The Comma in Your Writing: Grammar Rules and Artistry of Use, Part 1

This post is a response to a student's request on the use of the comma. Over the summer, this blog will post will focus on writing and grammar. If a blog reader is interested in a specific grammar topic, please post a response. This way, I know if readers want to read about a particular grammar or writing topic. This article, on the comma, should take two or three blogs to cover fully. Commas are a major problem area in English, so there is a lot to say on this topic before we move forward.

Lynne Truss, the writer of "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" states that the function of the comma is as follows. Commas are used: "1. To illuminate the grammar of a sentence 2. To point up - rather the manner of musical notation - such literary qualities as rhythm, direction, pitch, tone and flow (2005: 70)." This highlights that, while there are actual rules about comma use, writing is an art as well as a science. Commas are meant to strengthen and clarify the meaning of sentences, not distract the reader with their presence in small sentences in which the meaning is already clear. Nor are they always required in longer sentences.

In George Davidson's book "How to Punctuate" he illustrates this:
"I'd been living in America for several years when I decided to pack in my job and head back home to Scotland to make this film (2005: 79)."
After reviewing this sentence, you will notice that a comma could be inserted after the word "job" but the question you need to ask is, does that comma add anything to the meaning of this sentence. Probably not. This highlights the point I made above and that Truss stresses, the use of the comma is not simply about the rules, it is also about linguistic artistry. I was brought up with the idea that a comma is a breath space. This instruction is not always clear. For that reason, we will give examples and uses of the comma in these blogs.

Let's look at some of the places where the comma should not be used. My discussion here is heavily inspired by Don LePan's amusing book, "The Broadview Book of Common Errors in English" (4th edition).

Problem Areas for Commas
1. Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices: A sentence, that is, a complete sentence containing a verb and a noun, is in LePan's words "one complete idea" (1999: 477-78). What this means is that joining two unrelated and otherwise complete ideas with the word "and" is a problem. Let's look at this. When a comma joins these two unrelated sentences with comma followed by "and", it is commonly referred to as a "comma splice". Allow me to show you how this works.

Example:
Last Tuesday evening I went for a long walk in the wood, and we stopped for tea in York. I have highlighted the subject and the verbs in red.

Okay, it is possible that both events happened on the same day but the subject of the first phrase is "I" and the subject of the second sentence is "we". They are not really good candidates for a compound sentence joined by "and". In this case, these should be two separate sentences with a period or a full stop between them. As a side issue, I would like to point out that "and" is often and inappropriately used as a joining word. Later, in the summer we will review "connecting words" that should be used to juxtapose ideas instead of "and". For now, all you need to know is that this is a comma splice. Do not join two ideas in this way.

LePan makes four more observations on comma use.
1. Comma use conveys meaning.
Example:
Because we had a good opportunity in Canada, we left our home in England.
The comma allows us to see that there is a causal relationship here. It is separated from the main clause "we left our home in England" to provide clarity.

2. LePan discusses how commas often come in pairs. He says that we should not eliminate the second comma.
Example
My brother Mark, returned from his journey to the Caribbean in May. (wrong)
My brother, Mark, returned from his journey to the Caribbean in May. (Correct)

3. Writers sometimes add extra commas in very long sentences; this is a mistake. I will use the example from LePan's book:
The snake which had been killed the day before, was already half-eaten by ants. (Wrong)
The snake which had been killed the day before was already half-eaten by ants.(Correct)
The comma does not convey any extra meaning, nor it is required.

4. Terminal commas: One important use of the comma, as you will see in my next blog, is to "separate entries in a list" (1999: 158). When you are making a list, a terminal comma can only be omitted if there is no ambiguity in meaning when you have a list of three or more items.

LePan's example:
"The firms involved were McCarthy and Walters, Harris, Jones, and Engleby, and Cassells and Wirtz." (Wrong, see page reference above)
"The firms involved were: McCarthy and Walters; Harris, Jones and Engleby; and Cassells and Wirtz." (Correct, see page reference above)

Or
"This book is dedicated to my parents, Ayn Rand and God." (Wrong)
"This book is dedicated to my parents, Ayn Rand, and God." (Correct)

In both these cases, the terminal comma clarifies the meaning. However, please note that:

I went to the market to buy oranges, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. Here, as Truss points out (2005: 85), there is really no need for a comma because the meaning is clear. More on the uses of the comma, in my next blog.

Short Bibliography

Davidson, George. 2005. How to punctuate. London: Penguin Books.

Hacker, Diana. 1996. Rules for writers: a brief handbook. Boston: Bedford Books.

Hewings, Martin. 2005. Advanced grammar in use: a self-study reference and practice book for advanced students of English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

LePan, Don. 2000. The Broadview Book of Common Errors in English: a guide to righting wrongs. Peterborough: Broadview Press.



KB