Common Sense Rules for Comma Usage

Before discussing the abuse of commas in a subsequent post, let’s first review the use of commas. We use commas in our writing at places where we might have paused while speaking.

1.      One of the traditional uses of commas is to separate the items in a series.

The man jumped up, spun around, and drew out a gun.

He went to the store to buy milk, butter, and eggs.

Notice that the comma separates each item and also appears before the ‘and’. The last comma used after the penultimate item in the list is called serial comma.

The use of serial comma is dictated by the style followed in an organization. Its use leads to less ambiguity and more clarity.

Consider the following example:

Mr. Gupta left his property to Priya and Krishna, Jaya, Ramya and Raghavan and Uma. Here’s a puzzle: To which families has Mr.Gupta left his property when he died? Without the serial comma, any of the answers below could be right.

Priya and Krishna; Jaya; Ramya and Raghavan; Uma (4 families)

Priya and Krishna; Jaya; Ramya; Raghavan and Uma (4 families)

If Mr.Gupta had wanted the first option, he should have inserted a comma after Raghavan. If second option was what he wanted, Gupta should have inserted a comma after Ramya.

Note that if any of the items in the list use commas, the list separator becomes a semicolon.

2.      When you link two independent clauses using coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), use a comma to separate them

·        Mary wore formal trousers to work, but she changed into a gorgeous gown before the evening party.

·        I explained my doubt as clearly as I could, yet the instructor didn’t understand.

3.      Separate the introductory element of a sentence from the main part with a comma.

Frankly, her outburst took me by surprise.

Well, perhaps he meant no harm.

Yes, the package should arrive tomorrow morning.

However, you may not be satisfied with the results.

Use a comma or a semicolon before words such as namely, that is, i.e., for example, and e.g., when they are followed by a series of items.

As it’s going to be cold, you are required to bring many items, e.g., sleeping bags, jackets, and warm clothing.
As it’s going to be cold, you may be required to bring many items; e.g., sleeping bags, jackets, and warm clothing.

The speaker blathered on about democracy, secularism, patriotism, etc., until most of the audience was fast asleep.

4.      Put a comma after the dependent clause when a main clause follows it.

Thinking he could pacify her, George moved close and held her head in his hands.

If you are ill, you ought to see a doctor.

However, if the order of the clauses is reversed and the main clause comes first, don’t use a comma before the dependent clause.

She was late for the gym because some last minute job had crept in.

The cat scratched at the door while I was eating.

5.      You should use a comma to indicate the presence of a non-restrictive modifier.

It’s important to understand the distinction between restrictive and non-restrictive modifiers. A restrictive element cannot be deleted without changing the sentence’s basic meaning. Nonrestrictive or qualifying modifiers give additional information about the preceding word they modify, but they can be deleted or moved to a different position in the sentence without changing its meaning. When the modifying phrase occurs in the middle of the sentence, flank it with commas on both sides.

Krishnan, who was the president of the club, was the first to speak. (non-restrictive; you can remove the modifier without changing the meaning)

Turmeric, a tuber belonging to the same family as ginger, has several medicinal benefits.

Using commas with a restrictive modifier is wrong, which is the case with the following example:

The people, who vandalized the school, were remanded to police custody.

Unlike the first two examples, you cannot remove the phrase ‘who vandalized the school’ from the last sentence without altering the meaning or chopping its essence. So both the commas have to be removed from the last example.

6.      Use a comma to set off a direct quotation from its speaker.

Notice the difference in the comma usage in the following sentences:

“You’re happy, aren’t you,” she said softly, her voice quivering.

Her voice quivering, she said softly, “You’re happy, aren’t you?”

“You’re happy,” she said softly, “aren’t you?” Her voice quivered.

7.      Commas separate multiple adjectives that describe the same thing.
Example:

Margaret ran her fingers through the long, soft hair.

8.      You need to insert a comma between the geographical or address elements.

Jack and Jill had a great time at their cousin’s wedding, which took place in Memphis, Tennessee.

Who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC?

9.      Commas are used to separate various date elements.

Dates are potential sources of confusion. Americans use comma to separate the date from the year (December 10, 1995), but British don’t (10th of December 1995). If you mention the day, you’ll have to insert a comma (Sunday, December 10). If you are mentioning only two date elements, you don’t need a comma at all.

Padma Subramaniam’s dance drama in August 1979 is well remembered by all her fans.
Padma Subramaniam’s dance drama on August 15 is well remembered by all her fans.

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To Capitalize Or Not to Capitalize