“Don’t, let, the commas, take, the ship, Mr. Spock!”

How to use commas correctly so you don’t sound like Captain Kirk

What Do Commas Do?

To put it simply, commas separate the elements of a sentence.

What Are the Major Elements of a Sentence?

● An introductory clause introduces the information in a sentence.● An independent clause contains a subject and verb and can stand alone

as a simple sentence.● A dependent clause provides additional information but cannot stand

alone as a sentence.● Restrictive information is essential to the meaning of a sentence. A

restrictive clause can be independent or dependent.● Nonrestrictive information is not essential to the meaning of a sentence

and could be removed with no loss of understanding. A nonrestrictive clause can be independent or dependent.

A Reminder from Mr. Spock Before We Begin

You’ll notice that most of these rules overlap, which can seem overwhelming.

Don’t let your emotions get the best of you.

Most of these are basic rules that you’ve probably heard before.

Commas in ListsWhen writing a list, put a comma between each item or phrase:● Captain Kirk likes chess, Charles Dickens, Spock, and the Enterprise.

If any phrase in the list contains a comma, the phrases should be separated by semicolons:● Captain Kirk likes chess, but only in the evening; Charles Dickens, on his

birthday; Spock, most days; and the Enterprise, always.

The Serial CommaThe serial (or Oxford) comma appears before the final conjunction in a list of three or more items:● Spock likes music, chess, and his friend Kirk.

The serial comma is not required but can often clarify a confusing or lengthy list:● The Enterprise crew uniforms are gold for command and tactical, blue for

science and medical, and red for engineering and security.

Whether you choose to use the serial comma or not, be consistent.

Commas + AdjectivesWhen using multiple adjectives to describe a noun, separate the adjectives with commas:● The dark, cold, silent void of space scares Dr.

McCoy.

Each adjective could function alone:● The dark void of space scares Dr. McCoy.● The cold void of space scares Dr. McCoy.● The silent void of space scares Dr. McCoy.

Commas + Adjectives

When adjectives modify other adjectives, don’t use a comma:● Spock’s shirt matches the bright blue sky.

The word bright modifies blue, not sky.The shirt (and the sky) is bright blue, not bright and blue.

Commas + Independent Clauses

A comma between two independent clauses forms a comma splice (which is bad):● James Kirk was born in Iowa, Spock was born on Vulcan.

To fix this problem, put a conjunction in there (or a semicolon):● James Kirk was born in Iowa, and Spock was born on Vulcan.● James Kirk was born in Iowa; Spock was born on Vulcan.

The conjunction you use can change the meaning of your sentence, so choose wisely!

Commas + Independent and Dependent Clauses

When the dependent clause appears before the independent clause, it should end with a comma:● If you want to live, stay out of the radiation

chamber.

Commas + Independent and Dependent Clauses

When the independent clause appears first, no comma is needed (even if a conjunction is used) if the second clause is restrictive:● Stay out of the radiation chamber if you want to live. ● Stay out of the radiation chamber so you don’t die.

This information is restrictive because it tells you why to stay out. You could still go in there if you wanted to die (I guess).

Commas + Independent and Dependent Clauses

When the independent clause is first and the second clause is nonrestrictive, use a comma:● Stay out of the radiation chamber, which is dangerous.

Nonrestrictive clauses begin with “which.” Restrictive clauses begin with “that”:● Stay out of the radiation chamber, which is dangerous. (There is one

chamber and it is dangerous.)● Stay out of the radiation chamber that is dangerous. (There is more than

one chamber; stay out of the dangerous one.)

Commas + Coordinating Conjunctions

“For,” “and,” “nor,” “but,” “or,” “yet,” & “so” (FANBOYS) are coordinating conjunctions. ● Phrases like “as well as” and “so that” are simply longer ways to say things

like “and” and “so.”

When both clauses in a sentence are independent, they should be separated by a comma and a coordinating conjunction. When the second clause is dependent, no commas are needed.

Commas + Coordinating Conjunctions

● Dr. McCoy is grumpy, yet he has a good heart.

● Chekov is famous for his silly accent as well as his wisecracks about Russia.

● Nurse Chapel has a crush on Spock, but he couldn’t be less interested.

Commas + Subordinating Conjunctions

Words like “because,” “since,” and “although” are subordinating conjunctions and signify the beginning of a subordinate clause, which can be dependent or independent.

Commas + Subordinating Conjunctions

● Uhura likes tribbles because they are soft and fluffy.

● Since he was raised on Vulcan, Spock hides his emotions.

● Although Sulu loves plants, he becomes a starship captain instead of a botanist.

If a subordinate dependent clause is at the beginning of the sentence, it should end with a comma. If it appears after the independent clause, no comma is used.

Subordinating Conjunctions + Nonrestrictive Clauses

When the subordinate conjunction introduces a nonrestrictive clause, a comma should be used. This applies whether the nonrestrictive clause is independent or dependent.

Think of the commas as handles. You can lift the nonrestrictive information out of the sentence and move it around or omit it completely.

This rule also applies to parenthetical phrases, asides, and transitional adverbs.

Subordinating Conjunctions + Nonrestrictive Clauses

● Kirk likes to relax.● Kirk is a busy man.● Although Kirk is a busy man, he likes to

relax.● Kirk likes to relax, although he is a busy

man.● Kirk, although he is a busy man, likes to

relax.

In these examples, both clauses are independent and one becomes nonrestrictive:

An Example of Restrictive Information

Here is a similar sentence but with restrictive information (and therefore no commas):● Kirk only likes to relax at the end of the day.

The phrase “at the end of the day” cannot be removed without hurting the overall meaning of the sentence:● Kirk only likes to relax (when?).

Commas + Transitional Adverbs

Since transitional adverbs are nonrestrictive, they must be surrounded by commas wherever they appear: ● Spock prefers to unwind by playing the

harp.● Spock, however, prefers to unwind by

playing the harp.● However, Spock prefers to unwind by

playing the harp.● Spock prefers to unwind by playing the

harp, however.

Commas + Introductory Phrases

When the introductory phrase is shorter than five words, a comma is not required (though you are free to use one for clarity):● Try as he might Spock cannot

pretend he isn’t excited to see Kirk.

● Though he tries to hide it, Spock is excited to see Kirk.

How to Avoid Comma StuffingOccasionally, comma placement rules can be overlooked to prevent comma stuffing. The following sentence is technically correct but hard to read:● Because the Klingons were being

mean, the Enterprise crew fought back, and, afterward, Kirk disciplined his crew.

How to Avoid Comma StuffingTo simplify the sentence, the comma after “and” can be removed without compromising the natural pausing points or structure of the sentence:● Because the Klingons were being

mean, the Enterprise crew fought back, and afterward, Kirk disciplined his crew.

Even though only one comma has been removed, the sentence looks significantly less crowded.

The End