{"id":108,"date":"2017-07-20T16:29:11","date_gmt":"2017-07-20T16:29:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-geneseo-styleguide2\/chapter\/commas\/"},"modified":"2017-07-20T16:29:11","modified_gmt":"2017-07-20T16:29:11","slug":"commas","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-geneseo-styleguide2\/chapter\/commas\/","title":{"raw":"Commas","rendered":"Commas"},"content":{"raw":"\"anCommas: these little demons haunt the\u00a0nightmares of many a professor after an evening of reading student papers. It seems nearly impossible to remember and\u00a0apply\u00a0the seventeen\u00a0or so\u00a0comma rules that seem to given out as\u00a0the standard. (For example: \u201cUse commas to set off independent clauses joined by the common coordinating conjunctions.\u201d or \u201cPut a comma before the coordinating conjunction in a series.\u201d)\n\n\u00a0\n\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/Id1KzrYO_mk\n\nYou have probably also heard a lot\u00a0of\u00a0tips on using commas in addition to these rules: \u201cUse one wherever you would naturally use a pause,\u201d or \u201cRead your work aloud, and whenever you feel yourself pausing, put in a comma.\u201d These techniques help to a degree, but our ears tend to trick us, and we need other avenues of attack.\n\nPerhaps the best and most instructive way for us to approach the comma is to remember its fundamental function: it is a separator.<\/em>\u00a0Once you know this, the next step is\u00a0to determine what sorts of things generally require separation. This includes most transition words, descriptive words or phrases, adjacent items, and complete ideas (complete ideas contain both a subject and a verb).\n

Transition Words<\/h2>\n
\n\nTransition words add new viewpoints to your material; commas before and after transition words help to separate them from the sentence ideas they are describing. Transition words tend to appear at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence. By definition, a\u00a0transition word creates context that links to the preceding sentence. Typical transition words that require commas before and after them include however<\/em>, thus<\/em>, therefore<\/em>, also<\/em>, and nevertheless<\/em>.\n
  • Therefore<\/em>, the natural gas industry can only be understood fully through an analysis of these recent political changes.<\/li>\n \t
  • The lead prosecutor\u00a0was prepared, however<\/em>,\u00a0for a situation like this.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
    \n\nNote:<\/strong>\u00a0As was mentioned, these words require commas at the beginning or middle of a sentence. When they appear between two complete ideas, however, a period or semicolon is required beforehand:\n
    • Clint had been planning the trip with his kids for three months; however<\/em>, when work called he couldn't say no.<\/li>\n \t
    • Sam was retired. Nevertheless<\/em>, he wanted to help out.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nAs you can see from these examples, comma is\u00a0always<\/em>\u00a0required after transition words.\n\n<\/div>\n

      Descriptive Phrases<\/h2>\nDescriptive phrases often need to be separated from the things that they describe in order to clarify that the descriptive phrases are subordinate (i.e., they relate to the sentence context, but are less responsible for creating meaning than the sentence\u2019s subject and verb). Descriptive phrases tend to come at the very beginning of a sentence, right after the subject of a sentence, or at the very end of a sentence.\n
      • Near the end of the eighteenth century<\/strong>, James Hutton introduced a point of view that radically changed scientists\u2019 thinking about geologic processes.<\/li>\n \t
      • James Lovelock, who first measured CFCs globally<\/strong>, said in 1973 that CFCs constituted no conceivable hazard.<\/li>\n \t
      • All of the major industrialized nations approved, making the possibility a reality<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nIn each example, the phrase separated by the comma could be deleted from the sentence without destroying the sentence\u2019s basic meaning.\u00a0If the information is necessary to\u00a0the primary sentence meaning, it should not<\/strong> be set off by commas. Let's look at a quick example of this:\n
        • Jefferson's son, Miles, just\u00a0started college.<\/li>\n \t
        • Jefferson's son Miles\u00a0just started college<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nYou would write the first sentence if Jefferson only has one son and his name is Miles. If Jefferson only has one son, then Miles<\/em>\u00a0is not needed information and should be set off with commas.\n\nYou would write the second sentence if Jefferson has multiple sons, and it is his son Miles who just got into college.\u00a0In the second sentence,\u00a0Miles<\/em>\u00a0is necessary information, because until his name is stated, you can't be sure which of Jefferson's sons the sentence is talking about.\n\nThis test can be very helpful when you're deciding whether or not to include commas in your writing.\n

          Adjacent Items<\/h2>\nAdjacent items are words or phrases that have some sort of parallel relationship, yet are different from each other in meaning. Adjacent items are separated so that the reader can consider each item individually.\n

