How and When to Use a Comma (and when NOT to!)

The comma (,) is an important tool in your punctuation grab-bag, but it's often incorrectly used.

Here are the most common mistakes writers make:

1. IN PLACE OF A FULL STOP - Some writers incorrectly use the comma, when they know that there should be a break in what they have written, but don't want to commit to a full stop.

INCORRECT EXAMPLE:

When we woke up today and saw the fine weather, we decided to go to the beach, it was a great way to spend a Sunday morning.

In this case, the first comma is perfectly appropriate, but the second comma should actually be a full stop, because it is the expression of a separate thought. The sentence becomes:

CORRECTED EXAMPLE:

When we woke up today and saw the fine weather, we decided to go the beach. It was a great way to spend a Sunday morning.

2. MISSING IN ACTION - the comma is desperately needed, often along with all kinds of other punctuation marks, but is nowhere to be found.

INCORRECT EXAMPLE:

After I arrived home from work I made myself a ham cheese and tomato sandwich then sat down to watch my favourite television show.

Here we have the instance of a complex sentence, containing two clauses, as well as a short list.

CORRECTED EXAMPLE:

After I arrived home from work, I made myself a ham, cheese and tomato sandwich, then sat down to watch my favourite television show.

3. OVERUSE - the writer assumes that any punctuation is good punctuation and overdoses all of their writing with commas, causing disjointed and incoherent communication.

INCORRECT EXAMPLE:

He decided, to look for a flat in an area, with fewer barking dogs.

Incorporating the two commas in this sentence is unnecessary. It is a straightforward statement, which requires no pause.

CORRECTED EXAMPLE:

He decide to look for a flat in an area with fewer barking dogs.

FINAL THOUGHT - Many sentences are perfectly correct without the need for a comma. Conversely, some sentences, for good reason, require the comma.

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