Grammar 101: How to Properly Use the Comma

With the Internet today, anyone who wants to write, can. Blogs, personal web pages, and the like have allowed anyone with a computer publishing rights. But with this freedom, a lower standard of writing has slowly crept in. While the content we, as writers, write might be outstanding, grammatical mistakes can speak even louder.

The comma is one of the most basic elements of writing. I know I find myself baffled with this little guy from time to time. It is the most frequently used and misused punctuation mark out there. While it looks innocent enough with its petite size, the comma's correct usage sometimes escapes even the best writer.

The following rules will help you to remember when to use (and not use) your beloved comma:

1. To separate three or more elements in a series.This is a rather simple rule that isn't too complicated. The last comma before the coordinating conjunction is optional, and many writers leave it off. Some argue, however, that it is necessary. Whatever you decide, make sure you do it consistently throughout your piece.

Example: The boy forgot his homework, house keys, and lunch money at school.

2. With a small conjunction.Small conjunctions are those words that help connect two independent clauses. These include: and, but, yet, nor, for, and so. Put the comma before the conjunction, not after, as some writers mistake.

Example: We went to the game, but we missed the school dance.

Some writers will omit the comma if the two clauses are short. While this is correct in some situations, you will never be wrong if you include it.

3. Set off introductory elements. It is acceptable to omit this comma if the introduction is short. It is also always correct to use it.

Example: Between 1990 and 2000, she had three car accidents.

4. Set off parenthetical elements. What is a "parenthetical element" you ask? This is the part of the sentence that could be taken out without affecting the overall meaning of the sentence. Some refer to it as a "nonessential clause."

An appositive is a great example of a parenthetical element. An appositive restates something already in the sentence. While it adds some more life to the sentence, it is essentially unnecessary.

Example: Abraham Lincoln, our country's sixteenth president, was born in a log cabin.

The portion of the sentence that reads, "our country's sixteenth president," is not necessary for the reader to grasp the full meaning of the sentence, but it adds an additional, colorful element.

Another example of a parenthetical element is the adverbial clause. These usually answer the question of where, when, why, how, and under what conditions.

Examples: When it comes to thoroughbred horses, she is an expert.

If you skip dinner, you will be hungry at bedtime.

Adjective clauses also fall into the "parenthetical elements" category. These begin with who, whom, that, or which.

Example: The Hilton, which is a leading hotel chain in the US, offers many great vacation packages.

A comma is not required, however, when a parenthetical element follows a coordinating conjunction (a connecting word, such as "but," or "and") that is used to connect two independent clauses.

Example: "Friends" is my favorite TV show, but it went off the air in 2004. (no comma after "but.")

5. To separate coordinate adjectives. A good way to remember this rule is if you can add the word "and" or "but" between two adjectives, you should put a comma there.

Example: The young, handsome fellow reminded me of my brother.

This sentence would allow you to insert the word "and" between "young" and "handsome" with clear understanding. You would not be able to add these coordinating conjunctions to a sentence such as, "The little old man was in the hospital." Therefore, a comma would not be required in this sentence.

6. To set off quoted elements. Use a comma to separate quoted material from the remainder of the sentence. This is something most writers are confronted with on a daily basis.

Example: She said, "I don't care what you say. I will take the job in Seattle, if it's the last thing I do."

If the attribution of the quoted element comes in the middle of a quotation, you will need to use two commas.

Example: "I love no love," exclaimed poet Mary Coleridge, "but thee."

If the quotation is longer than a sentence or is rather formal, use a colon to offset the explanatory elements instead.

7. To Set Off Phrases Expressing Contrast.

Example: It was his looks, not his money or nice home, which attracted her to him.

Adding commas here breaks the sentence up and shows the contrast of the two things you are writing about.

While these tips are not intended to be the full book on comma usage, it is a good refresher for those who craft words everyday. Since commas are so commonplace, even the best can forget the fundamental rules of their use.

Commas are an important part of writing. Without them, our words would be a jumbled mess. With them, are the messages we want to communicate. And in these messages, between the commas, are the words that can change the lives of our readers.