Definition
The comma is the most widely used--and the most widely misused punctuation mark. Despite the fact that we use commas all the time, students frequently comment, "I never know where to put the commas."The comma is such a small punctuation mark, yet using it correctly is an essential element of good writing. For example, consider the following two versions of the same sentence:
My mom says Christina has no sense of humor.
OR
My mom, says Christina, has no sense of humor.
These sentences illustrate the important function of commas: they prevent misreading. Without commas, words run together, and the reader doesn't know how to group those words into meaningful phrases and clauses.Commas tell the reader where to pause and how to create meaning out of your words. Pico Iyer says of the "humble comma":
Add it to the present clause, and all of a sudden, the mind is, quite literally, given pause to think; take it out if you wish or forget it and the mind is deprived of a resting place. . . . Punctuation, then is a matter of care. Care for words, yes, but also, and more important, for what the words imply.""In Praise of the Humble Comma." Readings for Writers. 10th ed. Ed. JoRay McCuen and Anthony C. Winkler. Fort Worth: Harcourt, 2001. 401, 403.
Despite the fact that many students struggle with commas, they aren't that difficult to master. If you learn the four rules presented in this tutorial, you'll be able to avoid nearly all comma errors. Becoming familiar with a few other conventions will help you to avoid comma errors entirely.
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