COMMAS

 MYTH: You should include commas where you hear a pause in writing.
 REALITY: Do this and you’ll be wrong about half the time because pauses come where semicolons,
colons, dashes, periods and no punctuation are right. Commas indicate where key elements of sentences
must be separated for clarity.
 LESSON: Learn the rules for punctuation and how to combine sentences.

So, how do we combine sentences?

To join two sentences that have related ideas, there are a ton of options.
Of course, you’ll need to be able to recognize whether an idea is a complete thought (a sentence) or not (hint:
look for fragments) in order to determine the kind of punctuation you want to use.

There are a few different ways to join two ideas that are complete thoughts by using coordination:
1. Use a period between the sentences
2. Use a semi-colon between the sentences
3. Use a comma and a coordination conjunction between the sentences
4. Use a semi-colon and conjunctive adverb (however) to separate two complete thoughts

Period: I woke up early this morning. I was tired.

Semi-colon: I woke up early this morning; I was tired.

Notice that the semi-colon serves the SAME function as the period! If you can use a period, you can most
likely use a semi-colon. Both punctuations serve to separate two complete thoughts. The semi-colon is used
more often to join to complete thoughts whose ideas are related. The semi-colon and the comma DO NOT
serve the same function (for the most part). Think of the semi-colon as more of a period--- not a comma. If
you used a comma to separate the two sentences it would be a comma splice (misuse of a comma). If you
used no punctuation is would be a run-on (two sentences punctuated as one sentence).

Comma & Coordinating Conjunction: I woke up early this morning, and I was tired.

Notice that “I woke up early this morning” and “I was tired” are two complete thoughts. That is why there is a
comma + the word and. If what followed the “and” was not a complete thought, you wouldn’t need a comma.
For example:

I woke up early this morning and was tired (notice there’s no subject in the second half of the sentence, so you
don’t need a comma).

There are seven coordinating conjunctions. You can remember them by remembering the word fanboys:

For – like “because” I ate two waffles, for I was hungry.

And – joins two ideas I was tired, and I was hungry.
Nor – negative I don’t want any pudding, nor do I want cake.
But – a contrast I was tired, but I got up anyway.
Or – option You may have cookies, or you can have cupcakes.
Yet – a contrast My son said he wasn’t hungry, yet he ate an entire bowl of oatmeal.
So – a result I’m going to bed early tonight, so I won’t be tired tomorrow.
Semi-Colons
Semi-colons can be used by themselves to combine two related ideas together (as long as those two related
ideas are a complete thought). Remember, if you combine to complete thoughts together using a comma, that’s
incorrect and considered a comma splice.

Example: I don’t like the way black looks on me; most of my clothes are brown.

You can also use a semicolon combined with a conjunctive adverb to add more information to the sentence
(they work like transitions). Conjunctive adverbs are: afterward, also, as a result, besides, consequently,
frequently, however, in addition, in fact, instead, still, then, therefore.

When using conjunctive adverbs to join to complete, related thoughts together, you put
• the semi-colon in front of the conjunctive adverb and
• the comma after the conjunctive adverb

Example: I don’t like the way black looks on me; therefore, most of my clothes are brown.

Practice: I ride my bike a lot. I am in good enough shape for a long-distance ride.
Re-write:

COMMA SPLICES CAUSE RUN-ONS

What is a run on? A comma splice happens when a comma is used to join two sentences (two complete
thoughts): I never liked commas, there always seemed to be too many conflicting rules for how to use them.

COMMAS, continued…

Generally, you use commas to add information to the core information of a sentence. The information being
added will rarely be a complete thought—it needs the “complete” or “core” sentence to make sense.

Mary is one of the cleanest people I know.

Even though it’s hard to relax in her home, Mary is one of the cleanest people I know.

Even though it’s hard to relax in her home, Mary, my husband’s mother, is one of the cleanest people I
know.

The first example shows how you use a comma after an introductory word, phrase or clause. Here’s another
example:

While I usually clean my home once a week, Mary cleans her house every single day.

Notice that I didn’t put the comma after the word “while” – but at the end of the clause and before the main
sentence that the clause is introducing.

The second example about my mother-in-law shows how else you can use commas to add information:

Even though it’s hard to relax in her home, Mary, my husband’s mother, is one of the cleanest people I know.

To add description, or more information about a noun, you use commas to insert that information. If you can
take out the information and the sentence still makes sense, you need to insert commas around the added
information.

You can add transitional words or phrases into a sentence with commas, too:

My home, incidentally, is never as clean as my mother-in-law’s home.

Notice that some of the transitional words you’ll use look a lot like subjunctive adverbs—words like
“however.” But, if what comes before and after the transitional word is NOT a complete thought, you include
the word with commas (and not a semi-colon and comma):

My home, however, is always welcoming and comfortable.

Notice the “however” interrupts the main sentence—what comes before “however” and what comes after are
not complete thoughts.

Directions: Go through the questions below and add commas to the appropriate places:

1. First Corey fastened his seatbelt and put on his sunglasses.

2. Whether you agree or not I’m taking biology next semester.

3. In Wendy’s opinion renting a large apartment is more convenient than owning a house.

4. The driver of the car in front of us ignoring the stop sign sped through the intersection.

5. My date a massage therapist named Yolanda asked me in to meet her parents.

6. The two-lane road alongside the freeway nevertheless is very scenic.

7. Only when Belinda heard the applause however did she realize that her speech was convincing.