Commas

It's Skilful Saturday! Let's Talk...commas and how/when to use them.

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What is a comma?

A comma is a punctuation mark that indicates a pause within a sentence or separates items in a list.

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How to use them

Three or more terms with a single conjunction:

• use a comma after each term except the last.

> Examples:

- red, white, and blue

- gold, silver, or copper

- He opened the letter, read it, and made a note of its content.

• often referred to as the "serial comma".

• in the names of business firms the last comma is usually omitted.

> Examples:

- Little, Brown and Company

- Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette

• the serial comma (also known as the Oxford comma) is a style choice - it can depend on your company's house style.

• ommitting the comma can cause confusion/misunderstandings.

> Examples:

- I love my parents, Lady Gaga and Humpty Dumpty

L implies their parents are Lady Gaga and Humpty Dumpty

- I love my parents, Lady Gaga, and Humpty Dumpty

L shows a list of people they love

• those who oppose the Oxford comma argue that rephrasing an unclear sentence can solve the same problems that the comma does.

> Examples:

- I love my parents, Lady Gaga and Humpty Dumpty

rewritten as:

- I love Lady Gaga, Humpty Dumpty and my parents

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Parenthetical Commas:

• this rule can be difficult to apply as it can be hard to decide whether a word or brief phrase is or is not parenthetic.

• if the interruption to the flow of the sentence is but slight, the commas may be safely omitted.

• if the interruption is considerable, never omit one comma and leave the other.

> Examples:

- Marjorie's husband, Colonel Nelson paid us a visit yesterday X

- My brother you will be pleased to hear, is now in perfect health X

• dates usually contain parenthetic words or figures.

> Examples:

- punctuate as follows:

L February to July, 1992

L April 6, 1986

L Wednesday, November 14, 1990

- customary to omit the comma in:

L 6 April 1998

L this is an excellent way to write a date

L the figures are separated by a word and are, for that reason, quickly grasped

• a name or title in a direct address is parenthetic.

> Examples:

- If, Sir, you refuse, I cannot predict what will happen.

- Well, Susan, this is a fine mess you are in.

• enclose parenthetic expressions between commas.

> Examples:

- the best way to see a country, unless you are pressed for time, is to travel on foot.

• abbreviations for acadmeic degrees, titles that follow a name, etc., and e.g. are parenthetic.

> Examples:

- punctuate as follows:

L Letters, packages, etc., should go here.

L Horace Fulsome, P.h.D, presided.

L Rachel Simmons, Attorney.

• no comma should separate a noun from a restrictive term of identification.

> Examples:

- Billy the kid

- The novelist Jane Austen

- William the Conqueror

- The poet Sappho

• 'Junior' (Jr.) has commanly been regarded as parenthetic, logic suggests that it is restrictive and therefore not in need of a comma.

> Examples:

- James Wright Jr.

- James Wright Junior

• Nonrestrictive relative clauses are parenthetic, as are similar causes introduced by conjunctions indicating time or place - commas are needed.

• A nonrestrictive clase does not serve to identify/define the antecedent noun.

nonrestrictive clauses add information but are not essential to the sentence

> Examples:

- The audience, which had at first been indifferent, became more and more interested.

- In 1769, when Napoleon was born, Corsica had but recently been acquired by France.

- Nether Stowey, where Coleridge wrote 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner', is a few miles from Bridgewater.

L clauses are introducted by 'which', 'when', and 'where' - and are nonrestrictive

L they do not limit or define, they merely add something

L in example 1, 'which' does not server to tell which audience is meant (the reader presumably knows)

it just adds a statement supplementing the main clause

L the three sentences are a combination of two statements that might not have been independently:

1) The audience was at first indifferent. Later it became more and more interested.

2) Napoleon was born in 1769. At that time Corsica had but recently been acquired by France.

3) Coleridge wrote 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' at Nether Stowey. Nether Stowey is a few miles

from Bridgewater.

• Restrictive clauses are not parenthetic and are not set off by commas.

> Examples:

- People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

L the clause introduced by 'who' serves to tell which people are meant

L cannot be split into 2 indpendent sentences.

• the same principle of comma use applies to participal phrases and to appositives.

* participal phrase: brimming with confidence, Jack blurted the answer

"brimming with confidence" (phrase) modifies "Jack" (noun)

* participal phrase: the kitten, sleeping peacefully on the window sill, never heard us enter...

"sleeping peacefully on the window sill" (phrase) modifies "the kitten" (noun)

* appositive: Ms. Stickler is my teacher. She is from New York.

a noun/noun phrase ("She") renames another noun ("Ms. Stickler") right beside it

* appositive: Mrs. Vogt, a Harry Potter addict, reads lots of books

• Restrictive clauses are not parenthetic and are not set off by commas --> participal phrases and appositives have the same principle.

> Examples:

- People sitting in the rear couldn't hear.

L restrictive/participal

- Uncle Bert, being slightly deaf, moved forward.

L non-restrictive/participal

- My cousin Bob is a talented harpist.

L restrictive/appositives

- Our eldest daughter, Mary, sings.

L non-restrictive/appositives

• when the main clause is preceeded by a phrase/subordinate clause, use a comma.

> Examples:

- Partly by hard fighting, partly by diplomatic skill, they enlarged their dominions to the east and rose in rank.

L subordinate clause: "Party by hard fighting, partly by diplomatic skill"

L main clause: "they enlarged their dominions to the east and rose in rank."

subordinate clauses cannot stand alone as a complete sentence and are dependent on main clauses to be

meaningful:

- Once my husband finishes work, we will go shopping.

L subordinate clause: "Once my husband finishes work"

L main clause: "we will go shopping."

- Although I was scared, I crept inside.

L subordinate clause: "Although I was scared"

L main clause: "I crept inside."

- The boy, who was ten, jumped.

L "who was ten" (subordinate) is nonrestrictive so parenthetical commas are used

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Commas, Conjunctions and Independent Clauses:

• place a comma before a conjunction introducing an independent clause.

> Examples:

- The early records of the city have disappeared, and the story of its first years can no longer be accessed.

- The situation is perilous, but there is still one chance of escape.

• two-part sentences of which the second member is introduced by 'as' (in the sense of 'because'), 'for', 'or', 'nor', or 'while' (in the sense of 'and at the same time') also require a comma before the conjunction.

• if a dependent clause requiring to be set off by a comma precedes the second independent clause, no comma is needed after the conjunction.

> Examples:

- The boy, who was ten, jumped and laughed.

• subject is the same for both clauses and expressed only once, a comma is useful if the connective is 'but'; if the connective is 'and', a comma should be omitted if the relation between the two statements is close or immediate.

> Examples:

- I have heard the arguments, but am still unconvinced.

- He has several years' experience and is thoroughly competent.

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Learn the rules and uses of commas and practice these as often as you can so they become a natural instinct in your writing/editing. Let us know how your learning is going - find us on Instagram @lets_talk.uk and like, comment and subscribe. Don't forget to submit your recommendations for Watch Wednesdays in the comments or through the form. Keep using those keen eyes and stay tuned for next week's Skilful Saturday. Let's talk then!