Comma Rules

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/607/

COMMAS

 

[PayDay]

Good lesson.

I liked these parts especially---v

11. Use commas wherever necessary to prevent possible confusion or misreading.

3. 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?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

What I like is not reading whines from thin-skinned newb writers. Fat boy can succor and suckle them.

 

[DreamCloud]

I only understood half that document. Statements like;

"Use a comma near the end of a sentence to separate contrasted coordinate elements or to indicate a distinct pause or shift."

are wasted on me. I can only guess at the meaning. These rules seem to be written for people who already know the rules. Where exactly is "near the end" and what in hell is a "contrasted coordinate element?"

Is there a novice book out there, something that is written without the implied vocabulary?

 

[TxRad]

I only understood half that document. Statements like;

"Use a comma near the end of a sentence to separate contrasted coordinate elements or to indicate a distinct pause or shift."

are wasted on me. I can only guess at the meaning. These rules seem to be written for people who already know the rules. Where exactly is "near the end" and what in hell is a "contrasted coordinate element?"

Is there a novice book out there, something that is written without the implied vocabulary?

Try "Panda, shoots, and leaves" I can't remember the author.

About the best book there is on commas.

 

[Dianthus]

Try "Panda, shoots, and leaves" I can't remember the author.

About the best book there is on commas.

That's Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss.

 

[PayDay]

What I like is not reading whines from thin-skinned newb writers. Fat boy can succor and suckle them.

The easy way to spot them is when you remove the sections between the commas and the writing makes no sense.

 

[oggbashan]

The rules can be different in British English.

This wiki article on the Serial (or Oxford, or Harvard) Comma is useful:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_comma

 

[TxRad]

That's Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss.

Thank you.

 

[Weird Harold]

These rules seem to be written for people who already know the rules.

Purdue University's Online Writing Lab is intended for college students, it's not "dumbed down" for elementary level students.

 

[jomar]

I always feel like I over comma, but, apparantly, not.

 

[SamScribble]

I always feel like I over comma, but, apparantly, not.

Or even 'apparently' not.

 

[PayDay]

So let's talk about the dropped comma:

In a series, the comma before and/or:

I use a comma for names, dates, objects and locations.

vs.

I use a comma for names, dates, objects, and locations.

Both are correct.
I personally never use the dropped comma, as I feel it changes context. Thoughts on that?

 

[jomar]

Or even 'apparently' not.

Ha, spell check was on break.

 

[Carnevil9]

So let's talk about the dropped comma:

In a series, the comma before and/or:

I use a comma for names, dates, objects and locations.

vs.

I use a comma for names, dates, objects, and locations.

Both are correct.
I personally never use the dropped comma, as I feel it changes context. Thoughts on that?

Never heard it called the "dropped" comma before. I've heard the serial comma or the Oxford comma. In either case, I'm a believer in it. Compare:

"This book is dedicated to my parents, Ayn Rand, and God."

vs.

"This book is dedicated to my parents, Ayn Rand and God."

 

[sr71plt]

Never heard it called the "dropped" comma before. I've heard the serial comma or the Oxford comma. In either case, I'm a believer in it. Compare:

"This book is dedicated to my parents, Ayn Rand, and God."

vs.

"This book is dedicated to my parents, Ayn Rand and God."

Which is why most publishers have retained the serial comma. Their priority interest is in the reader being able clearly to follow the roadmap.

 

[DreamCloud]

Purdue University's Online Writing Lab is intended for college students, it's not "dumbed down" for elementary level students.

And hence my question. I write many languages fluently. Fortunately, only computers need to read those. Creative writing is basically new to me. I only started six months ago. I am trying to improve and I find English grammar rules very difficult to understand. A lot of fancy words are used to describe generalizations that need to be filtered through numerous exceptions.

I am of the opinion that the rules were created to support past work. Good works that violate the rules, become the exceptions. My frustration grows with each recommendation I examine.

Case in point: The first rule of possessives in Strunk and White is a comedy. It boils down to: Always do it this way, unless it is something similar to this, or is old and famous. It begs me to ask - How old, how famous and how similar?

 

[DreamCloud]

That's Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss.

Thank you!

 

[sr71plt]

Case in point: The first rule of possessives in Strunk and White is a comedy. It boils down to: Always do it this way, unless it is something similar to this, or is old and famous. It begs me to ask - How old, how famous and how similar?

Of course, Strunk and White was written for high school term papers, not commercial fiction. But, whatever.

 

[sr71plt]

Need to be careful of those hyphenations and compounds too.

Some interesting calls received when a Craigslist advert got changed from:

Wanted: One nightstand

to

Wanted: One-night stand