Commas

Misuse of commas is almost always at the top of lists of common mistakes in LFC and LESC documents. Mastering their use can be frustrating because they serve multiple purposes.

• They indicate a break between what could be two complete sentences thoughts, as in a compound sentence.

  • • The Legislature adopted the bill, and the governor vetoed it.

• They help clarify lists, as in a series.

  • • The memorial honored the first explorers in New Mexico, the pueblo leader Popé, and Governor Charles Bent.

• The set off nonessential information.

  • • The memorial, which prompted statewide protests, did not progress.

• And sometimes they are just there to ease reading.

  • • July 4, 1776,

    • Las Vegas, NM,

    • 9,123

On top of that, sometimes how they are used depends on the intent of the writer.

While, generally, you should use a comma wherever needed to prevent confusion or ambiguity, they should not – as you might have been taught – be used everywhere you pause.

The One Hard and Fast Rule

While a comma can be used a variety of way, one rule is constant: NEVER place a comma between the subject and its verb.

With a simple sentence, this is obvious.

All newly elected legislators, must sign in.

Legislator is the subject in the sentence – the actor – and signs is the verb – the action. The comma has to go.

But it gets more complicated when the sentence gets more complicated. One of the most common errors in LFC and LESC documents is the failure to use a comma with a compound sentence, a sentence with two or more independent clauses, and using a comma with a compound predicate, a sentence with one subject but multiple verbs.

Comma with a Compound Sentences

Each independent clause in a compound sentence is a group of words that could stand alone as a sentence.

Each independent clause has an actor – a subject – and an action – the verb.

The committee heard testimony on the bill, and the chairman tabled it.

Subject - committee; Verb - heard. Subject - chairman; Verb - tabled.

Inserting a comma does not separate the actors from their actions.

And is perhaps the most common conjunction for a compound sentence but there are others: or, and, nor, but, or, yet, so

However, even though the word because might look like a conjunction when it’s between two independent clauses, it’s function is a little different and DO NOT USE the comma.

Comma with a Compound Predicate

A compound predicate, on the other hand, has one actor with multiple actions. One subject, multiple verbs.

The committee heard testimony on the bill and tabled it.

Subject: committee. Verbs: heard, tabled.

The committee both heard the bill and tabled it. If you insert a comma before the conjunction, you will the subject from one of its verbs. While a conjunction is often a cue to insert a comma, in this case it is deceiving you.

However, if you have a more than two verbs – a series of actions -- the commas come back.

The committee heard the testimony, debated the bill’s merits, and tabled the bill.

Connecting Phrases

Keep in mind, if you are using a connecting phrase instead of conjunction, the rule changes slightly. Connecting phrases in a compound sentence create a more significant break between the independent clauses. The first clause must end with a semicolon and the connecting phrase must be treated like an interjection.

Fines are an effective tool for libraries; however, the State Library does not collect them.

With a compound predicate, the connecting phrase must be set off with commas, like anything that interrupts the main clause.

Fines, however, are an important tool for libraries that is not used by the State Library.

One Very Firm Rule

Some writing “experts” extend the subject/verb rule to also cover the placement of a comma between the verb and its complement – the phrase that completes the action of the verb that generally includes an object. This is more of a firm recommendation than a hard rule, with some room for breaking it if the comma aids clarity.

• The committee sent the bill, to the floor. NO!

• The only thing the lottery winners wanted was, to live their lives as they had before becoming millionaires. NO!

• The committee emailed an animated video explaining the amendment to, every legislator. NO!

But you might break this rule for clarity.

• What the problem is, is not clear

Of course, that sentence is so awful, you should just rewrite it, then you are clear, concise, AND following the rule.

Nonessential and Interrupting Clauses and Phrases

For LFC and LESC, the next most troublesome comma rule falls under the use of commas with clauses and phrases that are nonessential or interrupt the main clause. These clauses and phrases can be removed from the sentence without changing its meaning. If they occur in the middle of a sentence, they must be set off with a PAIR of commas. This is the same approach we used when we used a connecting phrase in the middle of a sentence.

• • • The new positions, funded by the federal government, are authorized.

    • Oil and gas prices, compared with expectations, are high.

    • The prices, however, are likely to fall as the recession continues.

You must use both commas, or you are committing the sin of separating the subject from its verb or the verb from its complement.

One way to think about nonessential information is to look at an example with an appositive – a phrase that adds additional information about a noun or pronoun in the sentence. Say you have one sister. Her name is Mary. You might write, "My sister, Mary." In this case, Mary is additional information. You only have one sister. There’s no confusion over who she is. So her name is nonessential. But let’s say you have multiple sisters, one of whom is Mary. You might write, "My sister Mary." In this case, Mary is information critical to the sentence. Otherwise, the reader does not know which sister you are talking about.

Although not quite the same thing, the comma can also be used to indicate contrast, depending on the intent of the writer.

• The state subsidizes healthcare for pregnant women, but not when the woman has health insurance through her employment.

LFC and LESC writers are prone to a different mistake with nonessential phrases: the failure to use the comma with “such as” or “including.” It’s almost always safe to use “such as” and “including” as a cue to insert a comma because these phrases indicate the writer is providing examples of information already in the sentence.

• The recommendation would increase pay for teaching staff in critical areas, such as special education.

• The students learning work-readiness skills, including resume writing.

Perhaps, however, you don’t want the reader to think of the items in your list as nonessential. In those cases, you need to restructure the sentence to remove the such as or including.

• The recommendation would increase pay for teaching staff in special education and other critical areas.

• The students learn resume writing and other work-readiness skills.

Other Comma Rules

• • • Use the Oxford comma

      • • Use after each item in a series: the red, white, and blue

        • Don’t use in the names of state agencies that include a series: Children, Youth and Families and Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources

    • Set off the year in a date or the state or country in a location

      • • July 4, 1776,

        • Las Vegas, Nevada, …

    • Always include it inside the quotes (except in legislation)

    • Use it after i.e. and e.g.

    • Use it with numbers

      • • 9,999

        • 1,234,567