What is Comma?
Punctuation marks, (Comma Rules) serve the writer to separate ideas from each other. The one who receives the written communication facilitates the understanding of the text.
It is essential to know how to use these punctuation marks correctly.
The comma serves, in particular, to indicate minor details and pauses.
Situations Use Of the Comma.
In the enumerations, when different features of the same class are not combined by copulative or disjunctive conjunctions.
The mountains and the plains, the winds, the jungles, the rivers, and the seas receive the breath.
The last two rudiments of an enumeration are not separated by commas but are joined by copulative conjunction.
Time, wind, woman and fortune, soon move.
Vocations always go between commas.
Listen, friend, this loyal advice.
You will fight, soldier, with courage and dedication.
When the meaning of the sentence is interrupted, and descriptive data are interleaved, they are placed between commas.
It is not convenient, with this heat, to make the trip
The ships, which arrived, were the fastest.
In conjunctive phrases.
In that bend, it was where they collided.
With this girl, in love, already “or you can work.
When the regular order of the sentence is reversed, or the subordinate sentence precedes the main one.
When we saw the village, we rushed forward
With this rain, we will never arrive.
A comma is used to separate dimensions in gerund or absolute partial.
Students, except those present, will be reprimanded.
When there is ellipsis of the verb, because it is understood, it is replaced by a comma.
I have no chance, you too. Can we?
A friend’s honor is sacred; that of a stranger, the same.
In interspersed adverbial sentences.
Now, as I am happy, I will not test.
Tomorrow, when you come, you will finish the painting.
A comma is, finally, expressions similar to Finally, finally, indeed, in short, without a doubt, however, therefore, and so on.
In this case, therefore, we will not apply the regulation.
Let us consider, first of all, the possible consequences.
Do not forget that this grammatical sign is indispensable so that a text not only looks good but is correctly understood.
It seems that today the whole world had forgotten about commas as if they had listened to the Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez when he proposed that the grammar rules, disappear: “Jubilee the predicting, the terror of the human being from the cradle.
Let us bury you rock, sign a boundary treaty between the ge and the jack, and put more use of reason in the written accents, which after all nobody has to read tear where it says tear or confuse revolver with a revolver.” With his words, the Colombian Nobel, one of the greatest authors of all time, raised the eyebrows of more than one academic and purist of the language. The best news is that the style remains the same.
Imagine a text without commas: it would be the equivalent of thinking of a world without water. Those small strokes that are placed between the words are essential for a text to be read with appropriate pauses, to give a moment of respite to the sentence, to order the ideas that are part of the same paragraph and for the reader to give dimensions that provide clarity to the text that is in your hands. It is simply beautiful to read a document that has commas in the right places.
Because it is almost a crime to write a text without the proper use of the essential normal, then you can witness ten of the most common methods of commas. Apply them in all kinds of documents (including your WhatsApp messages) so that the art of good writing is on your side.
Rule 1: Narrow Down a Person’s Name
Whenever you refer a person directly by name during the conversation of a text, it must be separated with a comma.
Examples: Enrique, I have realized that you are a great lover of museums.
I’m sick of your infidelities, Omar, I think it’s time for us to separate.
Rule 2: Order a Sequence of Facts
Chronologically separating the events that are part of the same idea through commas is essential for a better understanding of reading.
Examples:
They arrived at the house, rang the bell, waited until someone opened the door and left after waiting fifteen minutes.
The teacher came to the classroom, opened the door, his students looked at him and immediately said good morning.
Rule 3: list a list of Actions or Objects
In this case, commas are indispensable to enumerate elements that are part of the same sequence.
Examples:
We lack drinks, napkins, tablecloths, and umbrellas.
He told me that he just had to send an email, talk to his boss, and reach an agreement so he could leave his job.
Rule 4: Make a Dimension
When you want to make a clarification or add a piece of information in the middle of your sentence, it must be separated with commas.
Examples:
Byff Mc Rogers, bassist of the rock band Black Noise, arrived in Mexico last night to offer a couple of concerts with his solo band.
My sister Vanessa, whom you met at last year’s party, has just graduated from college.
Rule 5: With the Conjunctions and, e, or, or the comma is not used
In these conjunctions, the use of the comma is not necessary, since they function as links between words or sentences that should not be interrupted by another element.
Examples:
My dog and my cat get along pretty well.
Neither you nor I will go to the concert for not fulfilling our responsibilities.
Rule 6: Elliptical Comma
It replaced the verb when it was already mentioned above. In this way, the sentence is given greater dynamism, and the repetition of words is avoided when the information is understood.
Examples:
Luis is a runner; my brother, footballer (the comma replaces the verb is).
Yesterday he lost his wallet and last month, his backpack (the comma replaces the lost verb).
Rule 7: Hyperbaric Comma
This is used when the logical order of the sentence complements reversed and can be read both in one way and another.
Examples:
With that goal, we would have won (the sentence could also be written as ‘we would have won with that goal’).
If we continue working this way, we will never end (the sentence could also be written as ‘we will never end if we continue working this way’)
Rule 8: To Prevent Sentences From Having an Incorrect Meaning
A comma can be the difference between interpreting a sentence correctly or not. Its proper use gives it a sense that otherwise could not be grasped by the reader.
Examples:
No, this is how things should be done.
This is not how things should be done.
Rule 9: Interjections
All interferences such as ay or ah must be separated by a comma to emphasize their meaning.
Examples:
Oh, how it hurts that you are no longer my friend.
Ah, I thought it was the exam today.
Rule 10: Adversarial Conjunctions
Words like but, though, but must always be preceded by a comma.
Examples:
I want to study psychology, but journalism catches my attention.
I like him a lot, although I know it’s impossible to get close to him.
Not even a personality like William Shakespeare was able to alter the rich tradition of the English language and its grammatical rules, which you can learn quickly in the periodic table of spelling if you still don’t wholly master them or don’t know them. English is a language so complex and full of words so beautiful that today it is becoming increasingly important worldwide. That is why its correct use, both spoken and written, is essential.
Watch Video to Understand Comma Rules: