Comma Use and Abuse

Renn LugentRyan Ritchie

Shane SprayberryBrandi Harrison

What is a Comma?

A valuable punctuation device that separates sentences to make them more manageable.

Use of Commas

To separate three or more elements in a series.

Example: Fred's dog-like-girlfriend is short, hairy, and drooling.

Use of Commas With conjunctions (the

“fanboys”: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) to combine independent clauses into a sentence

Example: Joe woke up next to his girlfriend, but he did not recognize her after a long night.

Use of Commas

To set off an introductory phrase, clause or word.

Example: Fortunately, the opening pitch didn’t count.

Use of Commas To separate part of a

sentence that is not necessary or to add extra details.

Example: Eleanor, his wife of thirty years, was a severe pain in the neck.

Use of Commas

To separate coordinate adjectives, a series of modifiers describing the same noun.

Example: Joe has a tall, hairy, brown-haired girlfriend.

Use of Commas

To use as an opening for a quoted phrase.

Example: Carl says, “I like french-fried taters.”

Use of Commas

To express ideas that contradict each other

Example: Some say the world will end in fire, not ice.

Use of Commas Typographical Reasons

Between City and State (Newport News, VA)

Between a Date and a Year (June 29, 2007)

Between a title and a name when the title comes after the name (Rick Dollieslager, Professor of English)

In long numbers (19,278,340,192,372)

Abuse of Commas

Don’t split the subject from verb by unnecessary use of a comma.

Example: Studying for a test, is recommended to pass.

Abuse of Commas Don’t put a comma

between two compound verbs or compound verb phrases.

Example: I turned the corner, and ran smack into a patrol car.

Abuse of Commas Don’t put a comma

between two nouns, noun phrases, or noun clauses in a compound subject or compound object.

Example: The music teacher from your high school, and the football coach from mine are married to each other.

Abuse of Commas Don’t put a comma after

the main clause when a dependent (subordinate) clause follows it, which separates the verb from the complement (the completion of the thought).

Example: The cat scratched at the door, while I was eating.

Works Cited "Using Commas." OWL: Online Writing Lab. 2007.

Purdue University Writing Lab. 26 Jun 2007 <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_comma.html>.

Darling, Charles. "Rules for Comma Usage." Guide to Grammar and Writing. 2004. Capital Community Technical College Foundation. 28 Jun 2007 <http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/commas.htm>.