Punctuation is simple. Right? Obvious rules to follow. Right? There is no doubt when to use a period (well, hardly ever). In this case the marks are clearly doubtful in their meaning. Exclamation marks, parentheses, colons, and even semi-colons have reasonably defined rules. There are some choices, for example, the decision to use a semicolon instead of time, but these choices are bound by rules that are simple and easy to understand. Then we have a comma. There are several relatively consistent guidelines or rules for comma usage. I will now enumerate more of these. But modern practice departs from these rules so frequently that some of them seem mere suggestions. Almost every guidebook written in the last twenty or so years has one form or another of the statement that the rules can be broken or that commas are used less frequently in modern writing.
If there are rules for using commas, rules for when and where to use them, then it necessarily means breaking these rules less often. First, a very brief history note. Please bear with me, because it will be important to the final conclusions and recommendations, I promise. The comma is usually thought of as a feature (actually, a full stop) introduced by Aristophanes, in the third century BC, or so Purdue Online Writing Lab and various histories of the development of Latin. The original intention had nothing to do with punctuation rules. The instructions were familiar to those who were reciting the verse, and they were dealing with breathing (the length of pause) between verses, or sentence fragments. Aristophanes introduced three characteristics to compare such a discipline, each point, with a different location. The midpoint, midway between the top and the bottom, is turned into a comma and represents a short interval. This mark, when it became part of the punctuation rules, changed to backlash (/) around the 13th century and into its modern form in the 16th century. (This history has been outlined by several authors and presented more fully on Wikepedia.) Again, I do not introduce this history to take the reader, but as what follows at the end of this article. Remember the original meaning.
Here are the rules for use, briefly proposed;
Commas are characters that are used in many contexts, apart from punctuation marks in writing. There are technical features in computer programming and mathematical expressions. They have a relatively rigid rule in creating law. Puer, B., Drafting Legal Documents, 2nd ed., 1992. Our first concern, of course, is with the writer. Commas are used;
1. Put introductory words, clauses, or phrases.
Yesterday he was a cat. He died today. In an attempt to prove something, he said even more stupidly than before.
2. Separate independent distinctions by “coordinating” conjunctions: so, but, and, or, nor, for, but.
Caleb, took off his shirt.
Shocked at this behavior, he left the room.
3. Separate nonessential clauses in the middle of the sentence.
Bring me a coat, although I am sitting down, it is on the table.
But note that this only applies to words or phrases that are not essential to the meaning of the sentence, since you can omit the word or phrase and the sentence still makes sense. It is “essential” when a phrase or word is part of the meaning of a sentence that is either changed to nonsense without it. For example, “bring me the shirt that is on the counter on the table.” In the first example, “consortium” is an essential element. In the second instance, which means the word “that” (which is defined as a pronoun), things are an essential and definitive part of the meaning. “What” phrases are never enclosed in commas. “What” phrases, an indefinite pronoun, can be set off with commas and usually should be.
To add to the confusion, the inessential expressions, essentially, “parentheticals.” Can they then be separated by an ellipsis? Answer: Yes. The distinction with which it is used, the ellipsis, indicate that this phrase is somewhat lighter than that set off by commas. He paid less attention. It is a side comment. Another time that commas can be used instead of ellipses is really necessary, since commas confuse modifiers by subordinating themselves to coordination. For example, the sentence: Dress riot of colors, yellow, red, blue, pink (horrible) and green. In this instance, he would put “bad” with commas, because it would be a coordinate descriptor; the ellipses attach it to the word “rose,” which is what it is, what it changes.
4. Individual words, phrases or clauses, in a series, if there are three or more.
After being elected, the president promised to lower taxes, reduce unemployment, and improve access to medical care.
5. Separate coordinate adjectives describing the same noun. Coordinate adjectives are adjectives of equal value in the sense that they all modify the same word and technically have equal status.
It was mid-range, big, fast, and cheap. Note that with coordinating adjectives they can be presented in any order without affecting the meaning of the sentence. A non-coordinated sentence with adjectives that are not inverted without changing the meaning of the sentence.
He lived in a red brick house.
If the words had been changed, it would have been precisely relevant to the meaning. In the same sentence they can be combined with coordinates separated by commas and not coordinates that are not, as in:
He lived in a large, red brick house.
6. Put some coordinating phrases at the end of the sentence to indicate a contrast in meaning, or refer to the previous part of the sentence.
A letter to David’s members, good luck.
Note that if there is a possibility of confusion with respect to which noun (or pronoun) the adjective is modified, this construction cannot be used.
Bush called Cheney, crying miserably. (wrong)
This sentence is syntax incorrect because the specification is ambiguous. It can be:
Bush called Cheney crying miserably.
A determination can also be univocally added to its object, as:
Bush, who was crying miserably, called Cheney.
7. Geographical locations, date (except month and day), suffixes and degrees added to names and addresses (except street name and number).
