1. MYTH: Long sentences need a comma. A really long sentence may be perfectly correct without commas. The length of a sentence does not determine whether you need a comma.
2. MYTH: You should add a comma wherever you pause. Where you pause or breathe in a sentence does not reliably indicate where a comma belongs. Different readers pause or breathe in different places.
3. MYTH: Commas are so mysterious that it's impossible to figure out where they belong! Some rules are flexible, but most of the time, commas belong in very predictable places.
| FANBOYS Use Commas to separate independent clauses (complete thought) when they are joined by coordinating conjunctions: For And Nor But Or Yet So | |||||||||||
Subject xxx | , | (insert FANBOYS) subject xxx. | |||||||||
John was tired | , | so he slept. | |||||||||
Use commas after introductory (a) Clauses (b) Phrases (c) Words that come before the main clause | |||||||||||
(a) Starters words for introductory clauses that should be followed by a comma: As When While Because Before After Before If | |||||||||||
(Insert Starter Word) Subject xxx | , | subject xxx . | |||||||||
As John was tired, | , | he slept. | |||||||||
If these same Starters words are located behind the main clause, adding a comma is not allowed: As When While Because Before After Before If | |||||||||||
John slept | as | he is tired. | |||||||||
John slept, | as | he is tired. (wrong: comma is NOT allowed) | |||||||||
Cases of extreme contrast Although Put a comma after the main clause when a dependent (subordinate) clause follows it. | |||||||||||
John slept | , | although he was not tired. (correct) | |||||||||
John slept | although he was not tired. (wrong: comma is missing) | ||||||||||
(b) Common introductory phrases that should be followed by a comma include participial and infinitive phrases, absolute phrases, nonessential appositive phrases, and long prepositional phrases (over four words). It can be located before or after the main clause. Comma is a must. | |||||||||||
Participial phrase Ing-phrase En-phrase | Having finished the test, Taken by surprise, | he left the room. he smiled. | |||||||||
Infinitive phrase To-phrase | To get a seat, | you’d better come now. | |||||||||
Absolute phrase Noun/Sentence but with NO CONJUNCTION and NO FINITE VERB | Her determination stronger than ever, (was is omitted) We finished our dinner, | she resolved not to give up. our appetite satisfied. (was is omitted) | |||||||||
Non-essential appositive phrase Noun/noun phrase that renames another noun right beside it. Appositive that begins the sentence One comma is used. Appositive that interrupts the sentence A pair of commas is used. | A reckless driver, Tom , a hot-tempered boy, | Bob knocked down a lady. punched the teacher. | |||||||||
Prepositional phrase | After the swim, | we ate our dinner. | |||||||||
(c) Common introductory words that should be followed by a comma include well, yes, however. It can be located before the main clause. Comma is a must. | |||||||||||
Well, perhaps he was wrong. Yes, I agreed. However, he did not think so. | |||||||||||
Use a pair of commas in the middle of a sentence to set off clauses, phrases, and words that are not essential to the meaning of the sentence. Use one comma before to indicate the beginning of the pause and one at the end to indicate the end of the pause. Here are some clues to help you decide whether the sentence element is essential: · If you leave out the clause, phrase, or word, does the sentence still make sense? · Does the clause, phrase, or word interrupt the flow of words in the original sentence? · If you move the element to a different position in the sentence, does the sentence still make sense? If you answer "yes" to one or more of these questions, then the element in question is non-restrictive and should be set off with commas. The pronoun “which” is used for non-restrictive clause and don't set the clause off with commas. | |||||||||||
Clause | The dog, which is mine, is tired. | ||||||||||
Phrase | Mary is wide awake. John, on the other hand, is tired. | ||||||||||
Word | Mary is wide awake. John, however, is tired. | ||||||||||
Other non-restrictive examples: Mrs Tan, grinning from ear to ear, announced that the exam would be tomorrow. Tom, the captain of the team, was injured in the game. It is up to you,Jane, to finish. Two hundred dollars, I think, is sufficient. | |||||||||||
If you answer "no" to one or more of these questions, then the element in question is restrictive and should be not set off with commas.* The pronoun “that” is used for restrictive clause and do set the clause off with commas. . | |||||||||||
Restrictive Clause | Non-restrictive Clause | ||||||||||
Students who cheat only harm themselves. The above sentence means only the group of students who cheat harm themselves. | John, who sometimes cheats, is just harming himself. The above sentence tells more about John. If the commas are removed, it means only that John who sometimes cheats is harming himself. Other students do not harm themselves when they cheat. This sounds absurd. | ||||||||||
The baby wearing a bib is my son. There are many babies. The above sentence means only that one wearing a bib is my son. The rest are not! | My son, wearing a bib, is playing in the room. The above sentence tells more about my son. | ||||||||||
The candidate who had the least vote lost the election. The above sentence means that any candidate who had the least vote would be regarded as having lost the election. | The People’s Party candidate, who had the least vote, lost the election. The above sentence means that someone who had come from the People’s Party and had the least vote lost the election. | ||||||||||
The relative pronoun "who" can govern both restrictive and nonrestrictive relative clauses. * | |||||||||||
Use commas to set off phrases at the end of the sentence that refer to the beginning or middle of the sentence. Such phrases are free modifiers that can be placed anywhere in the sentence without causing confusion. | |||||||||||
Nancy waved at the ship | , | laughing merrily. (correct) | |||||||||
Laughing merrily | , | Nancy waved at the ship. (correct) | |||||||||
Nancy waved at Julie | , | laughing merrily. (wrong: Who is laughing, Nancy or Julie?) | |||||||||
Nancy waved at Julie | , | who was laughing merrily. (correct) (Julie is laughing) | |||||||||
Use a comma to shift between the main discourse and a quotation. | |||||||||||
John said, "I’m tired so I need to sleep." "I’m tired," John said, "so I need to sleep." In 1848, Marx wrote, "Workers of the world, unite!" | |||||||||||
* To read more on restrictive and more-restrictive relative clauses, http://grammartips.homestead.com/nonrestrictivecommas.html
Materials adapted from:
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