There are three main types of commas that are commonly used, and frequently trip up an unwary writer:
1. In a list
2. Joining with a conjunction
3. Instead of brackets
*Commas are NOT meant to be used “wherever you would pause”. Even if you’ve been told this in the past, it is not correct. There are specific rules for using commas, and they don’t include anything about pausing or taking a breath.
1. Commas in a list
These are the commas we're most familiar with. Every item on the list is separated by a comma.
I bought apples, oranges, grapes, and pears.
2. Commas used with a conjunction
This type of comma joins two sentences together with a connecting word such as and, or, but, while, or yet. The comma is placed before the conjunction.
We will go to the match, but Jack will go home early.
3. Commas used like brackets
If an extra portion of a sentence could be placed in brackets it can be placed between commas instead. A way to test it is to read the sentence without the extra portion (phrase). Use a pair of commas if the sentence is still complete without the phrase.
Sam wanted to buy a hot chocolate, but, after walking all the way to the café, decided on a cold drink.
"after walking all the way to the café" is extra information that can be removed from the sentence and it will still make sense. (And notice another example of the second type of comma before “but” in that sentence as well.)
Yes, it really is correct to have commas either side of a conjunction in a case like this, but it’s also okay to leave out the conjunction comma here because the sentence will still make sense.
Bracketing commas are always used in pairs, unless the phrase falls at the beginning or end of a sentence. It is better to leave a comma off completely than to use only one of a bracketing pair in the middle of a sentence.
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| Elle Carter Neal is the author of the middle grade fantasy The Convoluted Key (first in the Draconian Rules series), the picture book I Own All the Blue, and teen science-fantasy novel Madison Lane and the Wand of Rasputin (first in the Grounded series). She is the editor of the re-release of Angela Brazil's 1910 book The Nicest Girl in the School. Elle is based in Melbourne, Australia. Find her at ElleCarterNeal.com. Photo by Amanda Meryle Photography |
* Commas are NOT meant to be used ‘wherever you would pause’ : R. L. Trask, The Penguin Guide to Punctuation, Penguin, 1997. Larry Trask was a Professor of Linguistics, University of Sussex and highly regarded as both a lecturer and the author of a number of books including Mind the Gaffe! and Say What You Mean : The Superior Person's Guide to Precise and Lucid English Usage.
Commas are probably the most misunderstood of all punctuation marks. As an editor, I encountered a variety of unique uses of this little mark in my clients' works. My go-to source for punctuation rules has always been The Chicago Manual of Style. Yes, it's a cumbersome book of well over 1000 pages with an index that rivals that of Roget's International Thesaurus, but it has nearly always answered my punctuation questions. Interestingly, however, not all so-called authorities on the subject agree when it comes to the proper uses of the lowly comma.
ReplyDeleteAlways good to catch up on the latest punctuation, Elle, though I have to say, I hate the works of writers who use few or no commas at all. I find that almost as annoying as too many commas. I'm kind of: use them and if they're wrong, my editor who, like Linda relies on the CMS, will remove them...or add them.
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