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Use of the Comma in English Punctuation (,) - Part 2

Part 1 | Part 3

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

Congratulations ! These are the web pages that will teach you everything.
on the "king of punctuation marks" – the comma. Learn 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 quite 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 in English need an editor to improve their work.

Enjoy your reading and start using those commas correctly.

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

Continued from Part 1:

2. Setting off a Parenthetical Element from the Rest of the Sentence

Right or wrong ?
Last week's test says my best friend was the hardest ever.

It Depends ! In the above example sentence says my best friend is probably not a part of the main sentence Last week's test was the hardest ever and should be separated with commas. Without commas, the reader may get confused and think that the test "says" that the friend was the hardest, while it is the test that was the hardest. says my best friend serves as a comment, known as a parenthetical element. The correct punctuation would therefore be:
Last week's test, says my best friend, was the hardest ever.

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

The Punctuation Rules for Setting Off a Parenthetical Element from the Rest of the Sentence

1. A Parenthetical element is extra text added to a sentence as an "aside" which acts as a temporary digression, which interrupts the flow of the sentence. It merely provides extra emphasis, effect or commentary. If we removed it, neither the structure nor the meaning of the sentence would be changed.

2. A parenthetical element is separated from the sentence using one of three punctuation marks, according to how much emphasis the writer wants the aside to have.
Dan Smith (usually the top student in the class) got the highest results.
[Parenthesis de-emphasize, denoting lack of importance]

Dan Smith ,usually the top student in the class, got the highest results.
[Commas denote that the aside is an integral element of the sentence but not so important]

Dan Smith ― usually the top student in the class ― got the highest results.
[M-dashes draw specific attention to the aside, denoting it as important to notice]

3. Different types of parenthetical elements can be words, phrases or clauses.
All the students, I am happy to say, passed the exam successfully.
[commentary clause]

The top student in the class, according to the grades, is Dan Smith.
[explanatory phrase]

That top student, therefore, received the annual school scholarship.
[discourse marker]

I ask you, students of J.F.K. High-School, to invest more in your studies.
[words of direct address]

I hope you will not forget these great school years, will you ?
[Tag question]

4. If both the sentence and the parenthetical element 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 therefore were good enough. [no comma]

*Watch out !
5. It is very important to know that what may seem to be an extra non-essential parenthetical element can actually be vital to the understanding of the sentence and is by no means parenthetical ! An extra sentence element can, therefore, be either restrictive or non-restrictive of the sentence meaning. Commas are used with only non-restrictive elements !

6. A restrictive element (also called "defining" or "limiting") can be a word, phrase or clause that gives crucial information, without which the sentence's intended meaning would be unclear. It precisely defines the subject it refers to and therefore not separated with commas, which would denote it as parenthetical.
Ann went to the party with her British friend Sara, Tom, and his father.
( Sara is a restrictive word not separated from her British friend with a comma)
[Here we know that Ann's British friend is called Sara, as the word Sara restricts or defines the identity of her British friend. We also know that Ann went with three people.]

7. A non-restrictive element (also called "non-defining" or "non-limiting") can be a word, phrase or clause that gives extra information, without which the sentence's intended meaning is fully clear. It does not define the subject it refers to and could actually be left out. It is therefore separated with commas, which denote it as parenthetical.
Ann went to the party with her British friend, Sara, Tom, and his father.
( Sara is a non-restrictive word, separated from her British friend)
[Here we do not know what Ann's British friend is called. Sara does not define the identity of the British friend. We also know that Ann went with four people.]

8. In many cases the restrictive or non-restrictive element is a dependent relative clause that begins with relative pronouns such as that, who, which, where, when, whose, what etc.
1) The students who cheated on the test failed the course.

[Here the relative clause in bold is restrictive as it defines who failed the course. We may assume that there other students who did not fail the course. The clause restricts the possibility of having more failing students, as only those who cheated on this specific test – failed the course. Since this clause is vital to the sentence's message (Some students failed,) it is not separated by commas.]

2) The students, who cheated on the test, failed the course.

[Here the relative clause in bold is non-restrictive as it does not define a specific sub-group of students who failed the course. We may assume that all the students failed as the sentence is about one group of students. The clause merely adds extra information, which is here the reason for failing. Since this clause is not vital to the sentence's message (All the students failed,) it is separated by commas as a parenthetical element.]

9. Another way (more used in North-America) to clarify whether extra elements are restrictive or non-restrictive is to use that (with no preceding comma) only in restrictive relative clauses and ",which" in non-restrictive relative clauses (with a preceding comma).
The teacher talked to the school principal that was sitting next to the window.
[restrictive clause, there are more than one school principal and the teacher talked only to the one sitting]

The teacher talked to the school principal, who was sitting next to the window.
[non-restrictive clause, there is one school principal, who just happened to be sitting next to the window while the teacher was talking to him.]

3. Separating Elements in a Series

Right or wrong ?
Dan's lifelong project is to be able to speak American English French German and Mandarin Chinese.

Wrong ! In the above example sentence the language names come in a series whose elements should be separated with commas. In addition, not having a comma between "American" and "English" may make readers think that there is an independent language called "American," whereas it is considered only as an English language variety; or conclude that there is a French variety of German. The correct punctuation would therefore be:
Dan's lifelong project is to be able to speak American English, French, German, and Mandarin Chinese.

If you want to know more, read the punctuation rules for separating elements in a Series.

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 Series:

1. A series is a group of three or more elements (words, phrases, or clauses) that are equal in importance and grammatical form.

2. The last item in a series is usually introduced by a coordinating conjunction (e.g., and, or). The last comma before the conjunction is called a serial comma and is nowadays optional, even in academic circles. However, the serial comma is mandatory in cases of resolving potential ambiguity and when the series' elements are long and complex, whose beginning and end must be signaled by a comma. The following example demonstrates a case of ambiguity:
Student uniforms come in blue, brown, black and green.
[Here there are three possible colors, where the last is a mixture of black and green]

Student uniforms come in blue, brown, black, and green.
[Here the comma clarifies that there are four possible colors]

3. When individual elements in a series contain commas or other punctuation marks, you should separate the elements with semi-colons to avoid confusion.
If the students pass the test with a low grade, they have to write two papers; if they get a good grade, they have to write one paper; and if they get the maximum on the test, they do not have write any papers at all.

4. If the series elements are numbered or lettered, use commas or semi-colons (if the individual elements contain punctuation marks).
To get a passing semester grade, (1) students have to write two papers, (2) take three quizzes ,and
(3) get at least 75 on the final test.

5. The only case in which you would use a comma in a series of two elements is with two (or more) coordinative adjectives (adjectives of equal weight independent of each other). Do not use commas if the two adjectives are cumulative adjectives (adjectives which depend on each other for meaning as they progress in a series, describing each other.)

6. To test whether the adjectives are coordinative, you can reverse the order of the adjectives or insert and between them. If the meaning remains the same, then the adjectives are coordinate and require a comma.
The new exchange student was a short, Chinese teenager.
Or "Chinese, short"
[coordinative adjectives, use a comma]

Our class has several new students from Europe.
Cannot be "several and new," or "new several"
[cumulative adjectives, do not use a comma]

Students here wear light blue uniforms.
light describes blue
[cumulative adjectives, do not use a comma, a hyphen here is optional]

The Comma: Summing it up

As our article shows, the ubiquitous comma, as it appears just everywhere has numerous uses. The 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 3 of our review of the comma.