Comma By HassanRadwan comma What is the Comma

Comma By: Hassan&Radwan

comma What is the Comma ? The comma (, ) is a very important punctuation mark in English that has numerous uses, which can be grouped into five main usage categories. The basic function of the comma is to divide between "light" elements within a sentence that have some relation in meaning to each other, as a period separates between "heavier" full sentences, which each convey a separate piece of meaning. Such a large variety in comma rules may lead to many errors English writers often make. You should also note that there may be many exceptions to the rules, as commas are to be used to make things as clear as possible for the reader, even when this comes contrary to the rules. Alternatively, you may consider avoiding using the comma by simply dividing a long sentence into two shorter ones using a period. Skilled writers develop a "feel" for effective comma usage as they progress with their English writing.

The five uses of the comma are: 1. Separating the main elements of a sentence from each other 2. Setting off a parenthetical element from the rest of the sentence 3. Separating elements in a series 4. Setting off dialogs or quotations 5. Other uses of the comma

Uses of the Comma in English Writing 1. Separating the Main Elements of a Sentence from Each Other Right or Wrong ? The students completed their math test on Monday, and the teachers handed in the grades on Thursday.

Comma Right ! The above sentence is composed of two independent clauses, each informing about two different people who did different things. A comma is needed before the coordinating conjunction and even though many English writers do not use a comma in such a case.

Comma The Punctuation Rules for Separating Elements in a Sentence: 1. Use a comma before (not after) a coordinating conjunction that links two or more independent clauses. The coordinating conjunctions are: and, but, for, nor, yet, so. The math test scores were low, but the English papers were outstanding. The students had not completed all their exams, nor did the teachers finish grading the papers.

Comma 2. If the two independent clauses are short and there is no risk of ambiguity if a comma is not used, you can omit the comma. However, in academic writing comma usage is always preferred. The grades were final and there was no discussion about them.

Comma 3. Avoid comma splices, which result in a common error that occurs when a comma is used to separate independent clauses which are not linked by a conjunction. The solution to a comma splice situation is either to add a conjunction, or separate the independent clauses into two individual sentences or to use a semi-colon. Your choice depends on the context and what you want to emphasize. No: The grades were final, there was no discussion about them. Yes: The grades were final, and there was no discussion about them.

Example: The students managed to complete only their math tests and the English papers and the biology project had to be delayed to next month. Analysis: In the above example, not having a comma makes it unclear which assignments the students have already completed. Here are the two possible cases: 1) The students managed to complete only their math tests, and the English papers and the biology project had to be delayed to next month. [The students completed only the math tests and the other two assignments were delayed].

Ex. Cont 2) The students managed to complete only their math tests and the English papers, and the biology project had to be delayed to next month. [The students completed both the math tests and the English papers whereas one assignment was delayed)].