          The river caught fire on July 4, 1968, in Cleveland, Ohio.<\/p>\nThe dates (July 4, 1968) and places (Cleveland, Ohio) are juxtaposed, and commas are needed because the juxtaposed items are clearly different from each other. This applies to countries as well as states: \"Paris, France, is beautiful this time of year.\"\n

          \n

          Practice<\/h3>\nThe commas have been removed from the following sentences. Re-type them, adding the correct commas back in.\n
          1. Sergi Sousa the top-ranked shoe designer in Rhode Island is\u00a0going to be at the party tonight.<\/li>\n \t
          2. Sergi only wears shoes that he created himself.<\/li>\n \t
          3. Nevertheless he is incredibly courteous and polite to everyone he meets.<\/li>\n \t
          4. He\u00a0was born in Barcelona Spain on April 19 1987.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n[practice-area rows=\"4\"][\/practice-area]\n[reveal-answer q=\"20588\"]Show Answer[\/reveal-answer]\n[hidden-answer a=\"20588\"]\n
            1. Sergi Sousa, the top-ranked shoe designer in Rhode Island, is going to be at the party tonight.\n
              • While it is interesting that Sergi is a top-ranked shoe designer, this information is not crucial to the primary sentence meaning (Sergi\u00a0is going to be at the party tonight<\/em>). Thus, this information should be set off with commas.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n \t
              • The sentence is correct as it is: \"Sergi only wears shoes that he created himself.\"\n
                • The sentence does not have the same meaning if you get rid of the descriptive phrase\u00a0(that he created himself<\/em>). Thus, no\u00a0commas are needed.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n \t
                • Nevertheless, he is incredibly courteous and polite to everyone he meets.\n
                  • Nevertheless<\/em> is a transition word, so a comma is required after it.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n \t
                  • He\u00a0was born in Barcelona, Spain, on April 19, 1987.\n
                    • There should be commas around\u00a0Spain<\/em>, and before\u00a01987<\/em>. These are\u00a0adjacent items, and they should be set off with commas.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n[\/hidden-answer]\n\n<\/div>\n

                      Coordinating Conjunctions: FANBOYS<\/h2>\nWe learned about coordinating conjunctions earlier in the course. These are words that join two words or phrases of equal importance. The mnemonic FANBOYS helps us remember the seven most common: f<\/em>or<\/i>, and<\/i>, nor<\/i>, but<\/i>, or<\/i>,\u00a0yet<\/i>, and so<\/i>.\n\nWhen these conjunctions join two words or phrases, no comma is necessary (for more than two, take a look at \"Commas in Lists\"\u00a0just below):\n
                      • Paula and Lucca had a great time on their date.\n
                        • \"Lucca had a great time on their date\"\u00a0is a complete idea, but the first phrase, Paula<\/em>, is\u00a0not. No comma is required before\u00a0and<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n \t
                        • Minh turned off the lights but left the door unlocked.\n
                          • \"Minh turned off the lights\" is a complete idea; \"left the door unlocked.\" No comma is required before\u00a0but<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n \t
                          • Danny studied the lifespan of rhinoceroses in\u00a0their native Kenya and the lifespan of\u00a0rhinoceroses in captivity.\n
                            • \"Danny studied the lifespan of rhinoceroses in their native Kenya\" is a complete idea; \"the lifespan of rhinoceroses in captivity\" is not. No comma is required before\u00a0and<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nWhen these conjunctions are used to join two complete\u00a0ideas, however, a comma is required:\n
                              \n
                              • We could write this as two separate sentences, but we've chosen to join them together here.\n
                                • Both \"We could write this as two separate sentences\" and \"We've chosen to join them together here\" are complete ideas. A\u00a0comma is required before the\u00a0but<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n
                                  \n
                                  \n

                                  Practice<\/h3>\nThe commas have been removed from the following sentences. Re-type them, adding the correct commas back in.\n
                                  1. Aamir and Tyesha went on a trip to California.<\/li>\n \t
                                  2. Aamir was nervous but Tyesha was excited.<\/li>\n \t
                                  3. They had been to East\u00a0Coast\u00a0before but never to the West.<\/li>\n \t
                                  4. Aamir became less nervous after he looked up a few tourist guides and journals online.<\/li>\n \t
                                  5. When they came home Tyesha had not enjoyed herself but Aamir had.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n[practice-area rows=\"4\"][\/practice-area]\n[reveal-answer q=\"358345\"]Show Answer[\/reveal-answer]\n[hidden-answer a=\"358345\"]\n
                                    1. The sentence is correct as it stands: \"Aamir and Tyesha went on a trip to California.\"<\/li>\n \t
                                    2. Aamir was nervous, but Tyesha was excited.\n
                                      • There are two independent clauses, so there should be a comma before but<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n \t
                                      • The sentence is correct as it stands: \"They had been to East Coast before but never to the West.\"<\/li>\n \t
                                      • The sentence is correct as it stands: \"Aamir became less nervous after he looked up a few tourist guides and journals online.\"<\/li>\n \t
                                      • When they came home, Tyesha\u00a0had not enjoyed herself, but Aamir\u00a0had.\n
                                        • \"When they came home\" is an introductory phrase, so it should be set off with a comma afterwards. There are two independent clauses, so there should be a comma before\u00a0but<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n[\/hidden-answer]\n\n<\/div>\n

