Editing Etiquette

Comma Commentary

Today I'm going to highlight something that causes a lot of angst for many authors and editors alike. The dreaded "comma". (heard in an ominous Halloween-y style voice)

On Wikipedia, the very first line for the article about commas is "Not to be confused with Coma". I don't know about that, they can run hand in hand sometimes if you ask me! In the most raw description, the comma is used to separate things. By Oxford English Dictionary definition, the word comma comes from the Greek word, komma, which means something cut off or a short clause. 

I will review some of the rules of the comma, of which even editors need to remind themselves at times.

• Use a comma to separate a list of items or actions. Specifically, the comma before the "and" at the end of the list is called the "serial" comma. It's not mandatory, but can make the difference between correctly and incorrectly conveying what you are trying to say.
• ex: We bought eggs, milk, macaroni, and cheese.  -OR- We bought eggs, milk, macaroni and cheese. (could be macaroni AND cheese; a box of pasta and a brick of dairy product, or macaroni and cheese; a delicious cheesy pasta side dish)
•  Use a comma with a conjunction to connect two clauses, or two independent ideas.
• ex: I have a car, but I save money by riding the bus.
• Use a comma to cut off introductory elements. If it starts with a preposition (ex: as, although, etc), always use a comma. This rule is tricky because there are several sub-rules that explain. In general, if it feels right to have a comma in regards to flow of the sentence, put it in. If leaving it out is going to confuse the reader in any possible way, add the comma. Below is an example of how a sentence can seem correct both ways, but can be confusing to readers. In the first example, it sounds like you are talking about the inside of the maze. In the second, it's as though the maze is inside another place. Make sure you're using the correct language to explain what you want to relay.
• ex: Inside the maze was dark and scary. OR Inside, the maze was dark and scary.
• Use a comma to include parentheticals without actually using parentheses. In general book writing, it's not common to put things in parentheses. A parenthetical is an interrupting thought that adds information to the sentence. The way I figure this one out is to take out the parenthetical and see if the sentence is complete without it. (in ex: "Joe was caught drinking in the basement.")
• ex: Joe, who is 19 years old, was caught drinking in the basement.

In general, the rules for commas are pretty lax, and some of the time putting in a comma is a matter of what feels comfortable to the reader. If you feel like your editor is taking a lot of your commas out or putting a lot in, it probably mostly has to do with how your sentences read. It's also different for every author. From personal experience, different writing styles require different amounts of commas. I have had authors on both ends of the spectrum, and it's sometimes it's just a matter of where it feels right to take a break in the sentence.

Okay, that's all I'm going to bore you with for today on commas. Check in tomorrow for some personal writing from myself. Letting some more of my literary babies out into the world. Thanks for stopping by!!



I'd like to give credit to Wikipedia and this website: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/commas_big.htm#6, of which I researched to verify and fill in any missing information. Thank you!