Section III—Punctuation: The Comma
THE LITERARY CAVALCADE
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Section III—Punctuation:
Your Friend the Comma
The tools of punctuation are essential to help the reader most effectively ascertain
your meaning. Punctuation is like a secret code used in writing to convey messages
to the reader that the words themselves may not. Such messages may include when
to pause; when a thought is over and a new one begins; when the writer wishes to
emphasize a point; or when the point is not the writer’s, but a third party’s.
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W H E N TO U S E A C O M M A
Commas can be the
trickiest of the basic tools
of punctuation. Some
writers use commas too
often, inserting them in
places they don’t belong.
Other writers don’t use
commas enough and end
up confusing their readers
with sentences that don’t
read properly. There are
several appropriate
situations for using
commas listed below. Refer
to this list of situations and
you will learn how and
when to use a comma
confidently and correctly.
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Use a comma between parts of a
In the list of nouns in the first example, there
series. When your sentence includes
is a comma before the terminating
either a list of nouns or a series of adjectives
conjunction (“and”). While it is acceptable
that describe a noun, use a comma to
convention not to use a comma in this place
separate them.
in the list, your sentence will tend to read
The starting lineup for Friday night’s game
was Jesus, Huck, Tim, Tevya, and Andre.
In the list of adjectives in the second example,
notice that there is no comma separating the
A dark, quiet, suspicious figure tiptoed in
through the back door.
last adjective (“suspicious”) from the noun
(“figure”). Never put a comma between an
adjective and a noun, only between adjectives
that describe the same noun.
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2003 Literary Cavalcade
ILLUSTRATION BY TERRY COLON
more clearly if you do use a comma here.
Use a comma to separate clauses in a
compound sentence or to separate the
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Use a comma to separate parts of a sentence
that are added for color, emphasis or are
subject from a preceding clause. When two
verbal interjections, but are not essential. Sometimes
clauses are joined by a connector such as
you may wish to add words, descriptions, or
“and” or “but” to make one sentence, they
expression to a sentence to further flesh out your
should be separated by a comma preceding
meaning. When these words are added, but are not
the connector. The connector is known as a
necessary, they are set off by commas.
coordinating conjunction.
His father had hoped he would play the guitar,
not the violin.
She had been excited about the prom all
spring long, but she was now dreading the
prospect of seeing her ex-boyfriend there.
Her favorite plays, Hedda Gabler and The
Cherry Orchard, were scheduled to be
performed during her senior year.
When a clause serves to set up the sentence
(normally by establishing time or space), a
Hey, get off of my car!
comma is used before the subject appears.
In the dark recesses of the woods, a small,
troll-like creature approached the sleeping
couple quietly.
In order to confirm that you’re using these commas
correctly, read the sentence without the segment
set off by commas. If the sentence reads as
complete, then your comma use is likely correct.
Section III—Punctuation: The Comma
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Conventional Uses of the Comma
There are certain uses of the comma that have
USE A COMMA to separate a person’s name from
become commonly agreed upon that have nothing to
any distinguishing titles.
do with the structure of the sentence. Those uses are
as follows:
Dr. Nasra Gupti, M.D.
USE A COMMA when writing dates. The comma
William Ascot Higginbotham, Jr.
follows the day of the month and, if the date is used
in a sentence, the year as well.
USE A COMMA to separate lines in an address as
well as subdivisions of geographic locales from their
January 24, 1976
The couple was married on July 16, 1985, at
the bride’s parents’ house in Maine.
USE A COMMA after both the greeting and the close
larger areas.
68 High Street, 1st floor
Middletown, Connecticut 06457
Belfast, Ireland
of an informal letter.
USE A COMMA to set off direct quotes from any
Dear Tamika,
Yours Truly,
Ray
indication about the speaker.
“There’s only room for one of us,” he
threatened, “and I’m not going anywhere.”
Literary Cavalcade NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2003
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