                                          Commas in Lists<\/h2>\nThe serial comma is used to separate adjacent items\u2014different items with equal importance\u2014when there are three or more. This is so the reader can consider each item individually. Let's look at a few examples\n
                                          • Weathering may extend only a few centimeters beyond the zone in fresh granite<\/strong>, metamorphic rocks<\/strong>, sandstone<\/strong>, shale<\/strong>, and other rocks<\/strong>.<\/li>\n \t
                                          • This approach increases homogeneity<\/strong>, reduces the heating time<\/strong>, and creates a more uniform microstructure<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nIn the first sentence, the commas are important because each item presented is distinctly different from its adjacent item. \u00a0In the second\u00a0example, the three phrases, all beginning with different verbs, are parallel, and the commas work with the verbs to demonstrate that \u201cThis approach\u201d has three distinctly different impacts.\n

                                            The Serial Comma (a.k.a the Oxford\u00a0Comma)<\/h3>\nPerhaps one of the most hotly contested comma rules is the case of\u00a0the serial comma<\/strong> or the\u00a0Oxford comma<\/strong>.\u00a0MLA style (as well as\u00a0APA and\u00a0Chicago<\/em>) requires the use of the serial comma\u2014AP style highly recommends leaving it out. But what is the serial comma?\n\nThe serial comma is the\u00a0comma before the\u00a0<\/i>conjunction (and<\/em>,\u00a0or<\/em>, and\u00a0nor<\/em>) in a series\u00a0involving a parallel list of three or more things.\u00a0For example, \u201cI am industrious, resourceful, and<\/em><\/strong> loyal.\u201d The serial comma can provide clarity in certain situations.\u00a0For example, if the and<\/em> is part of a series of three or more phrases (groups of words) as opposed to single words:\n

                                            Medical histories taken about each subject included smoking history, frequency of exercise, current height and weight, and recent weight gain.<\/p>\nThe serial comma can also prevent the end of\u00a0a series from\u00a0appearing to be a parenthetical:\n

                                            I'd like to thank my sisters, Beyonc\u00e9 and Rhianna.<\/p>\nWithout the serial comma, it may appear that the speaker is thanking his or her two sisters, who are named Beyonc\u00e9 and Rhianna (which could be possible, but isn't true in this case). By adding the serial comma, it becomes clear that the speaker is thanking his or her sisters, as well as the two famous singers: \"I'd like to thank my sisters, Beyonc\u00e9, and Rhianna.\"\n\nBy always using a comma before the and<\/em> in any series of three or more, you honor the distinctions between each of the separated items, and you avoid any potential reader confusion.\n

                                            Note:<\/strong>\u00a0Some professors and many journals prefer to leave out\u00a0the serial comma\u00a0(for the journals, it is literally cheaper to print fewer commas). Because of this, the serial comma is not\u00a0recommend in AP style.<\/div>\n
                                            \n

                                            Practice<\/h3>\nThe commas have been removed from the following sentences. Re-type them, adding the correct commas back in.\n
                                            1. Ava's\u00a0favorite meals are cauliflower\u00a0soup steak and eggs lasagna and chicken parmigiana.<\/li>\n \t
                                            2. Victor\u00a0tried to make\u00a0dinner for her. Unfortunately his skills are mostly limited to eating buying or serving food.<\/li>\n \t
                                            3. Victor and Ava decided to\u00a0choose\u00a0a restaurant and\u00a0go out to eat.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n[practice-area rows=\"4\"][\/practice-area]\n[reveal-answer q=\"859484\"]Show Answer[\/reveal-answer]\n[hidden-answer a=\"859484\"]\n
                                              1. Ava's favorite meals are cauliflower soup, steak and eggs, lasagna, and chicken parmigiana.\n
                                                • There should be a comma after each item, including just before the conjunction\u00a0and<\/em>.<\/li>\n \t
                                                • Steak and eggs<\/em> is a single item, so there should only be a comma at the end of it, not after steak and after eggs.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n \t
                                                • Victor tried to make dinner for her. Unfortunately, his skills are mostly limited to eating, buying, or serving food.\n
                                                  • Unfortunately<\/em> is an introductory word, and it should be followed by a comma.<\/li>\n \t
                                                  • There are three items in the list of Victor's skills: eating<\/em>, buying<\/em>, and serving<\/em>. There should be a comma after each item, including just before the conjunction\u00a0or<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/li>\n \t
                                                  • The sentence is correct as it stands: \"Victor\u00a0and Ava decided to choose a restaurant and go out to eat.\"<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n[\/hidden-answer]\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