Birmingham, Alabama is a city of more than five hundred million people.
Lori Taylor, PhD, is very strong in “collecting.”
George lives at 1704 Elm Drive, Birmingham, Alabama.
It is Wednesday, November 15, 2006.
8. Put the main sentence from the statement.
This was discussed in detail in the previous article. It is about the separation of sentences, whether a complete sentence or not, from the main speech.
Bush was on the aircraft carrier, announcing “mission accomplished” completely inappropriately.
Note that “Mission accomplished” is a complete sentence that is not given a proper period. However, if the descriptor were trying to “stop all awkwardly,” it would be the only period within the word.
Bush posted a video clip announcing “mission accomplished.”
9. Reduce the difficulty of presenting strings of numbers by placing them three times appropriately, starting with the last number to the left of the decimal point.
$1,000,000.00; $10,000,000.00; $100,000,000.00; $1,000,000,000.00
It would be more than four zeros, but only one point would begin to approach a fraction of the increase in the national debt in the next six years. Don’t those commas make it easier to understand the size of such images? It would take me more than commas, though.
10. It can reduce confusion by stopping the reader, literally, by arranging clauses and thinking so that the meaning of the sentences is more easily understood.
Bandit! Now here is one who leaves everything open and throws the “rules” into the ground of ambiguity. Some version of this sentence can be found in every style manual beyond the third level. What is it? Are there rules for breaking the rules? Before I attempt to join this gruesome discipline, let me go over the important rules of not using commas. The same rules are less ambiguous and more important in writing than in the previous ones.
All the above rules are found in the modern manual style, not the ancient and not the ancient sources. They are a loose compilation from a respected workshop and manual, such as the Purdue University writing lab, Strunk and White, etc. The point of that statement is to indicate what is generally presented as a rule of modern usage, not a repetition of an outdated one. and to discard archaisms. However, you are almost never followed carefully.
Part II
Just as important is the use of commas for when to use them, there are rules for when not to use them. There is much to be advised in this matter, and some of it is good. Perhaps the most interesting of these is: Richard Lederer & John Shore “Comma Sense: A Fun-damental Guide to Punctuation. St. Martin’s Press, 2005. The humor is a little long and sometimes distracting, but on the whole, it’s probably the best I’ve seen. Popular” Eats Shoots and Leaves, The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation” by Lynn Truss is not as good rules and good recommendations, he does not follow them in his writing, which rather undermines the impact.
First, perhaps the most inviolable ‘don’t’ of all, is the dreaded ‘comma splice’, also ‘comma error’ and, as English teachers say, ‘One of these, and you’ll fail the course.’ This refers to the use of a comma as a period or semi-colon to divide two complete sentences.
Fred was a poor writer, reader or not much. Wrong.
Note that the time may be mixed or charged in this case. Personally, I use a mixture, but I have an inexplicable feeling for this brand and am on a campaign to expand its use; but that another article s. Note also that a conjunction such as ‘and’ or ‘but’ would change the punctuation, but in this case not the meaning of the sentence.
Fred was a poor writer and not much of a reader
Fred was a dog, he was full of fleas. Wrong.
Fred was a dog, and he was full of fleas. That’s right.
These views lead to inconsistent recommendations on the use of commas. In the first part of this post, I said that commas should be used before conjunctions when they introduce an independent clause. However, in modern practice, blind adherence to this rule is considered outdated and is often not followed. But it’s not all ifs, ands, & buts (not to mention the rest). The following discussion is an overview of the relative substance of conservation and prescription. (From me? Wow, what a surprise!) But, I believe it is good form to follow, bearing in mind that the punctuation is there to make the lesson as clear and unambiguous as possible. If the author always considers the possible ways, the sentence can be read without commas or other punctuation, in which the meaning of the proper use can be found.
Does a comma precede the conjunction? Sometimes even; sometimes, n. In general, all conjunctions (or, nor, for, but, but, and) must be preceded by a comma when they introduce an independent clause, not when they introduce a dependent clause.
Independent clauses:
He was big and stupid, and she was attracted to him.
He wanted to kidnap her, or he wanted to take her.
He was great, and he was stupid.
However, if the second clause is dependent or subordinate to the first, the comma should not be used.
He was a fool because it slipped over his head. (dependent)
It wasn’t that expensive or the chocolate itself was flattering. (suspended)
But what about the sentence?
He was big and stupid, so he was attracted to him.
In this sentence, the comma refers to the absence that was attracted to him because he was big and stupid. If there was a comma (although this sounds stupid), it could mean, “he was big and stupid, so what? He was still attracted to her.”
Unfortunately, even this relatively clear rule has exceptions at the discretion of the writer. In circumstances that do not require commas, a writer may choose to use one to provide some kind of emphasis, such as contrast, or insult.
He beat his man with a base ball. (simple description)
He beat his husband with a bat. (Emphasis added, with or without a note at the end.)
