Comma Misuse Compound Subjects and Verbs By Deja

Comma Misuse (Compound Subjects and Verbs) By: Deja Wicks and Deborah Thompson

• Commas are grammatical tools that help keep your attended meaning clear What are Commas? ? ? • When used correctly it helps readers to understand your words in the right way and helps readers take in the information without pause

What Happens When Commas are Misused • Misused commas can cause the risk of confusing, irritating and frustrating your readers because your sentences are chopped into too many pieces. • In some cases it can also cause misreading of information

Misused Commas with Compound Subjects and Verbs • Comma Between Two Nouns in a Compound Subject or Object • Examples: 1. The twins, and their mother went shopping for shoes for school. -The compound subject of this sentence is the twins and their mother. By putting a comma after twins, we’re separating twins from its modifying verb went shopping. 2. You can give the books to Mark, or Michael. -The comma in this sentence separates the compound object Mark and Michael. Just as with the previous sentence, this comma separates Michael from his modifying verb. • No commas needed for the above sentences

• Comma Between Two Verbs in a Compound Predicate 3. Mark despaired both finding a job, and having a decent place to live. The verbs in this predicate are finding and having. There’s no need for a comma to separate them as it separates having a decent place from Mark despaired. 4. John ate a slice of pepperoni pizza, and drank a bottle of soda. -No need for comma because both verbs describe what John is doing, so there is no need for a separation between the two verbs

Rules for using misused Commas in Compound Subjects and Verbs • Don't put a comma between the two nouns, noun phrases, or noun clauses in a compound subject or compound object. • Do not put a comma between the two verbs or verb phrases in a compound predicate.

Quick Note: How to avoid Comma Misused • Best way to avoid comma misused is learning the individual rules as you go and through reading what you write out • When reading: If you cannot imagine using the pause at a location within a sentence to provide clarity, take out the comma. If the sentence is confusing or a pause seems natural, include the comma. As you gain knowledge, practice applying rules and proofread your work thoroughly, the mastering of comma usage will then become nature

Resources • http: //www. grammarly. com/handbook/punctuation/comma/5/commabetween-two-nouns-in-a-compound-subject-or-o/ • http: //www. grammarly. com/handbook/punctuation/comma/6/commabetween-two-verbs-in-a-compound-predicate/ • http: //www. grammarly. com/blog/2013/top-10 -student-writing-mistakesfinals-edition/