“Where oh where have the commas gone, oh where oh where can they be??”
Commas help your reader figure out which words go together in a sentence and which parts of your sentences are most important. Missing commas may confuse the reader, signal ignorance of writing rules, or indicate carelessness.
A comma acts as a separator, an introducer, and a natural place to pause. Without them words run together, often nonsensically. There are numerous grammatical rules about when to use commas (a great place to find all of the comma-related rules is: http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/commas.asp). I have focused on the most commonly missed comma rules.
As always, the following examples have been taken from reputable web-sites, marketing materials, and emails received from bright professionals:
Rule: Use a comma to separate two adjectives when the word and can be inserted between them.
Example A: Butoke is a locally based non-government organization supporting development work in Western Kasai province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
A comma should be placed in between based and non-government.
Example B: Contact us today for simple practical advice and training programs.
A comma should be placed in between simple and practical.
Rule: Use a comma after introductory clauses. Introductory clauses are dependent clauses that provide background information or “set the stage” for the main part of the sentence, the independent clause.
Example A: If you go to our Travel Club you will see what we are selling to our network of supporters.
The introductory clause, If you go to our Travel Club, sets the stage for the main part of the sentence, you will see what we are selling to our network of supporters.
Example B: After we met with our Board of Directors we re-wrote our mission statement.
The introductory clause, After we met with our Board of Directors, provides the ‘when’ for the independent clause, we re-wrote our mission statement.
To help you recognize places in your sentences where you are missing commas, read your writing out loud. Chances are good you’ll naturally pause following a phrase where a comma is required. You can also check the beginning of each sentence to look for words or phrases that add information about time, place, or manner, or for words that serve as transitions; these are all common introductory elements.
Please let me know if I miss something, if I err, and/or if you have a piece of good, bad or unforgivable writing to share. Together we can help to spread the word about the power – and importance – of good writing.