                                                    Comma Overuse<\/h2>\nA sure way to irritate educated readers of your work is to give them an overabundance of commas. It is easy but dangerous to take the attitude that Sally once did in a Peanuts <\/em>comic strip, asking Charlie Brown to correct her essay by showing her \u201cwhere to sprinkle in the little curvy marks.\u201d\n\nPerhaps the best way to troubleshoot your particular comma problems, especially if they are serious, is to identify and understand the patterns of your errors. We tend to make the same mistakes over and over again; in fact, many writers develop the unfortunate habit of automatically putting commas into slots such as these:\n
                                                    • between the subject and verb of a sentence<\/li>\n \t
                                                    • after any number<\/li>\n \t
                                                    • before any preposition<\/li>\n \t
                                                    • before or after any conjunction<\/li>\n<\/ul>
                                                      \n

                                                      Practice<\/h3>\nRead the following sentences. How many of them have unnecessary commas? Type your corrected sentences in the text frame below?\n
                                                      1. The bushings, must be adjusted weekly, to ensure that the motor is not damaged.<\/li>\n \t
                                                      2. Many botanists still do not fully appreciate these findings even after 22 years, following the publication of the discovery paper.<\/li>\n \t
                                                      3. Other manufactured chemicals that also contain bromine are superior for extinguishing fires in situations where people, and electronics are likely to be present.<\/li>\n \t
                                                      4. The price of platinum will rise, or fall depending on several distinct factors.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n[practice-area rows=\"4\"][\/practice-area]\n[reveal-answer q=\"309710\"]Show Answer[\/reveal-answer]\n[hidden-answer a=\"309710\"]All of these sentences have extra commas:\n
                                                        1. The bushings must be adjusted weekly to ensure that the motor is not damaged.<\/li>\n \t
                                                        2. Many botanists still do not fully appreciate these findings even after 22 years following the publication of the discovery paper.<\/li>\n \t
                                                        3. Other manufactured chemicals that also contain bromine are superior for extinguishing fires in situations where people and electronics are likely to be present.<\/li>\n \t
                                                        4. The price of platinum will rise or fall depending on several distinct factors.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nIf the commas in the original sentences\u00a0look fine to you, then you may be in the habit of using commas incorrectly, and you will need to attack your specific habits, perhaps even in a routine, repetitive fashion, in order to break yourself of them.[\/hidden-answer]\n\n<\/div>\nJust as it is common for someone to have to look up the same tricky word dozens of times before committing its proper spelling to memory, you may need to reference comma rules multiple times before they feel natural to use. As with spelling, commas (or the absence of commas) must be repeatedly challenged in your writing.\n\nAs you perfect your comma usage, you will\u00a0learn to recognize and reevaluate your sentence patterns, and the rewards are numerous. There is no foolproof or easy way to exorcise all of your comma demons, but a great place to start is reminding yourself of the comma\u2019s basic function as a separator and justifying the separation of elements. In the end, you simply must make a habit of reading, writing, and revising with comma correctness in mind.\n\n<\/div>","rendered":"

                                                          \"anCommas: these little demons haunt the\u00a0nightmares of many a professor after an evening of reading student papers. It seems nearly impossible to remember and\u00a0apply\u00a0the seventeen\u00a0or so\u00a0comma rules that seem to given out as\u00a0the standard. (For example: \u201cUse commas to set off independent clauses joined by the common coordinating conjunctions.\u201d or \u201cPut a comma before the coordinating conjunction in a series.\u201d)<\/p>\n

                                                          \u00a0<\/p>\n

                                                          https:\/\/youtu.be\/Id1KzrYO_mk<\/p>\n

                                                          You have probably also heard a lot\u00a0of\u00a0tips on using commas in addition to these rules: \u201cUse one wherever you would naturally use a pause,\u201d or \u201cRead your work aloud, and whenever you feel yourself pausing, put in a comma.\u201d These techniques help to a degree, but our ears tend to trick us, and we need other avenues of attack.<\/p>\n

