Purdue North
Central Writing Center Handout
COMMAS
Don’t Always
MARK PAUSES
The
comma is a valuable, useful tool in a sentence because it helps the reader pause
in the right places.
DON'T MISUSE THE COMMA
Commas
in the wrong places chop ideas into wrong pieces or confuse the reader with
unnecessary pauses.
DON'T separate a subject from its verb!
WRONG:
The eighteen-year-old in California, is now considered an adult.
WRONG: The most important attribute of a ball player, is
quick reflex actions.
DON'T put a comma between two verbs!
WRONG:
We laid out our music and snacks, and began to study.
WRONG:
I turned the corner, and ran smack into a patrol
car.
DON’T put a comma before a dependent (or subordinate)
clause when it comes after the main clause.
WRONG:
She was late for class, because her alarm clock was broken.
WRONG:
You ought to see a doctor, if you are ill.
DO USE THE COMMA CORRECTLY
Commas
help the reader to see the necessary separation between ideas within the
sentence.
DO use commas to separate independent clauses when they
are joined by the coordinating conjunctions:
AND NOR
BUT SO
FOR YET
OR
RIGHT:
The game was over, but the crowd refused to leave.
DO use
commas after introductory clauses, phrases, or words that come before the main
clause.
RIGHT: Because her alarm clock was broken, she was late
for class.
If you are ill, you ought to
see a doctor.
Clue:
Beginning words for starter clauses
After,
Although, As, Because, If, Since, When, While
(While I was
eating, the cat scratched at the door.)
phrases: verb + ing
(Having finished the television program, he left the room.)
to + verb
(To get a seat,
you'd better come early.)
long prepositional phrase
(By the time he had reached the thirtieth page, he was totally
confused.)
words: yes, however, well
(Well, perhaps he meant no harm.)
DO use a pair of commas in the middle of the sentence
to set off phrases, clauses, and words which are NOT essential to the meaning of the sentence.
Use one commas before to indicate the beginning of the pause and one at
the end to indicate the end of the pause.
Clues: