Four Easy Comma Rules to Remember
Comma Comprehension: How Commas Work
Many people are intimidated by commas in writing, but a basic understanding of comma use will ease comma anxiety. The simplest rule to follow in comma usage is to insert a comma in an area where you would pause in reading a sentence. If you read your sentences aloud, you can hear areas where you pause to ensure comprehension. Read the following sentence aloud; you’ll notice that there is a comma in the spot where you’d naturally pause.
Even though I am only 21, I feel much older.
Commas Around phrases
Commas are also used to around phrases which add further description of a noun. One particular tip to remember is that you should put commas around a phrase that can be taken out of the sentence. Observe the comma placement in the sentence below.
My best friend, Sydney Simpson, is a stay at home mom.
There are commas before and after Sydney Simpson, and if you take that phrase out of the sentence, then you are left with the following sentence:
My best friend is a stay at home mom.
This sentence makes sense without a description of the friend’s name, so you would put commas around the phrase.
Commas to Separate Items in a Series
When you list items in a series, you separate each item with a comma. To make sure you are placing the commas correctly, read the sentence aloud and replace each comma with the word “and.” If the word “and” makes sense, then you definitely need a comma there. Read the following sentence below, and say “and” each time you see a comma.
The house is big, brown, homey and beautiful.
If you read the sentence with the word “and” in place of the commas you should have said the following:
The house is big and brown and homey and beautiful.
That makes sense, so you do,need a comma after big and brown.
Read the next sentence in the same way, adding the word “and” where you see a comma.
The house was big, very, beautiful, and brown.
In reading this sentence in the same manner, you would have said this:
The house was big and very and beautiful and brown.
The “and” after very does not make sense, so you should remove that comma.
Comma to separate Independent Clauses
An independent clause is just a phrase that can be a sentence by itself. When you use two independent clauses together, you separate them with a coordinating conjunction like and or but. As a rule, you should always place a comma before a coordinating conjunction that separates two independent clauses. Look at the sentence below.
I am very angry with her, but I will forgive her eventually.
The first phrase, “I am very angry with her,” could be a sentence by itself. The second phrase, “I will forgive her eventually,” can also be a sentence by itself. Because both phrases are independent clauses and are separated by a coordinating conjunction, there has to be a comma before the coordinating conjunction “but.”
Commas are Necessary in Writing
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