The rules of comma usage make it quite clear exactly when you should use a comma; however, in order to best apply those rules, you should also learn when not to use a comma. After all, the reality is that people often misinterpret the rules of comma usage, resulting in communications filled with superfluous commas, and according to John Hodges and Mary Whitten, coauthors of The Harbrace College Handbook, “Unnecessary or misplaced commas are false or awkward signals that confuse the reader” (p. 132).
Look at it this way: If you learn not only when to use a comma but also when not to use a comma, you’ll possess twice as much “comma sense;” and, consequently, you’ll be better equipped to avoid sprinkling unnecessary commas around like a novice cook who sprinkles too much salt on a dish and then wonders why her dinner guests find it less than palatable.
Do Not Use a Comma Between Cumulative Adjectives
Cumulative adjectives, unlike coordinate adjectives, are not separated with commas because you cannot use the conjunction “and” between them.
- Example of coordinate adjectives: Sue fell for tall, dark, handsome Tom at first sight. (You could say, “Tom is tall and dark and handsome.)
- Example of cumulative adjectives: Tom found his favorite old college sweater in a box in the attic. (You could not say, “Favorite and old and college sweater.)
Do Not Use a Comma To Set Off Restrictive Elements
Restrictive elements include clauses, phrases, and appositives that are necessary, meaning that if you removed them from the sentence, the sentence would no longer make complete sense or else say something you never intended to say.
- Incorrect: The study shows that anyone, who uses tobacco products, risks shortening his or her life by an average of ten years.
The subordinate adjectival clause “who uses tobacco products” is necessary to the meaning of the sentence; therefore, it should not be set off by commas.
- Incorrect: For over ten years now, Tom has refused to eat anything, seasoned with garlic or onions, because it gives him heartburn.
The phrase “seasoned with garlic or onions” is necessary to the meaning of the sentence; but by setting it off with a comma, one is saying that the phrase could be removed; however, if it were removed, poor Tom would surely be dead by now.
- Incorrect: Tom’s novel, If Love Were Oil, I’d Be a Quart Low, has been a work in progress for over three years.
The appositive phrase provides the name of the novel and is necessary information, for without it you would have no earthly idea to which novel the writer was referring.
Do Not Use a Comma Between Compound Elements
The seven coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) are used to connect sentence elements of equal grammatical weight, for example, two or more nouns, verbs, prepositions, phrases, clauses, etc; and although you should use a comma before a coordinating conjunction linking independent clauses, as Diana Hacker says, “This rule does not apply to other compound word groups”(1991, p. 345).
- Incorrect: Tom’s New Year’s resolutions are to finish his novel, and to quit drinking so much beer. (He has two resolutions: Finish novel and quit drinking.)
- Incorrect: Walking into the dark room Tom tripped over Bonkers the cat, and broke Sue’s new vase. (Tom did two things: Tripped and fell.)
Do Not Use a Comma To Set Off Essential Adverbial Clauses
According to the rules of comma usage, commas normally follow adverbial clauses when such clauses introduce a sentence. Commas do not precede such clauses, however, when they conclude a sentence unless those clauses are essential to the meaning of the sentence.
- Incorrect: Tom decided he should spend more time writing and less watching football, when Sue threatened to leave him.
- Incorrect: Sue said that Tom was on probation, until he finished his novel.
Note: Adverb clauses beginning with when, because, after, until, unless, since, before, and if are usually essential to the meaning of a sentence, but clauses beginning with though, even though, although, and whereas are usually non-essential (Hacker, 1991).
Do Not Use a Comma to Separate a Subject from Its Verb
According to Diana Hacker, author of The Bedford Handbook for Writers, “A sentence should flow from subject to verb without unnecessary pauses” (p. 348). Consequently, you should insert a comma between a subject and its verb only in certain instances, for example, when adding additional information in the form of a participial, adjectival, or appositive phrase.
- Incorrect: When drinking, Tom has a difficult time saying, the phrase “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”
- Correct: Tom, deciding to ease his conscience, confessed to Sue that he’d lied about where he’d been on Saturday night.
- Correct: Tom thought the Joneses, who’d recently bought the house next door, were a bit strange.
Do Not Use a Comma to Separate a Verb From Its Object
Transitive verbs take direct objects, which are words or phrases that identify the receiver of the action. In other words, direct objects answer the questions “what” or “whom” after a verb.
- Incorrect: Tom wants, to be a better husband. (The phrase “to be a better husband” is the object of the verb “wants.”
- Incorrect: Tom loved, Sue from the moment they met. (“Sue” is the direct object of “loved”.)
- Incorrect: Tom’s New Year’s resolution is, to be a better husband. (“To be a better husband” in this case is the subject complement of “resolution.”)
Note: To correct the sentences above, simply remove the superfluous commas.
Do Not Use a Comma After a Phrase Beginning an Inverted Sentence
As Hacker relates, “In an inverted sentence, the subject follows the verb, and a phrase that ordinarily would follow the verb is moved to the beginning”(p. 345). The example she provides of an incorrectly punctuated sentence is this: “At the bottom of the sea, lies a ship laden with treasure.” The prepositional phrase, “at the bottom of the sea,” would normally be placed at the end of this sentence, but in this case the prepositional phrase begins the sentence; however, a comma should not follow the phrase.
In summary, by learning when not to use a comma, as well as when to use a comma, you can avoid confusing readers with misplaced or unnecessary commas that ultimately detract from the message you hope to convey.
Sources:
Hacker, D. (1991) The Bedford Handbook for Writers: Third Edition; Boston: St. Martin’s Press
Hodges, J. & Whitten, M. (1987) Harbrace College Handbook; New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
Carol Rzadkiewicz - Carol Rzadkiewicz has taught college English for over 14 years and is the author of three published novels and numerous short stories.
