Confusing commas March 16, 2008
Posted by Revathi in writing.trackback
There was no confusion over the usage of commas till I was not writing for publishing.
Comma was another typewriter key, I used very often, whenever I paused while reading a sentence.
(Should I use a comma after ‘I paused’ in the above sentence?)
The basic rule I observed was that I should use a comma, where I took a breath in a long sentence.
But, there is much more than a breath.
If you know the basic rule not to use a comma before ‘and’ and use a comma after yes, here are more tips on the usage of commas.
Believe me, commas make the sentences easily understandable!
I think you can use a comma before ‘and’ when it precedes the last item in a sentence that lists things with a comma. This is a serial comma, which is also known as Oxford comma. And you must use a comma if “and” separates two independent clauses where both clauses can stand as two independent sentences. Of course, the example sentence provided here can also make perfect sense without any commas, as putting a comma before “I’ makes the preceding part a dangling modifier and appears fragmented though the phrase is clearly connected to “I used very often” (the question is, what did you use very often?), and this comma separates subject from its object.
@ ARS
Thanks for the enlightening comment.