{"id":8503,"date":"2020-10-06T15:25:18","date_gmt":"2020-10-06T15:25:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/?p=8503"},"modified":"2022-09-19T18:15:38","modified_gmt":"2022-09-19T18:15:38","slug":"unnecessary-commas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/unnecessary-commas\/","title":{"rendered":"Unnecessary Commas: Here&#8217;s When NO Comma is Needed"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>img#mv-trellis-img-1::before{padding-top:150%; }img#mv-trellis-img-1{display:block;}<\/style><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&rsquo;s, a bit, annoying, when people, put unnecessary commas, in sentences.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let&rsquo;s eat Tracy!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Commas are generally used to signal the reader in taking quick breaks to breathe before proceeding to the next part of the sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While commas are essential in separating word series, phrases, or clauses, their unnecessary usage makes sentences awkward and confusing to read.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The sentence implicature or intention may also change when we neglect to place it<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-where\/\"> where<\/a><\/strong> it&rsquo;s supposed to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/intransitive-verbs\/\">be<\/a><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, how do we know whether or not commas are necessary?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-or-after-yet\/\">Commas are generally used to separate words<\/a><\/strong>, phrases, or conjunctions in series.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clauses that act as adjectives may or may not require commas too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let&rsquo;s take a look at two of the most divisive issues in <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-rules\/\" title=\"comma usage\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\">comma usage<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<br>\n[toc]\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>THE OXFORD COMMA<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>What is an Oxford comma?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Commas are necessary when enumerating a series of more than two words in a sentence. But I guess, we do know that already.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#dbdad8;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#f5f4f2;border-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\">*Joseph, Chris, and Anna are architects.<\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the example above, we could see the reference to three different people&rsquo;s names written in a list or series.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/thank-you-for-your-understanding\/\">understand<\/a><\/strong> that a comma is necessary after the first name and that this rule is more or less self-explanatory.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But, how about the latter comma?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do we really need it after <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chris?&nbsp;<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The last comma before the coordinating conjunction &ldquo;and&rdquo; is also <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ox.ac.uk\/sites\/files\/oxford\/media_wysiwyg\/University%20of%20Oxford%20Style%20Guide.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">known as the Oxford or serial comma<\/a><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>The Debate on Oxford Commas<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For many years, fiery debates have been occurring between and among experts regarding its usage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although some would cringe at its excessive use in writing because of how it reduplicates the function of conjunctions (i.e. and, or, and nor), many would also agree that the Oxford comma is rather necessary when it provides more clarity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#dbdad8;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#f5f4f2;border-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\">*<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joseph, that guy with a ridiculous hat, and Anna are architects.<\/span><\/i><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wait, what? Is Joseph wearing a ridiculous hat? Or, the writer simply doesn&rsquo;t know the name of the person with the funny hat but knows he&rsquo;s also an architect?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the second sentence, it is unclear whether the writer is referring to three, or only two different people.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The sentence could either imply that:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The name of the guy wearing a ridiculous hat is Joseph and he is located somewhere close to Anna.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Three different people are architects. The writer knows the names of the two, they are Joseph and Anna but doesn&rsquo;t know the name of the third. Therefore, the least that could be done is to describe what he is wearing.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this case, the removal of the Oxford comma would make the reference to Joseph being the same person wearing a funny-looking hat clearer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, with the comma&rsquo;s presence, we would be prompted to think that the writer is pointing out three separate human beings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This means that the decision whether or not to use the Oxford comma after the second entity in a serial list could be improved only by means of paraphrasing the sentence or extending it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the writer&rsquo;s intent is to refer to three different people in the scenario, we could say:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Three of those people sitting in the front row are architects. I actually know the name of the two, they are Joseph and Anna. However, I don&rsquo;t know the name of the third but I am pretty sure that he&rsquo;s that guy wearing a ridiculous hat.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, if the writer is pointing out only two architects but wants to add additional information to one of them, we could state that:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The guy wearing a ridiculous hat is Joseph. He is an architect. The woman beside her is Anna. She is an architect too.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Uh, can we have another example, please?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not a problem then.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#dbdad8;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#f5f4f2;border-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\">Joseph, a great architect and a musician came to my birthday party last night.