Understanding
Commas
The simple
comma, it seems like such a small part of the sentences it
appears in. What is a comma and why do we need to use them?
A comma is one of many punctuation marks used in the world of
English grammar. Commas are commonly used to help separate words
or groups of words in a sentence. For example, which of the
following sentences read more clearly? The wedding
reception had 150 guests, great food and disco music from their
own DJ. (Did the DJ provide the food and the music?) (or)
The wedding reception had 150 guests, great food, and disco music
from their own DJ. The extra comma helps to separate and the
sentence becomes clear.
What are
some other uses for commas? A comma is used to set off or give
pause to what is called an “introductory phrase” (a group of
words that open a sentence) For example, which of the following
sentences read more clearly? In case of emergency please
use the nearest exit stairway. (or) In case of emergency,
please use the nearest exit stairway. The comma helps to separate
and make it clear to the reader.
A comma is
always used in direct address to set off the name of a person or
animal you are speaking to. It does not matter where in the
sentence the name appears as you can see in the following
examples. Ben, come here and lay down. (or) Come here and
lay down, Ben. (or) Come here, Ben, and lay down.
Another use
for commas is to set off an “appositive” (a word or group of
words that describe a noun or pronoun.) Just as in direct address
it should be set off anywhere it appears in a sentence. (for
example) Joe Smith, the PGA legend, played at the local
golf course. (or) The PGA legend, Joe Smith played at the
local golf course.
Commas can
also be used to set off “nonrestrictive clauses” (part of
a sentence that gives information but is not critical to the
meaning of the sentence) For example, both of the following
sentences communicate the same point only the first sentence
gives us a little more information. The winter snowstorm,
which lasted all night, dumped 8 inches of snow on the city.
The winter snowstorm dumped 8 inches of snow on the city. A
nonrestrictive clause is always introduced with the word which
and sometimes introduced with the word who.
Commas are
also used to separate dates and addresses. We use commas to
separate the day of the week from the month and to separate the
month from the year. The playoff game for the American football
conference will be played Saturday, December 14, 2003. If
the date should fall in the middle of a sentence place a comma
after the date. Sunday, December 15, 2003,
was the first playoff game for the National football league.
As you can
see from the examples above, the comma is a versatile and useful
tool for the writer. The proper use of the comma plays an
important role in English grammar by helping us to read and
understand sentences more clearly.