                                                          Perhaps the best and most instructive way for us to approach the comma is to remember its fundamental function: it is a separator.<\/em>\u00a0Once you know this, the next step is\u00a0to determine what sorts of things generally require separation. This includes most transition words, descriptive words or phrases, adjacent items, and complete ideas (complete ideas contain both a subject and a verb).<\/p>\n

                                                          Transition Words<\/h2>\n
                                                          \n

                                                          Transition words add new viewpoints to your material; commas before and after transition words help to separate them from the sentence ideas they are describing. Transition words tend to appear at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence. By definition, a\u00a0transition word creates context that links to the preceding sentence. Typical transition words that require commas before and after them include however<\/em>, thus<\/em>, therefore<\/em>, also<\/em>, and nevertheless<\/em>.<\/p>\n

                                                            \n
                                                          • Therefore<\/em>, the natural gas industry can only be understood fully through an analysis of these recent political changes.<\/li>\n
                                                          • The lead prosecutor\u00a0was prepared, however<\/em>,\u00a0for a situation like this.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                                            \n

                                                            Note:<\/strong>\u00a0As was mentioned, these words require commas at the beginning or middle of a sentence. When they appear between two complete ideas, however, a period or semicolon is required beforehand:<\/p>\n

                                                              \n
                                                            • Clint had been planning the trip with his kids for three months; however<\/em>, when work called he couldn’t say no.<\/li>\n
                                                            • Sam was retired. Nevertheless<\/em>, he wanted to help out.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                              As you can see from these examples, comma is\u00a0always<\/em>\u00a0required after transition words.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

                                                              Descriptive Phrases<\/h2>\n

                                                              Descriptive phrases often need to be separated from the things that they describe in order to clarify that the descriptive phrases are subordinate (i.e., they relate to the sentence context, but are less responsible for creating meaning than the sentence\u2019s subject and verb). Descriptive phrases tend to come at the very beginning of a sentence, right after the subject of a sentence, or at the very end of a sentence.<\/p>\n

                                                                \n
                                                              • Near the end of the eighteenth century<\/strong>, James Hutton introduced a point of view that radically changed scientists\u2019 thinking about geologic processes.<\/li>\n
                                                              • James Lovelock, who first measured CFCs globally<\/strong>, said in 1973 that CFCs constituted no conceivable hazard.<\/li>\n
                                                              • All of the major industrialized nations approved, making the possibility a reality<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                                In each example, the phrase separated by the comma could be deleted from the sentence without destroying the sentence\u2019s basic meaning.\u00a0If the information is necessary to\u00a0the primary sentence meaning, it should not<\/strong> be set off by commas. Let’s look at a quick example of this:<\/p>\n

                                                                  \n
                                                                • Jefferson’s son, Miles, just\u00a0started college.<\/li>\n
                                                                • Jefferson’s son Miles\u00a0just started college<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                                  You would write the first sentence if Jefferson only has one son and his name is Miles. If Jefferson only has one son, then Miles<\/em>\u00a0is not needed information and should be set off with commas.<\/p>\n

                                                                  You would write the second sentence if Jefferson has multiple sons, and it is his son Miles who just got into college.\u00a0In the second sentence,\u00a0Miles<\/em>\u00a0is necessary information, because until his name is stated, you can’t be sure which of Jefferson’s sons the sentence is talking about.<\/p>\n

                                                                  This test can be very helpful when you’re deciding whether or not to include commas in your writing.<\/p>\n

                                                                  Adjacent Items<\/h2>\n

                                                                  Adjacent items are words or phrases that have some sort of parallel relationship, yet are different from each other in meaning. Adjacent items are separated so that the reader can consider each item individually.<\/p>\n

                                                                  The river caught fire on July 4, 1968, in Cleveland, Ohio.<\/p>\n

                                                                  The dates (July 4, 1968) and places (Cleveland, Ohio) are juxtaposed, and commas are needed because the juxtaposed items are clearly different from each other. This applies to countries as well as states: “Paris, France, is beautiful this time of year.”<\/p>\n

                                                                  \n

                                                                  Practice<\/h3>\n

                                                                  The commas have been removed from the following sentences. Re-type them, adding the correct commas back in.<\/p>\n

                                                                    \n
                                                                  1. Sergi Sousa the top-ranked shoe designer in Rhode Island is\u00a0going to be at the party tonight.<\/li>\n
                                                                  2. Sergi only wears shoes that he created himself.<\/li>\n
                                                                  3. Nevertheless he is incredibly courteous and polite to everyone he meets.<\/li>\n
                                                                  4. He\u00a0was born in Barcelona Spain on April 19 1987.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n