<\/div><\/div><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#dbdad8;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#f5f4f2;border-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\">Joseph, a great architect, and a musician came to my birthday party last night.<\/div><\/div><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Notice that the sentence may imply that Joseph is a super-talented architect for being a musician at the same time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the sentence could also mean that the celebrant invited two different people to the party:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joseph who is an architect<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another person who is a musician<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although this would less likely happen, another way to look at it is the implication that the celebrant invited three separate entities to the party:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joseph<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another person who is a great architect<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another person who is a musician<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>The Oxford Comma: A Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So what can we deduce from the examples mentioned?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First, is of course that the Oxford comma is optional and it is important to be consistent on its usage, should a writer opt to do so.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The second one is to avoid using it if it&rsquo;s just going to mislead the readers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lastly, paraphrasing or extending the sentences further would actually be a better option than mulling over it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These scenarios lead us to another noteworthy topic which is adjectival clauses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wait, did I not use a comma before <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&ldquo;which&rdquo;<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let&rsquo;s find out more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8789\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Unnecessary-Commas-Pin-Updated.png\" alt=\"Unnecessary Commas\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Unnecessary-Commas-Pin-Updated.png 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Unnecessary-Commas-Pin-Updated-200x300.png 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Unnecessary-Commas-Pin-Updated-683x1024.png 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Unnecessary-Commas-Pin-Updated-768x1152.png 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Unnecessary-Commas-Pin-Updated-561x842.png 561w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Unnecessary-Commas-Pin-Updated-364x546.png 364w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Unnecessary-Commas-Pin-Updated-728x1092.png 728w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Unnecessary-Commas-Pin-Updated-608x912.png 608w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Unnecessary-Commas-Pin-Updated-758x1137.png 758w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Unnecessary-Commas-Pin-Updated.png\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8789 eager-load\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201000%201500'%3E%3Crect%20width='1000'%20height='1500'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"Unnecessary Commas\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Unnecessary-Commas-Pin-Updated.png\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Unnecessary-Commas-Pin-Updated.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Unnecessary-Commas-Pin-Updated.png 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Unnecessary-Commas-Pin-Updated-200x300.png 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Unnecessary-Commas-Pin-Updated-683x1024.png 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Unnecessary-Commas-Pin-Updated-768x1152.png 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Unnecessary-Commas-Pin-Updated-561x842.png 561w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Unnecessary-Commas-Pin-Updated-364x546.png 364w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Unnecessary-Commas-Pin-Updated-728x1092.png 728w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Unnecessary-Commas-Pin-Updated-608x912.png 608w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Unnecessary-Commas-Pin-Updated-758x1137.png 758w\" data-svg=\"1\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>COMMAS AND ADJECTIVAL CLAUSES<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>What are adjectival clauses?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An adjective is a word or a group of words that describe nouns and pronouns<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A clause is a set of words containing a noun and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/transitive-verbs\/\">a verb<\/a><\/strong> that could function either as a noun, adverb, or adjective in a sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Put simply, adjectival clauses contain both a noun and a verb whose function is to provide more specific information about another noun or pronoun within the same sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Confusing, isn&rsquo;t it? Well, let&rsquo;s look at some examples then.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#dbdad8;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#f5f4f2;border-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\">A famous architect <b><i>whose name is Joseph Lee<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> always wears a ridiculous hat.<\/span><\/i><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#dbdad8;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#f5f4f2;border-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\">Joseph Lee, <b><i>who is a famous architect<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, always wears a ridiculous hat.<\/span><\/i><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The clauses &ldquo;<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-who\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">who<\/a><\/strong> is a famous architect&rdquo; <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&ldquo;whose name is Joseph Lee&rdquo; <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are what we call adjective clauses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This kind of clause provides more information or description about the main subject of the sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-sometimes\/\">Sometimes<\/a><\/strong>, an adjective clause is also called a relative clause.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is introduced by relative pronouns such as who, when, where, whom, whose, which, and that.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why aren&rsquo;t there any commas in the first sentence&rsquo;s adjective clause?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why have been they added in the second?