Check any style guide and you’ll find page after page of rules for use of the comma. Below are five of the most common comma mistakes we see as we review papers and the web:
RULE: Put a comma that follows a
closing quotation mark inside the last quotation mark.
EXAMPLE: The baby’s three new
words are “Dog,” “Hot,” and “No.”
NOTE: In the US, (unlike the UK) commas and periods go inside the
quotation marks.
2. Comma splices or run-on sentences
RULE: Don’t put a comma between
two independent clauses.
EXAMPLE: I used to love tofu, now I can’t stand the stuff.
NOTE: When you have two independent clauses (phrases that can stand by
themselves as sentences), separate them with a semicolon, a period, or a comma
and a coordinating conjunction, eg, I
used to love tofu, but now I can’t
stand the stuff.
3. In a series
RULE: Use commas to separate items in a list or series
EXAMPLE: I picked up the dry cleaning, dropped the dog at the
groomer’s, and met my husband for lunch.
NOTE: Although some style guides say that using a comma before the last
and in a series or list is optional,
most style guides suggest using one to help avoid reader misunderstanding
4. To set off nonrestrictive clauses
RULE: A nonrestrictive clause
can be left out of the sentence without changing the meaning. Nonrestrictive
clauses usually are surrounded or preceded by commas.
EXAMPLE: Carrie Phillips, the girl we often see walking alone on the
beach, won the science award.
NOTE: Often the word which precedes a nonrestrictive clause.
For example, Mark lives on Elm Street,
which is only two blocks from my house. In this case, use the comma before which.
5. Commas with dates
RULES and EXAMPLES:
- Use a comma between the day and the year: August 4, 1969.
- When writing the day as well as the date, use a comma after the day and
date: Thursday, May 23, 2013.
- Do not use a comma when it is just the month and the year: December
1977.
- Do not use a comma when using an inverted date: 20 June 1990.
Deborah
Deborah
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