Comma Chameleon, Post 1

There are lessons from elementary school about the comma that I have always been able rely on. I feel triumphant in those moments when I can confidently use the comma. I wish I could say all my interactions with this powerful punctuation mark have been pleasant, but if I'm being completely honest, I think the comma can be quite confusing. Because I desire to pursue editing, I recognize the importance of really understanding the comma and how to correctly use it (or not use it).

A Little Writing Help seems like a great place to share what I have learned about the comma over the years. Today I'd like to focus on some of the comma rules that are reliable. In future posts, I will talk about rules that are optional, rules that are confusing (and why), and rules that change based on the words that are around them. I hope to explain the reasons behind the rules in a way that will help people to make better comma decisions in their futures.

The first comma we can be sure about is the one we see in compound sentences that have a coordinating conjunction between two independent clauses. Before you run away from these terms you might not recognize, let me explain. An independent clause is just what my childhood teachers always called a complete sentence. It is independent, meaning it can stand alone, having a subject and a verb. When we join two (or more) independent clauses together in a sentence, they should either be separated by a comma followed by a coordinating conjunction or by a semicolon (or, in some cases, a colon). If the two independent clauses are separated only by a comma (without a coordinating conjunction), this is considered incorrect and is often labeled as a comma splice. Basically, a compound sentence is made up of two (or more) sentences, just like a compound word is made up of two (or more) words--like laptop or cul-de-sac.

If you are still wondering what a coordinating conjunction is, I am getting to that. Some teachers call them the FANBOYS, but I prefer to think of them as coordinating conjunctions. I like the sound of that title better, like the difference between being called a maid or a room attendant. Room attendants can hold their heads a little higher as they clean those skid marks, I think. At least that was what I thought when I was upgraded from "maid" to "room attendant" myself. (However, there was that one time when a guest who was not fluent in English called me a "maiden," and I have to admit, my teenage girl self liked that a lot!)

Anyway, back to what coordinating conjunctions actually are. (You probably gave up and googled it by now, didn't you?) I think of them as words that hold things together. There are only seven of them, and I like to put them in this order because it is almost like a little poem:

And, or
Yet, for
But, nor
So...

Isn't it cute? Also, no one has to remember what those FANBOYS letters stand for.

Now seems like a good time to tell you about some exceptions. Before you gather your flaming torch and pitchfork to come after me because I told you this rule was reliable, let me say that if you always use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence you will never be wrong. However, if the compound sentence is very short and connected in meaning, it's okay to leave the comma out. Such as

I came and I conquered.
I love tuna but he hates it.

If you want to put a comma before the coordinating conjunction in these sentences, you can! In academic writing, it is best to always follow the rule when the clauses are longer than three words. However, in other mediums, if the independent clauses are very closely connected and it disrupts the flow to have a comma, many say it can be left out. The purpose of a comma in this situation is to separate the independent clauses from each other to preserve their individual meaning. If that is not needed, it is possible the comma is not needed either.

Okay, I'm moving on. I think the next rules on my list of reliable comma rules are easier to understand.

The next comma rule I want to talk about is using commas in a list. If a sentence lists more than two things, use commas between them (including dates, addresses, and often the word “and”). If there are only two things being listed, just use "and" between them without a comma. For example, "She is learning about forensics and criminal justice." Adding a comma would be incorrect. However, if we add something to the list, then a comma is needed. So it would be, "She is learning about forensics, criminal justice and mortuary science." Because I am writing in AP format, I did not use a comma before "and" in the previous sentence, but many people put a comma before the "and" as well when listing three or more items. When there are items in a list that have their own commas within them, semicolons can be used to separate the main items in the list while keeping the other commas as they are.

There is one more reliable comma rule I want to finish with today. When directly addressing someone in a sentence, separate it with a comma (or two if it is not the first or last word of the sentence). This does not mean that a person's name is always separated by a comma in any sentence. If the sentence is directed at someone, that person's name or title (referred to by some as being written in the vocative case) should be separated by a comma.

Reader, I can't believe you are still here learning about comma rules. You should take a break now, Reader, because you probably need it. I appreciate you sticking with me, Reader. Bye now!