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To answer these questions, it is important to decipher the difference between essential and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/clauses-vs-phrases\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">nonessential adjective clauses<\/a><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>The Essential Adjective Clause<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An essential adjective clause provides necessary information about the subject that when taken out, makes a sentence vague or nonsensical.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These clauses do not need commas at all.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first sentence, &ldquo;<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A famous architect <\/span><\/i><b><i>whose name is Joseph Lee<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> always wears a ridiculous hat,&rdquo; <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;contains an adjective clause that is highly important to the meaning of the sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even though the sentence would still be grammatical, leaving out the essential adjective clause would make the meaning ambiguous because a reader would never know who exactly is being referred to.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For more clarity, here is another example:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#dbdad8;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#f5f4f2;border-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\">Anna asked Joseph to bring her the floor plan <b><i>which is inside the drawer<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/i><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The sentence above clearly implies that there are other floor plans in the setting, but Anna wants a specific one that can be found inside the drawer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Again, if the sentence uses an essential adjective clause, never use a comma.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>The Nonessential Adjective Clause<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, let&rsquo;s take a closer look at nonessential adjective clauses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#dbdad8;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#f5f4f2;border-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\">*Joseph Lee, <b><i>who is a famous architect<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, always wears a ridiculous hat.<\/span><\/i><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nonessential adjective clauses are just extra information about the subject used to create emphasis or style.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contrary to the essential adjective clause, the necessity of this information is arbitrary.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ergo, its removal would not hurt the sentence intelligibility at all.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I hope you&rsquo;re still with me.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&rsquo;s one more case.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#dbdad8;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#f5f4f2;border-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\">My elder sister, <b><i>who is still single at 38<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, works for Joseph Lee&rsquo;s world-renowned architectural firm.<\/span><\/i><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Notice the unnecessity of the information contained in the adjective clause.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Without it, the fact that my sister works for a reputable architectural firm would not change.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>A Conclusion on Adjective Clauses<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To wrap this section up, the decision of whether or not to use commas in an adjective clause is mainly dependent on the writer&rsquo;s discretion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the subject needs further information that is highly valuable to the sentence meaning, do not use a comma.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consequently, if the goal of putting extra details is to add emphasis or infuse creativity, then <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-since\/\">commas are necessary<\/a><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>UNNECESSARY COMMAS: CONCLUSION<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To recapitulate the contents above, we have discussed two intriguing topics &ndash; the Oxford comma and the adjective clause.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a writer is more comfortable using the Oxford comma, then it is necessary to be consistent with it throughout the entire document.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, if it creates ambiguity or multiple meanings, then it is best to fix the sentence by paraphrasing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moreover, adjective or relative clauses are either essential or nonessential.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When the clause is essential to the main subject of the sentence, a comma is not needed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the contrary, separating the adjective clause with commas is necessary when the writer&rsquo;s intent is to add extra yet nonessential information related to the subject.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To sum, a comma&rsquo;s purpose is to act as a clarifying tool <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-rather\/\">rather<\/a><\/strong> than an ambiguating one.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, never beat yourself up.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&rsquo;s, a bit, annoying, when people, put unnecessary commas, in sentences. Let&rsquo;s eat Tracy! Commas are generally used to signal the reader in taking quick breaks to breathe before proceeding to the next part of the sentence. While commas are essential in separating word series, phrases, or clauses, their unnecessary usage makes sentences awkward and &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8510,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable-in-feed":false,"article-schema-type":"","disable-critical-css":false,"_convertkit_action_broadcast_export":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,1119,1116],"tags":[80,103,104,102],"class_list":["post-8503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english","category-comma-rules","category-grammar","tag-comma","tag-comma-usage","tag-oxford-comma","tag-unnecessary-commas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8503","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8503"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8503\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24183,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8503\/revisions\/24183"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8503"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8503"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8503"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}