Yes, you must be a writer or want to be one in the future; therefore, you're concerned about when to use a comma. It's a good news for you that, once you've jumped into this article on comma usage, you can believe that you're going to master the chapter of comma. Without any exaggeration, let's cut the cake.
A comma (,) is basically a punctuation mark that is used in writing to indicate pause or separation of some parts of a sentence. Commas have various rules and uses which this article deals with in great details with the help of examples and clear explanation.
This article covers:
- What is a comma?
- Why are commas important?
- Rules for using commas in English
Fun Fact - Why Commas are Important
The use of commas is so important that it can completely change the meaning of a sentence in its absence. Look at the following sentence.
- Let's eat mom.
The speaker or the writer of the sentence intends to suggest eating food with the mom, but the absence of a comma before the word "mom" totally distorts the meaning of the entire sentence, suggesting eating the mom in place of eating food.
The sentence can be corrected with the use of a comma the following way:
- Let's eat, mom.
Have a look at the below-given example which tells you that all punctuation marks in English are essential.
- A woman without her man is nothing.
If you punctuate the sentence the following way:
- A woman, without her man, is nothing.
The sentence will mean "a woman is nothing without her man."
And if you punctuate it the following way:
- A woman: without her, man is nothing.
The sentence will mean "a man is nothing without his woman."
When to Use a Comma?
A comma is one of the most commonly used punctuation marks in the English language which is employed in a number of situations to ensure clarity and coherence in written English.
Anyone willing to better their written English must learn all the uses of comma. Here are the comma rules in English which govern the comma usage:
Rule 1. Use commas in a series: This rule says that you need to use commas to separate three or more items used in a list or series which can be nouns, phrases or clauses. This comma is also known as the Oxford comma or serial comma when used before the conjunctions, "and" or "or" before the last item.
Examples:
a. I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.(Oxford comma before "and")
b. I bought apples, oranges and bananas.(No Oxford comma before "and")
Rule 2. Use a comma with FANBOYS conjunctions: When two independent clauses are joined by any coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), use a comma before the conjunction.
Examples:
a. I wanted to go for a walk, but it started to rain.
b. I used to go to gym, but I needed to stop because of some unavoidable reason.
Note that if the sentence is short, you don't need to use a comma as in "I came and saw him."
Rule 3. Use a comma after introductory parts of a sentence: According to this rule, you must use a comma after introductory words, phrases, or clauses so as to separate them from the main clause.
Examples:
a. Yes, I would love to come to the party. ("yes" = introductory word)
b. After the class, we all left for our rooms. ("after the class" = introductory phrase)
c. When I was a child, I used to play with my friends. ("when I was a child" = introductory clause)
Rule 4. Use commas to separate nonrestrictive clauses: Some relative clauses give us additional information which we can leave out without changing the meaning of a sentence. These nonrestrictive or nonessential relative clauses must be set off with the use of commas.
Example:
a. My brother, who is 7, studies in class 4. ("who is 7" = nonrestrictive relative clause)
Note that you can't separate restrictive or essential relative clauses which are crucial to the meaning of the sentence.
Example:
a. The people who work hard are rewarded. ("who work hard" = restrictive relative clause)
Ruel 5. Use a comma with coordinate adjectives: This rule suggests that you use a comma or commas to separate two or more coordinate adjectives. Coordinate adjectives are those which describe the same noun. Make sure that you can replace the comma with the conjunction "and." without affecting the meaning.
Examples:
a. It's a lengthy, difficult book.
Rule 6. Use a comma to separate the noun directly addressed: This rule demands that you use a comma to separate names, titles, or terms directly addressed from the rest of the sentence.
Examples:
a. Can you give me your pen, John?
b. Please have patience, ladies and gentlemen.
Rule 7. Use a comma to separate the sentences in direct quotations: This rule suggests that you use a comma before the direct quotations.
Examples:
a. John said, "I will be in the class within 5 minutes."
b. She said, "the show had ended."
Rule 8. Use a comma when mentioning dates, addresses, titles, and numbers:
a. dates:
Example:
John was born on August 4, 1999, in India.
b. addresses:
Example:
The meeting will be held at the GAI Street, Mumbai, India.
c. titles in Names:
Example:
Martin Luther King, Jr., was a great leader.
d. numbers:
Example:
The population of the city is 2,435,367.
Rule 9. Use a comma with nonrestrictive appositive nouns or noun phrases: This rule tells you that you use nonrestrictive appositive nouns or noun phrases that rename a nearby noun between two commas.
Example:
John, a talented musician, is singing tonight.
Note that you can't separate restrictive appositives which are essential to the meaning with commas.
Example:
John the musician is performing tonight.
Rule 10. Use a comma to prevent confusion: This rule demands that you use a comma or commas to prevent confusion or misreading of a sentence or omission of some letter or word.
Examples:
a. Let's eat, Grandma.
b. To err is human, to forgive, divine. ("is" missing after "to forgive")
Rule 11. Use commas with participial phrases: This rule says that you need to use a comma or commas to separate participial phrases that precede the main clause or that are nonrestrictive.
Examples:
a. Running quickly, he caught the train.
b. The meal, cooked by my mother, was very tasty.
Rule 12. Use commas with infinitive phrases: Use commas to set off introductory infinitive phrases or nonrestrictive infinitive phrases.
Examples:
a. To improve his skills, John practices daily.
b. His goal, to become a doctor, was finally realized.
Rule 13. Use a comma with introductory adverbs: This rule encourages you to use a comma after introductory adverbs that modify the entire sentence.
Examples:
a. Unfortunately, John missed the bus.
b. Surprisingly, the meeting was canceled.
Rule 14. Use a comma or commas with transitional phrases: You need to use a comma or commas to set off transitional words or phrases that introduce, interrupt, or conclude a sentence.
Examples:
a. Therefore, we decided to leave early.
b. The proposal, however, was rejected.
c. In short, it is a total waste of time.
Rule 15. Use a comma with absolute phrases: Use a comma to separate absolute phrases, which provide additional information about the entire sentence.
Example:
The weather being perfect, we went out for dinner.
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