Commas

[deyvion]

Okey, so this is something that has always been troubling for me - COMMAS.

There are different ones, and I just cannot figure out exactly where to place them. Not even the most common comma.

So, where and when in a sentence should you put a comma (,)? I know it has to do with clauses, but that is just something that never gets into my head.

When do you use ( and (?

I have seen listings that are of the type [ : , , ,] and [; ; ;] I just never understood the difference.

Maybe someone here can simplify and clearify it? =)

[LauraM]

  On 9/18/2013 at 7:59 PM, deyvion said:

Okey, so this is something that has always been troubling for me - COMMAS.

There are different ones, and I just cannot figure out exactly where to place them. Not even the most common comma.

So, where and when in a sentence should you put a comma (,)? I know it has to do with clauses, but that is just something that never gets into my head.

When do you use ( and (?

I have seen listings that are of the type [ : , , ,] and [; ; ;] I just never understood the difference.

Maybe someone here can simplify and clearify it? =)

Yes, Commas.  The use of commas is a challenge for native speakers of English as well.

As for "clauses" here are a few basics.

Use commas to separate independent clauses of a sentence with any of these words, which are known as coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet.

An "independent clause" means that part of the sentence could stand alone.

Example: 

"I was walking out the door, but I stopped first to make sure I had my keys with me."

This, on the other hand, would be a "dependent" clause, meaning it can't stand alone. So there is no comma. 

"I was walking out the door but was feeling reluctant to leave." 

You can get more details at this online guide from Purdue University.  There's a whole section on commas.  It's quite handy.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/607/01/

[thekernel]

As far as semicolons go, I believe they are used to connect two thoughts that aren't inherently related, but related when considered in context. A good example would be this sentence; two somewhat separate ideas brought together with a punctuation mark.

[LauraM]

  On 9/19/2013 at 6:45 AM, thekernel said:

As far as semicolons go, I believe they are used to connect two thoughts that aren't inherently related, but related when considered in context. A good example would be this sentence; two somewhat separate ideas brought together with a punctuation mark.

Yes, that's a great example.  We use a semicolon to link two independent clauses that have no connecting words.  Your sentence is a perfect example.  Here are two more.

"It's the middle of September; time goes by so quickly."

"He was waiting at the train station; it was getting late and he was concerned."

As for colons, we use those when a list will follow.  Here's an example:

"When I get to the department store, I'm looking for several items: a pair of shoes, a wallet, a scarf to match my coat, a carry-on bag, and a case for my phone."

[linguaholic]

When talking about lists, it might also come in handy to know about the differences in American English and British English:

In British English you would say:

Bread, milk and cheese

In American English you would say:

Bread, milk, and cheese

[Daedalus]

I didn't know there was a difference between American and British English in the commas. In Dutch, the rule is the same as in British English.

However, there's also something called the serial comma, which can be used in case of ambiguity.

For example, the sentence:

"We invited our neighbours, Jane and Pete."

Can be interpreted as though the neighbours are Jane and Pete, but it can also mean that we invited the neighbours, as well as Jane and Pete. The serial comma can help in this case:

"We invited our neighbours, Jane, and Pete."

Now, Jane and Pete are separated by the comma, so they cannot be interpreted as being the neighbours.

There's a lot more to it, check the Wikipedia page for more examples.

[ashwinr1]

Although am quite sure of the basic usage of commas, sometimes I get perplexed when I write long sentences as to when and where I should be using commas. Hopefully, the Wikipedia guide would help 

[Adobo]

  On 9/19/2013 at 9:08 AM, LauraM said:

Yes, that's a great example.  We use a semicolon to link two independent clauses that have no connecting words.  Your sentence is a perfect example.  Here are two more.

"It's the middle of September; time goes by so quickly."

"He was waiting at the train station; it was getting late and he was concerned."

Ah. So it’s like using semi-colon instead of coordinating conjunction in separating independent clauses.

[Francescatotty]

With commas you use them for lists etc:

Dog, Cat, Wolf, Fox.

You also use them for pauses to make it * a greater effect * etc:

I was walking along then I saw it, (pause) ....

Also in some cases it is used instead of ands!

Etc:

I hope this is helpful, good luck learning it!

[ghanashyam]

In India we use the comma for the quotes also like this :

Then he said, " I was not at that place at that time."

The Delhi, India; New York, America; and ..........are big cities.

[limon]

There seem to be a million rules for commas, and I don't quite understand them all. I also have a bad habit of using them as I would a pause in speech, leading to run on sentences and huge paragraphs :/

[ghanashyam]

  On 9/26/2013 at 12:47 PM, limon said:

There seem to be a million rules for commas, and I don't quite understand them all. I also have a bad habit of using them as I would a pause in speech, leading to run on sentences and huge paragraphs :/

Exactly that is what I learnt about commas, When you stop to take the breathe, you put the comma. Not always right but usually it goes this way.

Commas can greatly change the meaning of sentence.

[lizbeth19hph]

  On 9/19/2013 at 1:16 AM, LauraM said:

Yes, Commas.  The use of commas is a challenge for native speakers of English as well.

As for "clauses" here are a few basics.

Use commas to separate independent clauses of a sentence with any of these words, which are known as coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet.

An "independent clause" means that part of the sentence could stand alone.

Example: 

"I was walking out the door, but I stopped first to make sure I had my keys with me."

This, on the other hand, would be a "dependent" clause, meaning it can't stand alone. So there is no comma. 

"I was walking out the door but was feeling reluctant to leave." 

You can get more details at this online guide from Purdue University.  There's a whole section on commas.  It's quite handy.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/607/01/

I also have trouble placing commas properly in my sentences and poetry. Thanks for this online resource.

[xbrix]

For commas (,)- use it before a coordinating conjunction. The coordinating conjunctions are for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. A easy way to remember them is to use FANBOY.

F- For

A- And

N- Nor

B- But

O- Or

Y- Yet

S- So

Ex: I wanted to pet the dog, BUT the owner didn't want me to.

My friend invited me over, YET she wasn't there when I came over.

Colon (- Use a colon when you're about to list something, or if you're writing a formal letter.

Ex.

Animals:

Dog

Cat

Bird

Fish

To Mr. Shoe:

Semi-Colons (- You use semi-colons when you are using two independent clauses in a sentence. It is basically taking the place of a coordinating conjunction. I'll use the same examples that I did earlier, but using the semi-colon in it's place.

Ex. I wanted to pet the dog; the owner didn't want me to.

My friend invited me over; she wasn't there when I came over.

[LivetoErr]

I get totally lost with commas and I'm a native speaker.

Can someone write a sentence where you would put a comma after and?