable in this example. With no editors / professors that I must bow to, I'd choose the comma for little to no pause in a smooth delivery, and a dash for a dramatic pause. The semicolon (whilst not incorrect) looks a little ugly here. — Edwin Ashworth, Oct 27 '20 at 15:41
This is something that would be said, not written -- unless one were reporting dialog, in which case punctuation would be up to the author and editor. In speech, of course, there's no punctuation. — John Lawler, Oct 27 '20 at 15:55
to come in is short for: come in[to the picture], for example. — Lambie, Feb 24 '21 at 16:07

score 0 · Answer 1 · 2020-10-27T15:53:14.913

0

It can be either, it just depends on what you're writing it for, if you're writing it for a college paper, or something really important, it's probably best to use the semicolon for that; but if you're just writing a story or something informal, then it's okay to use the comma.

edited Oct 27 '20 at 15:53

answered Oct 27 '20 at 15:37

Don't worry, that's where I come in vs Don't worry; that's where I come in

1 Answers1