When to Use Commas

Any language cannot be properly written or interpreted without the usage of grammatical elements in the sentences. To make a sentence meaningful and understood in the same way that it was meant to be, using punctuations is absolutely necessary. The English language too is no exception to this rule. The mot common of the punctuation marks in the English language are full stop or period, commas, semi colons and exclamation marks. Here we will look into the usage of commas and how and when to use them.

What is a comma? A comma is a punctuation mark used to show temporary pauses or to mark separately different items in a list.

A comma should be used when there is a need to separate or clarify clauses. Take this sentence for example; there are lots of direct flights to Rome, while there are not many to Venice. A comma should be used in situations where there is a need to clearly distinguish and separate two parts of a sentence. Ex. A good batsman is known by the runs he makes, a bowler by his wickets. It should also be used in places to avoid confusion when the two parts of a sentence, if overlapped might lead to a completely different meaning. A good example is the following sentence; from the mountains above the villages looked small. This sentence actually should be read as; from the mountains above, the villages looked small. Notice how the usage of comma has given the right meaning and clarity to the sentence.

The other most common usage of the comma is when it is used to separate items in a list. A good example here is this sentence; she carried a box of pencils, an eraser, pen, lunch box and her notebooks. Notice how the comma usage has distinguished each item from one another. The other places or situations, when the comma should be used are when there is a need to separate a series of adjectives and also to mark a parenthetical phrase within a sentence. When using a comma care should be taken to ensure that it is not used in situations or places where there is no need to use them as this might give an altogether completely new meaning to the sentence.

Author – writer baba