Commas

Two Paragraphs: On the following slides are two paragraphs. Both are exactly the same except for the punctuation. See if you can tell the difference in meaning.

Paragraph 1 Dear John: I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we’re apart. I can be forever happy–will you let me be yours? Jane

Paragraph 2 Dear John, I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For other men, I yearn. For you, I have no feelings whatsoever. When we’re apart, I can be forever happy. Will you let me be? Yours, Jane

The Meaning: You’ve probably noticed that the meaning in each letter is radically different. The point of this is that punctuation creates meaning. On the following slides, we are therefore going to look at one of the most misused forms of punctuation, the comma.

The Importance of Commas If you’ve ever doubted whether commas are important to our language, read the two sentences below. Both are grammatically correct and are exactly the same in all aspects except one: one sentence has a comma and the other doesn’t. Let’s eat, grandma. Let’s eat grandma.

Some Common Sense Comma Rules Commas are one of the most misused forms of punctuation in English. Therefore, it is necessary to go through a few rules, so that we understand how to use them properly.

Rule 1: Items in a Series Commas are used when a sentence contains a series of three items or more: Example: I enjoy reading horror, science fiction, and fantasy. Note that English classes require that a comma is placed before the conjunction that introduces the last item in the series, in this case the word “and.”

Rule 2: Compound Sentences A comma is inserted before the coordinating conjunction (fanboys) in a compound sentence. Example: I wanted to go on a trip, but I didn’t have enough money. Note that a compound sentence joins two sentences together, often with a coordinating conjunction like “but” or “and.”

Rule 3: Direct Address If you are directly addressing someone, set that person’s name off with a comma. Example: Paul, could you come to the phone please? Note that if the person’s name came at the end of the sentence, the comma would go before the name and if the name occurred in the middle of the sentence, a comma would go in front of and in back of the name.

Rule 4: Introductory Material A comma is placed after introductory material at the beginning of a sentence. Example: In conclusion, this proposal would benefit everyone. Note that the introductory material ends just before the main sentence begins.

Rule 5: Interrupters Place commas around words or phrases that interrupt the flow of the sentence to add additional information. Example: I, however, do not agree with the senator’s proposal. Note that interrupters frequently are placed between the subject and the verb of the sentence.

Rule 6: Non-essential Information Place commas around non-essential information that is added to a sentence. Example: My dad, the worst cook on the block, tried to cook dinner last night. Note that the information “the worst cook on the block” is not essential to understand who we mean by “dad.” Essentially, if the information in question can be taken out of the sentence without significantly changing its meaning, then that information is likely non-essential and needs commas.

Caution: No Commas around Essential Information. Do not put commas around essential information in a sentence. Example: All employees who do not wash their hands will be fired. Note that the clause “who do not wash their hands” interrupts the flow of the sentence. However, it is essential information and commas are not used because if that clause is taken out, the remaining sentence doesn’t have the same meaning: “All employees will be fired.”

Practice: Insert the missing commas into the following paragraph: We’re writing this email to you Lena to give you directions to the reunion this weekend. We know that you will be driving with a few others but we want to be sure everyone knows the way. When we contacted some of our classmates over the internet several of the messages were returned as “undeliverable.” We hope therefore that this one gets through to you. We can’t wait to see you Michelle Tom and Brad again. Dr. Milford our favorite professor will be there to welcome all of the returning students.

Answers: We’re writing this email to you, Lena, to give you directions to the reunion this weekend. We know that you will be driving with a few others, but we want to be sure everyone knows the way. When we contacted some of our classmates over the internet, several of the messages were returned as “undeliverable.” We hope, therefore, that this one gets through to you. We can’t wait to see you, Michelle, Tom, and Brad again. Dr. Milford, our favorite professor, will be there to welcome all of the returning students.