When Do You Use Commas Around the Word Again
By Marina Pantcheva
The comma is perhaps the most puzzling mark of punctuation. The rules for using commas are so numerous and tin seem so arbitrary that one often wishes one could dispense with them once and for all. Actually, are the commas so vital in the sentence below?
(one) Historically the comma is derived from the diagonal slash which was used to signal a interruption. [incorrect]
(2) Historically, the comma is derived from the diagonal slash, which was used to betoken a pause. [correct]
It seems, indeed, that the commas can exist removed in case (ane). Withal, their presence becomes justified if we read the sentence aloud — we make a curt pause subsequently the words historically and slash, precisely the places where the commas should be. A useful rule of thumb is to place commas where one makes a pause in spoken language.
Rule of pollex: a comma indicates a pause in speech.
When in doubts then, read the sentence aloud. If you pause at some place, insert a comma to mark the intermission.
Nevertheless, commas are more than simple pause-markers; they assist the reader understand the structure of the sentence and resolve ambiguity. Compare the two sentences:
(three) The students who passed the exam went on a fieldwork trip.
(four) The students, who passed the exam, went on a fieldwork trip.
The sentence without comma means that only those students who passed the exam went on a trip. The sentence with commas means that all students went on a fieldwork trip, and they all, past the way, passed the test.
Beneath follow a few rules almost how to use commas correctly.
Dominion 1: Use commas in a series of three or more than items.
Normally, the terminal item in the serial is preceded by and, or, or nor.
(5) The new regulations concern students, inquiry fellows, and post-doctoral researchers.
The comma placed before and (or, nor) is non obligatory, merely it is recommended because it sometimes disambiguates the sentence.
(six) Tom's favorite dishes are tomatoes, fish and chips, and toasts.
Judgement (vi) means that Tom likes fish and fries, and he also likes toasts. Without the comma earlier and it is unclear how to group the terminal three items.
(7) Tom'southward favorite dishes are tomatoes, fish and fries and toasts.
dish i: fish and chips, dish 2: toasts
or
dish 1: fish, dish two: chips and toasts
Rule ii: Utilize a comma to carve up 2 or more than coordinate adjectives.
Coordinate adjectives describe the noun separately.
(8) It was a dark, stormy dark.
(9) The new headmaster is a tall, adept-looking man.
There are two easy ways for testing whether the adjectives are coordinate or non
- and-examination: if you can put and betwixt the adjectives without irresolute the meaning, then the adjectives are coordinate, e.g., He is a tall and proficient-looking homo.
- reverse-test: if y'all can change the order of the adjectives without changing the meaning, then the adjectives are coordinate, eastward.g., He is a practiced-looking, tall man.
Non-coordinate adjectives should not be separated past a comma.
(10) Tom hates these complicated coordinate adjectives.
Separating complicated and coordinate by a comma is incorrect, as the two adjectives are not coordinate (coordinate complicated adjectives means something else).
Dominion three: Use a comma to separate independent clauses introduced by and, or, nor, only, however, for, and so (in the sense of "as a upshot"), every bit (in the sense of "because"), and while (in the sense of "at the same fourth dimension").
(eleven) The rain poured downwardly, and John looked for a shelter.
(12) Marta handed in the awarding, simply she was not satisfied.
Be conscientious to use a comma only when the part afterwards and, or, nor, but, etc., is a full clause. If it is non, and so no comma should be used.
(13) The rain poured down and ruined the parade.
(fourteen) Marta handed in the application but did non like information technology very much.
An easy way to determine whether the second function of the sentence is a total clause is to see whether it has its ain [field of study]. If it does, so it is a full clause. For instance, the second clause in example (11) has the subject John, dissimilar from the discipline the rain in the starting time clause. Similarly, the 2d clause in example (12) has its ain subject, she, which, accidentally, refers to the same person equally the subject in the first clause (Marta). This plays no role; what matters here is that at that place is a second subject present.
For comparison, there is no 2d subject after and and but in examples (13)-(fourteen).
NB! If the independent clauses are not joined by a conjunction, i.e., and, or, nor, but, etc., then the right mark is the semicolon (;), encounter more under [semicolon].
Dominion 4: Use a comma subsequently an introductory phrase/give-and-take.
(15) In the event of disagreement about the duties, the piece of work plan may exist presented to the PhD Committee.
(16) Nevertheless, the students performed poorly.
(17) On Tuesday, the Prime Minister met the demonstrators.
Introductory phrases that need to exist separated by a comma include:
1. Participial phrases (using the –ing class of the verb)
(18) Having finished the meeting, the committee members went back to their offices.
two. Infinitive phrases (beginning with to+verb)
(19) To access the wireless network on campus, yous must know the countersign.
3. Prepositional phrases (beginning with a preposition, due east.g., past, on, under, without, etc.)
(twenty) Despite our differences, we interact well.
When the prepositional introductory phrase is short (less than three-4 word), the comma can exist omitted, only information technology is not wrong to use it.
4. Introductory words, such as nevertheless, consequently, hence, thus, nevertheless, etc.
(21) Consequently, the experiment failed.
Rule 5: Apply a comma later a [dependent clause] preceding an [contained clause].
(22) If Smith accepts our conditions, we will agree to the proposal.
(23) Although Smith did not accept our conditions, we agreed to the proposal.
The dependent clause can provide the time, the status, the reason, etc., for the issue in the main clause. Unremarkably, dependent clauses begin with if, whether, considering, although, since, when, while, unless, even though, whenever, etc., (follow this link for an exhaustive list).
Note that a dependent clause should be separated from an contained clause past a comma only when the dependent clause precedes the independent one. If the dependent clause follows the independent one, no comma is places before if, whether, because, although, since, when, while, unless, etc.
(24) We agreed to the proposal because Smith accepted our conditions. [right]
(25) We agreed to the proposal, because Smith accepted our conditions. [incorrect]
Just
(26) Because Smith accepted our conditions, we agreed to the proposal. [right]
Rule vi: Utilise commas before and after parts of the sentence that are non essential to its significant.
Such not-essential parts can exist words, phrases and entire clauses. An piece of cake way to examination whether a word, a phrase, or a clause is non-essential is to just exit it out and see whether the message changes dramatically.
(27) Our experimental information, yet, shows that the previous results are unreliable, at all-time.
(28) The audience, indifferent at the showtime, became more and more than interested.
(29) In 1888, when my great grandmother was built-in, there was only one hospital in the entire country.
Do not use commas to separate essential parts of the judgement.
(30) People who live in drinking glass houses should non throw stones. [right]
(31) People, who live in glass houses, should non throw stones. [incorrect]
The part who live in glass houses is essential to the meaning since the but the people to whom this applies should not throw stones. The sentence in (31) implies that people generally live in glass houses.
Source: https://site.uit.no/english/punctuation/rules-for-comma-usage/
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