In the sentence "It's cold outside, put on a coat so you don't get frostbite," what type of error is present?

The sentence "It's cold outside, put on a coat so you don't get frostbite" demonstrates a comma splice, which is the use of a comma to separate two independent clauses. In this case, "It's cold outside" and "put on a coat so you don't get frostbite" are both complete thoughts that could stand alone as separate sentences. A comma alone is insufficient to join these two independent clauses; they could be correctly combined using a semicolon or by using a coordinating conjunction with a comma.

Understanding this structure helps to clarify the importance of proper punctuation in sentence construction. A comma splice can lead to confusion about the relationships between ideas and disrupt the flow of writing. Recognizing comma splices can aid writers in creating more coherent and grammatically correct sentences.