A Quick Guide to Commas
So, for a little while now, I’ve noticed an alarming trend.
Commas. Commas everywhere…and sometimes, strangely, nowhere.
When it comes to punctuation, the most problematic and inconsistently used is probably the comma (followed very closely by the hyphen). Like me, you may have had an English teacher say, “You need to pause for a breath when reading a comma.” Good advice while reading, not so much when writing. Commas have absolutely nothing to do with breathing; but they do alter the pacing and structure of your sentences.
A comma is a half-stop, letting you slow down or add additional information, unlike the full stop of a period which ends the thought. On the other hand, a misplaced or missing comma can cause a reader to stumble or pause, not because you want them to, but because they aren’t clear about what you’re trying to say.
Series Comma
The series, serial, or Oxford comma appears before certain conjunctions (“and” and “or”) in a list of three or more nouns or phrases.
She checked her grocery list: apples, lettuce, bread, milk, and cereal.
When we get to Italy, one of the first things we should do is get an espresso, eat all the pasta, or find the best gelato.
While I prefer to use the series comma consistently (because I like consistency), I will stop short about arguing for or against its use. There are incredibly passionate proponents for or against the series comma, even well-known style guides can’t agree. The Chicago Manual of Style (used for most novels), Modern Language Association (MLA) Style Manual, and numerous scientific and medical journals require a series comma in every instance; meanwhile, the Canadian Press (CP) Style Guide and American Press (AP) Style Guide suggest omitting the series comma in simple constructions and where clarity is otherwise unmarred.
That’s the main goal of punctuation, ensuring your writing is clear to your readers. Whether your style sheet requires the series comma or not, you’ll find yourself always using it if the list is more complicated or requires clarification.
Commas with Your Adjectives
If you have multiple coordinating adjectives that describe a noun equally, use a comma. A little trick I use is if I can say “and,” then I put a comma. Simple, yeah? However, this is one area where I’ve actually seen too many commas.
Correct: The big, brown dog watched us quietly. [Big and brown equally describe the dog.]
Incorrect: The big, brown, dog watched us quietly. [Extra comma after the last adjective before the noun.]
Where you wouldn’t use a comma is with cumulative adjectives, because these build on each other and can’t be separated by “and.”
The big, dark brown dog watched us quietly. [Here, “dark” is modifying the shade of “brown” not “dog.”]
No Comma Splices, Please
If your comma is separating a verb from its subject—stop! Verbs are useless if no one is performing the action.
Correct: The lazy cat woke from her nap and sauntered down the hall. [The lazy cat is subject to both clauses.]
Incorrect: The lazy cat woke from her nap, and sauntered down the hall. [The dependent clause has no subject, who is sauntering?]
The exception being if there are three or more verbs…because then it’s a list.
The lazy cat woke from her nap, sauntered down the hall, and knocked over the vase.
Keep in mind this applies to dependent clauses only. You’re fine if you have two independent clauses.
The lazy cat woke from her nap, and she sauntered down the hall. [Notice the verb "sauntered” now has a subject with “she” in this construction.]
Structural Comma
There are a lot of good reasons to use a comma outside of lists and connecting independent sentences.
Introductory Comma
I’ve noticed this comma sort of falling by the wayside in general conversation or dialogue, but I find its use helps with pacing.
Hello, Alice.
Goodbye, my dear.
This is my friend, James.
However, if you’re introducing a title, offset it with commas.
In his book, “Captain Fuzzyboots Conquers the World,” the author hyperbolized his cat’s daily adventures.
When you have an introductory word or phrase, add your comma…though I’ve noticed this disappearing, too, for some reason, but it’s a necessary comma (even with just a conjunctive adverb like “meanwhile”).
When the sun peeked over the horizon, we’d get out of bed to start our chores.
Meanwhile, the animals on the farm were already up and about before we set foot outside.
