Commas have the power to change the meaning of a sentence. They might be tiny punctuation marks, but their impact on clarity and readability is immense. Whether you’re a budding writer, a non-native English speaker, or just keen to polish your grammar skills, knowing when to use a commaand when not tois crucial. In this post, we’ll explore some of the most common comma misuse practices and provide guidance on how to steer clear of these pitfalls.
Overusing Commas Where They Aren’t Necessary
It’s tempting to sprinkle commas throughout your writing, especially if you’re unsure about their correct usage. However, unnecessary commas can make your sentences clunky and unclear. So, when should we avoid them? Let’s look at an example:
Incorrect: The young, student, is preparing, for his exams, diligently.
Correct: The young student is preparing for his exams diligently.
In the incorrect sentence, the commas around “student” and the one before “diligently” are excessive and disrupt the flow. Only include commas if they serve a purpose, such as separating items in a list or clarifying the meaning of a sentence.
Ignoring Comma Use in Complex Sentences
When writing complex sentences with multiple clauses, commas become essential for maintaining the structure and readability of the sentence. A common mistake is to overlook commas in such instances. Consider the following:
Incorrect: While I was cooking the meal which I had planned for weeks was ruined.
Correct: While I was cooking, the meal, which I had planned for weeks, was ruined.
Here, adding a comma after “cooking” helps to separate the dependent clause from the main clause, and the commas around “which I had planned for weeks” clarify that this part is a non-restrictive clause, giving additional information about the meal.
Misplacing Commas with Conjunctions
Conjunctions like ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘or’, ‘yet’, and ‘so’, are often used to connect clauses. A misplaced comma with these conjunctions can interrupt the natural flow of the sentence:
Incorrect: The cake was delicious, but, it was too sweet for my taste.
Correct: The cake was delicious, but it was too sweet for my taste.
In this case, the comma appears before ‘but’, which is correct, but inserting another comma right after the conjunction is unnecessary and incorrect.
Failing to Use Commas in Lists Correctly
Commas play a significant role in lists to separate different items, but they are sometimes either overused or underused. For instance:
Incorrect: My favorite foods are pizza, lasagna spaghetti and tacos.
Correct: My favorite foods are pizza, lasagna, spaghetti, and tacos.
The incorrect example omits a crucial comma before “spaghetti,” leading to a potential misreading of “lasagna spaghetti” as one dish instead of two separate items. Remember to use a comma after each item in a list (and consider the ‘Oxford comma’ before the final ‘and’ for clarity).
Using Commas with Adjectives Improperly
Adjectives can be tricky, particularly when they come before a noun. The general rule is that if the adjectives are of equal status (coordinate adjectives), they should be separated by a comma. If they are not of equal status (cumulative adjectives), no comma is required. Observe the next examples:
Incorrect: She wore a bright, red dress.
Correct: She wore a bright red dress.
In this case, “bright” modifies “red dress,” not just “red,” so they are cumulative adjectives and should not be separated by a comma. A comma is used when adjectives can be switched and the sentence still makes sense, like in ‘The large, spacious room was filled with light.’
Avoiding these common mistakes will ensure your writing is fluent and clear. Revising your comma usage often and checking against these guidelines can make all the difference in your command of the English language. Happy writing!
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