Subscribe to the WhiteSmoke English Lessons RSS Feed |
Go to the English Lessons Portal for more English Lessons

---

Use of the Comma in English Punctuation (,) - Part 1

Part 2 | Part 3

Don't go into a coma after learning about the uses of the comma...

Congratulations ! These are the web pages that give you all the information on the "king of punctuation marks" –  the comma. Read about the usage of the comma in English writing. This article will look at the rules for using the comma correctly as a punctuation mark. Be prepared for a lot of comma rules, as the comma is the most widely used and often misused punctuation mark in English. For accurate proofreading of comma use and other punctuation or grammar rules, the artificial intelligence of the WhiteSmoke online English writing and grammar software will give you perfect results every time. Even the best writers need an English editor to improve their work.

Enjoy your reading and start using those commas correctly.

Getting into the Comma

Consider the following sentence:

On part B of your test, you have to questions 1 and 2 or 3.

According to these instructions, what questions would you answer ? Remember, your decision may determine your grade on the test ! Do you have to answer question 1 and then choose from either 2 or 3 or alternatively, choose from doing 1 and 2 together or make do with 3 instead of them both ?

Well, it all depends on where a comma is placed. For the first option, the test writers should have written "questions 1, and then 2 or 3." For the second option, they should have written "questions 1 and 2, or 3." As you can see, in addition to its traditional use in creating pauses for the reader in a long text, comma proper use can also clarify ambiguous meanings when the sentence contains multiple chunks of information.

What is the Comma ?

The comma (,) is a very important punctuation mark in English that has numerous uses, which can be grouped into five main usage categories. The basic function of the comma is to divide between "light" elements within a sentence that have some relation in meaning to each other, as a period separates between "heavier" full sentences, which each convey a separate piece of meaning. Such a large variety in comma rules may lead to many errors English writers often make. You should also note that there may be many exceptions to the rules, as commas are to be used to make things as clear as possible for the reader, even when this comes contrary to the rules. Alternatively, you may consider avoiding using the comma by simply dividing a long sentence into two shorter ones using a period. Skilled writers develop a "feel" for effective comma usage as they progress with their English writing.

The five uses of the comma are:

1. Separating the main elements of a sentence from each other
2. Setting off a parenthetical element from the rest of the sentence
3. Separating elements in a series
4. Setting off dialogs or quotations
5. Other uses of the comma

Uses of the Comma in English Writing

1. Separating the Main Elements of a Sentence from Each Other

Right or Wrong ?
The students completed their math test on Monday, and the teachers handed in the grades on Thursday.

Right ! The above sentence is composed of two independent clauses, each informing about two different people who did different things. A comma is needed before the coordinating conjunction and even though many English writers do not use a comma in such a case.

If you want to know more, read the punctuation rules for separating sentence elements below.
If you are ready to read about other uses of the comma, click here for the index.

The Punctuation Rules for Separating Elements in a Sentence:

1. Use a comma before (not after) a coordinating conjunction that links two or more independent clauses. The coordinating conjunctions are: and, but, for, or, nor, yet, so.
The math test scores were low, but the English papers were outstanding.
The students had not completed all their exams, nor did the teachers finish grading the papers.

2. If the two independent clauses are short and there is no risk of ambiguity if a comma is not used, you can omit the comma. However, in academic writing comma usage is always preferred.
The grades were final and there was no discussion about them.

3. Avoid comma splices, which result in a common error that occurs when a comma is used to separate independent clauses which are not linked by a conjunction. The solution to a comma splice situation is either to add a conjunction, or separate the independent clauses into two individual sentences or to use a semi-colon. Your choice depends on the context and what you want to emphasize.
No: The grades were final, there was no discussion about them.
Yes: The grades were final, and there was no discussion about them.

Note: A comma splice may be accepted only in more casual informal writing, where the semi-colon may appear too formal.
The students were happy, the teachers were too.

4. Do not use a comma within clauses, dividing between subject and predicate or separating between parts of compound subjects and compound predicates. In other words, do not use a comma before a coordinating conjunction to separate only two words, two phrases or two dependent clauses. In the following examples, no comma is needed as they are all short one-clause sentences with no series of more than two consecutive parts.
No: The students and the teachers, celebrated the end of the school year.
No: The students finished their tests, and went out for a break.
No: The students wanted to study French, and Spanish.

5. You should use a comma within a dependent clause if there are more than two parts within the compound subject or compound predicate
(see Comma Use 3: Separating elements in a series).

6. You should always use a comma within any type of clause, if there is risk for ambiguity or confusion without using a comma. Therefore, good writers always edit their English writing and check for places where punctuation marks can clarify cases of double meaning.
(For an example of comma usage within an independent clause refer to "Getting into It" in the beginning of this article).

Example: The students managed to complete only their math tests and the English papers and the biology project had to be delayed to next month.

Analysis: In the above example, not having a comma makes it unclear which assignments the students have already completed. Here are the two possible cases:
1) The students managed to complete only their math tests, and the English papers and the biology project had to be delayed to next month.
[The students completed only the math tests and the other two assignments were delayed].

2) The students managed to complete only their math tests and the English papers, and the biology project had to be delayed to next month.
[The students completed both the math tests and the English papers whereas one assignment was delayed)].

7. You should use a comma to separate an independent clause from an introductory element that comes before it and relates to the clause as a whole.
Because the final grades were high, the teacher canceled the planned quiz.
[introductory dependent clause]

Due to the high grades, the teacher canceled the planned quiz.
[introductory phrase]

However, the teacher did not cancel handing in the final papers.
[introductory word]

8. It is not necessary to use a comma when a part of the clause is moved to the beginning for emphasis (not according to usual clause word order).
At two o'clock the test began. Instead of The test began at two o'clock.

9. When the extra element follows the independent clause, you should separate them with a comma only if the element is not essential to the meaning of the independent clause. In such a case, the final element only adds extra information.
(See also restrictive and non-restrictive elements in Part 2 of this article).

1) The students were ready to leave when the teacher arrived. or
The students were ready to leave because the teacher arrived.

(final essential dependent clause)
[No comma is used because the meaning of the dependent clause is essential to the meaning of the independent clause. Only when the teacher arrived, could the students, who were probably waiting for him, leave]

2) The students were ready to leave, when the teacher arrived.

(final non-essential dependent clause)
[A comma is used as the two clauses give two separate pieces of information. The students were leaving and the teacher just happened to show up]

10. If the following dependent clause expresses strong contrast, separate it with a comma, even though it is essential.
The students were very satisfied, although they had all received very low grades.

The Comma: Summing It Up

As our brief article shows, the illustrious comma has a wide range of punctuation uses. A good understanding of when and how to use the comma is vital to writing quality English in a range of contexts. While we cannot all be expected to know the rules of English grammar, tools like WhiteSmoke English Writing Software can ensure that our use of the comma and other punctuation marks is always correct. With WhiteSmoke technology checking your grammar, punctuation and spelling, your writing will always be perfect.

You are now to ready to read Part 2 of our review of the comma.