She won the race and was happy about it. (Description)
He lost his race, and was happy. (Contrary that is emphasized) Note that in both passages the reader must pause before the clause in order to emphasize the contrast or contrast.
Just as exceptions are not used before dependent clauses, there is discretion in the instruction to use them before independent clauses. Some editors simply don’t like this usage, especially before the word, ‘and.’ My recommendation? Read the sentence with you, see if the delay is consistent with the modules of your bed; you use errors on the part, but allow yourself the luxury of omitting when the parameter suggests a pause that would be disruptive to the flow, the sound, or the sense of the sentence. That is, as the old ‘Aristophanes’ testifies. This indicates a pause.
There is another circumstance, however, in which a comma before the word ‘and’ is taken by some as optional. That is when it precedes the last item in a list of three or more elements. Forget the option. It must always be used, unless the last two things enjoy some special relation to each other. Absence complicates this relationship.
We had sausage, eggs, bread and butter. (right-if…)
The above statement is true if the butter is applied only to the bread and not separated.
But there are ways of showing a relationship, for example;
We had stuffing, eggs, bread and butter.
In this sentence the relation is explicit.
We had sausage, eggs, bread and orange juice. (wrong)
A comma before ‘and’ is not optional, no matter what your sixth grade teacher taught you. . There is no situation in which the presence of a comma will create ambiguity. There are many situations in which its absence can cause confusion.
Remember the rule that essential phrases are not put in commas, but non-essential phrases are? A simple example about articles is very useful to understand the principles of this rule. The difference in meaning between which and that.
“Who” is an indefinite article that introduces clauses that are not part of the main sentence of the sentence. “That” is a definite article that always defines the definition of a significant sentence. Those clauses are almost never separated by commas; ‘What’ are usually clauses.
I rejected all the fish that were under six inches in length.
I threw away all the fish that were under six inches in length.
The first sentence above leaves the listener with some hope of fish for dinner. At least the connection is that some of the fish were six inches in length, and were not rejected. The second sentence says that all the fish are rejected and perhaps small. ‘What’ directs and defines. ‘What’ is the description of the handmaids.
Bring me all the books on the table that red” directs the listener to be selected from the color. It is an essential part of the sentence. “Bring me all the books that are red,” to hear do exactly the same thing as “Bring me all the books that are red.” The essential phrase, in this case indicated by the article, ‘that,’ is never set by commas and should usually be set with commas.
The confusion about the use of commas, especially before the word ‘and’, I believe, stems from thinking about the rule in simpler terms. A simple arrangement cannot be used before conjunctions or not, because it all depends on the circumstances and the meaning of the sentence. A comma may be used to convey a special meaning at the discretion of the writer, as above, even when the usual rule is not to use it in this construction. Remember the short history lesson in part 1 of the saga? Our predecessor, the comma, was a signal for the reader to stay for a defined time (measured by the spirit). Well, that concept is in the sense. If you think about the rules, and especially the exceptions already mentioned, you can see them almost summarily, the use of commas to indicate a pause in the lesson. Emphasis, contrast, and independent clauses all indicate a pause when recited (or to themselves). Maybe that’s not definitive. It certainly does not instruct the writer enough to know when and when not to use a comma, but it is certainly a useful concept and, if followed, the writer will not fail too often.
OK, those rules require some thought and practice before they become automatically written down. They are not simple to apply, although the concepts behind them are consistent and reasonable. But there are some open rules. All these things contribute to the clarity of the writing and the abuse of these rules leads to ambiguity. With some distraction, I will give a short list of these rules. It is not abundant, but this is not the whole art.
1) Comma splice, as above. (Don’t do it? Exceptions).
2) Do not use a comma to separate the verb.
A big dog a is one who bet in a fight. (wrong)
3) Do not separate two words or predicate verb clauses with a comma.
We placed our bets on the small dog and sat down to watch. (wrong)
4) Do not separate two words, nouns or a noun or a subject or a predicate with commas.
A man and his wife bet a bad dog. (wrong)
A man and his wife get a wrong horse and a wrong dog. (Three times wrong)
Super summary? Generally follow the instructions explained in both parts of this article. If there are ambiguous circumstances that do not neatly fit into the above rules, first check whether the inclusion (or exclusion) of a comma reduces the ambiguity, as in the admirable title “Eat Propagines and Leaves”. Secondly, see whether the sentence has the usual pause at the point where the comma is considered.
It is easy to make mistakes out of habit in writing. If I type quickly, I usually find three or four commas per page. I wrote this quickly, but I only reread it, too quickly. I found only one extra comma, but I neglected to pledge money. You will find them; It’s good exercise.
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*This book has one of my favorite quotes, and, although this is not about commas, but about the moment of punctuation in general, I cannot resist reprinting this example:
The waiter stood at the door and called the guest’s name; The waiter stood at the door and called the names of the guests.
Consider the difference in meaning an apostrophe can make.
