Commas—what purpose do they serve? When are you actually supposed to use them? Are there clear rules as to comma use?
Answering the last question will also (sort of) answer the first two. Yes, there are clear rules governing comma usage, and they’re not hard to understand, believe it or not. The basic rule is that commas separate items in a series—most of us get that one with no problem. After all, which sentence below is easier to read?
1. He bought milk eggs cheese corn and tomatoes.
2. He bought milk, eggs, cheese, corn and tomatoes.
I’m sure you’ll all agree that sentence #2 is the clearer one. On the other hand, some writers, you know, get, a little, carried away, with their, comma use—as in this sentence. Commas aren’t decorative elements to be tossed in as the mood strikes!
What are some other common rules of comma usage?
Well, commas also separate clauses. Here’s an example:
She ran out the door, but the car had already pulled out of the driveway.
Yes, that sentence would make sense without the comma but it’s easier to read with the comma. A common mistake is to place the comma before the conjunction, as in
She ran out the door but, the car had already pulled out of the driveway.
This is not correct, but writers do it all the time.
Another common comma usage rule is that introductory clauses are separated from the main sentence by a comma:
Running out the door, she yelled at the mailman to wait.
The incorrect version of this is
Running out the door, the mailman heard her yell for him to wait.
This is an example of a misplaced modifying phrase, but that’s a topic for another time.
What about parenthetical elements? Are there comma rules for that? Yep, you bet! Wait, what are parenthetical elements? They’re phrases that further explain or clarify the sentence but without which the sentence will still make sense:
His other puppy, the one with the black tail, is still up for adoption.
See? That sentence makes sense without the phrase set off by commas, but that phrase makes the sentence clearer.
What about multiple adjectives? Weeellll…sometimes they’re separated by commas and sometimes they’re not. Yeah, that’s real clear, huh? Here are some examples:
• the cranky old man (No comma needed)
• the dog’s cool, wet nose (Comma needed)
What usage rules apply here? It’s actually simple: if “and” can easily be inserted between the adjectives, a comma is needed; if not, no comma is needed. In the above examples, “cranky and old man” is not something you’re likely to hear in normal conversation, hence no comma is needed; “cool and wet nose” is within the realm of possibility in normal conversation, hence the commas are needed.
Of course, always use a comma to set off someone’s name:
Yes, John, I’ll take care of that right away.
Is all this just too confusing? Still unsure of the correct usage of that troublesome comma? The links in this article will lead you to a much more detailed explanation of comma usage, but there’s an even easier way to make sure you use those pesky punctuation marks correctly: let the experienced, professional editors at Book Editing Services (book-editing-services.com) handle it for you! Book Editing Services’ team of professional editors can ensure that your punctuation is correct, your grammar is perfect, and your words say just what you want them to—and they’re not just limited to editing books, either! Your essays, theses, dissertations, poetry and so forth can also be edited and given a final polish to really make your work shine. Why not leave all those grammar and punctuation details to the pros?
