October 30, 2017 · 3:01 pm
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The Only Comma Rules You’ll Ever Need!

The five basic comma rulesCommas are among my favorite tools for building meaning. Used intelligently, commas are wonderful signposts that tell readers which part of a sentence they’ve stumbled into—and then help them make their way out again. I like commas so much I’ve written multiple posts about them.

If comma rules confuse you, take heart! If improving reader comprehension is your goal, there are really only a few “rules” to remember:

Use commas:

Rule 1: After introductory elements.

This is the one most people seem to know about. But I argue that commas are really only necessary when the introductory element gets long enough that readers may miss the lane change back into the main part of the sentence.

So:

After a moment he left the room. (No comma needed unless you want to emphasize a pause.)

But:

After he spent  an extended vacation in a remote village in the Alps, where did he go next? (The comma lets readers know that “where” begins a new clause.)

Rule 2: Around or after “interrupters,” including non-essential modifiers (this is a rule, not an option).More comma rules

I think this one is the most confusing for many writers.

Short interrupters can be easy to spot:

Jane, however, did not go with him to the Alps.

However, Jane did not go.

Non-essential modifiers are elements that can be lifted out of the sentence without compromising its meaning or purpose.

The old car, which was a lot like the one my grandfather used to drive, had been repainted bright blue.

The information about grandad’s car is incidental to the meaning of the sentence, which is that the car is now bright blue. Lift it out and only this incidental information is lost. The rule here, and it IS a rule, is TWO COMMAS, not just the first one. You need that second comma to signal the return to the main clause.

Contrast the example above with this example of an essential modifier, one that can’t be lifted out without eliminating the point of the sentence:

The car that gives you the most mileage is the one you should buy.

Without the modifier, we have:

The car is the one you should buy.

Since the point of the sentence is to say which car, the modifier is essential to the meaning.

NO COMMAS around essential modifiers! They are integral to the sentence, not “interrupters.”

Sometimes confusion about what constitutes an essential or non-essential modifier can turn a sentence into nonsense. I often see commas inserted into constructions like this.

Author Stephen King wrote a lot of books.

Note: no commas. Now try it without the essential modifier, in this case an appositive:

Author wrote a lot of books.

The trick: try taking out the modifying clause and see what remains.

Rule 3: Direct address (this is also a rule, not an option):Do you need the Oxford Comma?

Hi, Mr. Smith.

Did you buy bread at the store, Louise?

Louise, did you buy the bread?

Well, Mr. Smith, I guess we won’t be having any bread today.

Rule 4: Before “and,” “but,” etc., if you have more than two items. (This is the infamous Oxford or serial comma.) The elements of the “serial” or list can be words, phrases, or whole sentences.

Louise forgot the bread, cheese, and fruit; she did remember the wine, beer, and vodka.

My worries about her diet involved her lack of protein, her lack of vegetables, and her preference for liquid components.

If you have only two items linked by “and” or “but,” you have a compound and don’t need a comma, as in this sentence, which contains a compound predicate for the pronoun “you.” I’ve underlined the two components (and note the comma after the introductory clause).

Rule 5: Before the “and” or “but” if you’re joining two complete sentences.

I’d argue this is a judgment call, but this sentence illustrates how judicious use of a comma in a compound sentence like this one can tell readers which part of the sentence they’ve ventured into.

That’s five “rules” to absorb—not really so many. Rule Number Six: if one of those five rules doesn’t apply, DON’T INSERT A COMMA. No commas between subjects and their verbs, no commas after “and” or “but,” and so forth. List the five rules and check your questionable comma to see whether one of these applies*:

  • After introductory elements
  • Around interrupters
  • In direct address
  • Before “and” or “but” in a list of three or more items
  • Before the “and” or “but” in a compound sentence (two complete sentences joined with a coordinating conjunction like “and” or “but”**).Check the five basic comma rules

*There are some “conventional” rules for commas that don’t really affect readers’ comprehension, such as the comma that should follow the name of a state (“Austin, Texas, was his home.”) or the ones before and after the year in dates. Any handbook will answer your questions about those minor comma uses.

**There are actually several coordinating conjunctions in addition to “and” and “but,” and the rule applies to them as well, but I didn’t want to muddy the waters too much. The other coordinating conjunctions you’re likely to use include “for,” “nor,” “or,” “yet,” and “so.”

What comma rule confuses you most? How do you decide when to include one? Share you solutions with us all!

30 Comments

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30 responses to “The Only Comma Rules You’ll Ever Need!”

  2. Pingback: “Secret Writing Rules” and Why to Ignore Them… | Just Can't Help Writing

  3. macjam47
    November 10, 2017 at 6:57 am

    Thanks for this post. A review is always a good thing, even when we think we already know how to use punctuation.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. patriciaruthsusan
    November 9, 2017 at 6:41 am

    Thanks for this good post. 🙂 — Suzanne

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. John T. M. Herres
    November 8, 2017 at 1:15 pm

    I wonder if the Grammarly app knows all these rules? lol

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  7. Frank Hubeny
    November 8, 2017 at 8:56 am

    Good point in rule 2 about how to identify an essential modifier. I don’t follow the serial comma rule 4 because I think the final comma before the
    “and” or “or” is unnecessary for meaning.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • vanderso
      November 8, 2017 at 10:07 am

      A lot of people agree with you! My favorite rebuttals include the many variations on “I’d like to thank my parents, the president and God.” Here’s a really funny one: from a London Times article on a documentary on Peter Ustinov, “The highlights of his tour included a meeting with Nelson Mandela, an 800-year-old demigod and a [obscene object] collector.” So I’d say you could classify the OC as one of those judgment calls. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  8. Audrey Driscoll
    November 7, 2017 at 8:26 pm

    The essential modifier (new term to me!) is one authors frequently get wrong in their book blurbs: Private eye, John Smith, faces his toughest case when…
    Good to see this explained!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • vanderso
      November 7, 2017 at 8:59 pm

      I see this, too. Commas have the power to emphasize the words before them, so I wonder if they look as if they provide emphasis. But they also unnecessarily interrupt the sentence rhythm, so they have two strikes against them in a case like this!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  9. Lisa Shambrook
    November 7, 2017 at 5:57 pm

    I always have to recheck my coordinate adjectives and commas. The long, winding road. The deep, blue sea. The short, crooked path. I’m probably still getting them wrong, Lol!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  11. The Story Reading Ape
    November 7, 2017 at 12:23 pm

    Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog and commented:
    Tips from Virginia 👍😃

    Like

    Reply

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