100 ways to improve your writing - Gary Provost 2019
Know when to use a comma
Six ways to avoid punctuation errors
Commas are used to add clarity to a sentence. Consider the sentence below:
She was frightened when he kissed her and fainted.
Without a comma, we don’t know who fainted. Perhaps she fainted when he kissed her. On the other hand, perhaps she became frightened because he fainted during the kiss. Only a comma will give this sentence meaning for us:
She was frightened when he kissed her, and fainted.
Ah, she fainted.
When deciding whether a sentence you have written needs a comma, read the sentence out loud. Is a pause needed for clarity? Read the sentence without the pause—quickly, if you’re still not certain. If the sentence makes perfect sense to you when read at breakneck speed, banish that comma. In addition to being wrong, overpunctuation is deadly dull. A good piece of advice: When your ear fails you and you can’t decide whether to add that comma, DON’T.
Many otherwise good writers use too many commas. I think one of the reasons is because we were half-asleep in grammar classes as children and never bothered to learn the difference between restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses. Unfortunately, while we must have been sleeping when the terms were explained, we learned just enough to get ourselves in trouble.
Read the sentences below and see which ones require commas:
1. My friend Pat goes to law school.
2. A dance like the limbo requires a broomstick or pole.
3. Animals that have fur are fun to pet.
4. Do not use a comma unless a pause is needed for clarity.
The answer? None of the sentences needs a comma. If you read the sentences out loud, your ears should have told you that pauses were not needed. But if you were once one of those children who slept half the time during grammar classes, you might have decided to add commas because the sentences looked a lot like sentences that need commas.
Restrictive clauses and words do not require commas. Nonrestrictive words and clauses do. Restrictive elements define and limit a sentence. They must be present for a sentence to retain its intended meaning. Nonrestrictive elements, which are parenthetical, do not.
Look at the following sentences. Notice that in each of the sentences with nonrestrictive elements, the material contained in commas could be removed without changing the sentence’s meaning.
Nonrestrictive |
Restrictive |
Some dances, like the limbo, require broomsticks or poles. |
A dance like the limbo requires a broomstick or pole. |
One of my friends, Pat, goes to law school. |
My friend Pat goes to law school. |
Snakes, which don’t have fur, aren’t much fun to pet. |
Animals that have fur are fun to pet. |
Here are some other rules to help you with commas:
1. Use a comma following introductory words like Yes, No, and But. Realize, though, that there are times when such words are not being used as introductions to a sentence.
Wrong |
Right |
Yes I did take the money. |
Yes, I did take the money. |
My answer is, yes. |
My answer is yes. |
Now, is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country. |
Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country. |
Now if you take the bus, you’ll save money. |
Now, if you take the bus, you’ll save money. |
2. Clauses joined by but often require a comma: He wanted to eat out, but he didn’t have any money.
3. Use commas between members of a series.
Wrong |
Right |
Jim, Jane, and Sue, went to the store. |
Jim, Jane, and Sue went to the store. |
4. Use a comma before a direct quotation. (If the direct quotation is long, use a colon rather than a comma.)
Wrong |
Right |
She said “I am a nun and so I can’t go out on a date with you.” |
She said, “I am a nun and so I can’t go out on a date with you.” |
She said that, “She was a nun and so she couldn’t go out with me.” |
She said that she was a nun and so she couldn’t go out with me. |
5. Following a person’s name, set off by commas information indicating residence, position, or title.
Wrong |
Right |
Mr. and Ms. Smith-Johnson of Portland, Oregon were at the ball. |
Mr. and Ms. Smith-Johnson, of Portland, Oregon, were at the ball. |
6. Use a comma to separate elements of a sentence that might be misread.
When happy, men and women tend to smile.
If I make a will, will I ever be able to change it?
In addition to the rules above, there are many others. I’ve tried to review the ones that give writers the most trouble. If you have other questions about commas, I suggest reading Words into Type.