Mid-Sentence Comma
You’ve likely noticed, if you’ve been paying attention, that I’m particularly fond of these parenthetical commas. Any time you have a non-restrictive phrase, that doesn’t change the meaning of your sentence, offset it with commas.
Those droids, who won’t stop talking, are not the ones you’re looking for. [The fact that the droids won’t stop talking isn’t essential to their description because we have the demonstrative pronoun, “those.”]
The ranger who’s standing by the fireplace is the one you’re looking for. [This is restrictive because you specifically want the ranger standing by the fireplace.]
This is true with appositives, which are nouns or noun phrases that rename a noun and offer non-essential information.
Bellamy, the dragon mage, was prone to fits of fiery, magical rage.
The dragon mage, Bellamy, was prone to fits of fiery, magical rage. [It works both ways!]
You’ll use commas to offset conjunctive adverbs like “however,” “therefore,” and “meanwhile.”
I could usually calm down my friend, however, sometimes there was no reasoning with him.
This kind of interrupting comma can also apply to adverbs.
I would make more of an effort, of course, but I have enough burns already.
Trailing comma
Comma use doesn’t just apply to mid-sentence interruptions. Sometimes you might want to add additional (non-restrictive) information to your sentence.
Bellamy and I successfully completed our quest in record time, ensuring we’d get full payment from the Adventurer’s Guild.
Direct Address Comma
Similarly, you’ll want to use commas when directly addressing someone.
Bellamy, I wish you’d stop setting fire to every guild member before they pay us.
I apologize for my prior doubt, Bellamy, please set them on fire for not paying us.
We should probably get out of town before the guards find us, Bellamy.
…I may have been playing a little too much D&D lately. Moving on!
Dialogue Comma
Okay, here it is, folks, the most difficult comma to use: commas in dialogue! I’m kidding, partially; I think all authors have a bit of fear over how to punctuate dialogue. Think of it like you would the commas in those previous sections (ignore those pesky quotation marks for a second).
Trailing comma: “I would love to go to the movies if there’s something ‘good’ playing,” he said.
Mid-sentence comma: “I would love to go to the movies,” he said, “but is there something ‘good’ playing?”
Introductory comma: He said, “I would love to go to the movies if there’s something ‘good’ playing.”
There is a regional variation when it comes to commas and quotation marks. If you follow British or international English, you’ll find commas go outside (but they also use single quotation marks for dialogue and double quotations for within quotes):
‘I would love to go to the movies if there’s something “good” playing’, he said.
‘I would love to go to the movies’, he said, ‘but is there something “good” playing?’
He said, ‘I would love to go to the movies if there’s something “good” playing.’
Question marks only apply inside the quotation marks if they’re part of the quoted text, but that’s a matter for another day.
Technical Comma
There are four uses for commas that may seem unnecessary but help us parse out information in a sentence.
Dates: When written in full, always offset the month and day from the year: December 18th, 2022, was a quiet day.
If it’s just the month and year, you don’t need the extra comma: December 2022 was a quiet month.
Locations: Multiple elements of a location should be offset by commas: Deer in London, Ontario, are a common sight.
If you have only one element though, no comma: Deer in Ontario are a common sight.
Titles: Much like appositives, offset titles after a name: Bellamy, MD, has been appointed to the Fire Prevention Board.
Numbers: In numerals more than four digits long, use a comma to offset groups of three.
4,567
45,673
456,732
4,567,321
…I wish this was the progress on my word count, ha!
Comma Usage
Like all forms of punctuation, you’ll find some usage variance across dialects of English and individual preference. The goal is always to be clear and consistent, so you can get your story across to your readers without them stopping to reconsider an awkwardly punctuated sentence. A great example: “Let’s eat kids!” means something different than “Let’s eat, kids!” One comma is the difference between a horror story versus slice-of-life moment.
Still unsure about the punctuation in your project? Hire a trusted copy editor today! (You saw that flagrant self-promotion coming a mile away, I know, but thanks for reading! ❤️)