Writing It Right: How to Avoid Being a Comma Slut
by Carolynn Carey
Come on, you know the type; they’re best described as fast and easy. Yep, I’m talking about people who overuse commas. Who else could I have been referring to? Oh never mind.
But back to the subject of commas. Of all the punctuation marks, commas are probably the most misunderstood and at the same time the most promiscuous. A comma can be perfectly respectable in one sentence and completely superfluous in a similar sentence. In addition, the appropriateness of the comma’s behavior is often in the eye (or ear) of the beholder.
As Lynne Truss points out in her book on punctuation that’s titled Eats, Shoots & Leaves, the superfluous comma can create havoc. The title of her book illustrates her point when she tells the story about a panda that goes into a restaurant, orders a meal, eats, then pulls a gun, fires a couple of shots into the air, and starts to walk out. When a waiter asks for an explanation of his behavior, the panda hands the waiter a book that contains a description of a panda as a large black and white bear-like mammal that is native to China and that “eats, shoots and leaves.” Obviously, the panda didn’t take into consideration that the sentence might contain an extra comma.
Most superfluous commas do not change the meaning of a sentence quite that drastically. Most, in fact, do not change the meaning at all; they simply cause us to pause when a pause is neither needed nor wanted. For example, many people use a comma in sentences such as the following: He played the lottery, and bought a quart of milk. Obviously, that comma should be omitted.
Another example of an unnecessary comma can be found occasionally when writers separate the subject of a sentence from the verb with a comma as in the following: Parents, are encouraged to watch their children carefully.
I would submit that for our purposes, the sentence should read as follows: Writers are encouraged to watch their comma use carefully. After all, you have your reputation to think of.
Copyright © Carolynn Carey.
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