Write On!
Volume 1, Issue 1, May 12, 2009
Shirley Parodi, Tutor
The comma – overuse or, worse, lack of necessary use can spell disaster for any college essay, impeding flow and rendering its message less ascertainable and effective. Believe it or not, this little punctuation has recently been the topic of much debate at The Writing Center.
Questions as to whether or not a comma is necessary to indicate pause, or before and at the end of a list, or to set off information which modifies a subject have been among the discussion of its usage. We have all heard, at one time or another, that you should insert a comma anytime you hear a pause when speaking a sentence.
However, despite its historical origin as a pause indicator, invented by 3rd century BC grammarian Aristophanes of Byzantium, written English has evolved prescriptive usage for punctuation as part of written grammar rules. Of course, as language evolves, so does its written practice. This accounts for why it is now acceptable to leave out the comma before and for the last item in a series. It is also why it is now acceptable to leave out commas all together if the sentence is very short.
Still, there are some sturdy comma rules which every college writer should be faithful in adhering to. The most common include using commas:
- after introductory elements,
- before a coordinating conjunction joining two independent clauses,
- to separate items in a series, and
- to set off nonrestrictive information.
I cannot count the number of students who come into The Writing Center who put commas in all the wrong places -- and none of the right ones. Commas cannot join two independent clauses, or complete sentences. That is what a period or, in some cases, a semicolon is for. These are called comma splices, and they can butcher your paper. Students should also avoid throwing in a comma here and there just for the heck of it when they don’t really understand what a comma is used for. These mistakes force the reader to have to read the information over and over to try and understand what the student is trying to say and leading to possible misinterpretation.
Students, please, please consult good ol’ St. Martin's to avoid disaster. The St. Martin’s Handbook contains everything you need to know about commas and more and is easy to use and understand.
Of course, if punctuation usage is still a little foggy, feel free to come on by The Judith J. Gardner Center for Writing Excellence.