The Ten Commandments: Comma or Coma? (Part One)
And verily I say unto you, the use of the comma is not form for form's sake. Nay, nay, My children. The comma shalt bring enlightenment to the crafting of sentences and the understanding of structure. Though the comma carries such importance to the building of sentences, be cautious of their overuse, for many have come before who use a comma for every breath and hyperventilate the reader. The spirit of overuse came upon them, and they were thrown into the Pit of Coma.
I. Use a comma to separate the elements in a series (three or more things), including the last two.
"Moses brought down the tablets, his staff, and a good reason to get rid of his mistress."
The comma before the "and" in the list shalt be called the serial comma or the Oxford comma. Thou mayest learned that it is unnecessary, but, unless thou art in control of thine self, the last two items in the list may join together like bad matzo balls. It is better to use a comma between all the items in a series to avoid the sin of glomming.
II. Use a comma PLUS a little conjunction (and, but, for, nor, yet, or, so) to connect two independent clauses.
"Moses argued with God, BUT God refused to remove 'coveting your neighbor's wife.'"
A clause is a group of related words containing a subject and a verb. An independent clause mayest stand alone as a simple sentence.
III. Use a comma to set off introductory elements, as in:
"Descending from the mount, Moses suddenly realized how stupid he looked carrying two big rocks."
Verily, I say unto you it is permissible to omit the comma after a brief introductory element if the omission does not result in confusion or hesitancy in reading. If ever any doubt come upon you, use the comma, for it is never a sin.
IV
"The tablets, which Moses brought down from God, were introduced to the Israelites immediately following the orgy."
Yea, by "parenthetical element," the Punctuation God meant a part of a sentence that can be removed without changing the essential meaning of that sentence. The parenthetical element shalt sometimes be called "added information." This is the most difficult rule in punctuation because it is sometimes unclear what is "added" or "parenthetical" and what is, my children, essential to the meaning of a sentence.
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Therefore, my children, I shall return with verses of edification, exhortation and comfort, for My commandments are good and in them shalt you be instructed for My name's sake. Amen.
Hi, my name is Timm, and I am a Comma-aholic. I am joining CA after reading this. I love commas, because they make my writing sound like I speak. Will you be my sponsor?
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Yes, I'd be honored. Uh...after "I love commas" you didn't need a comma before the "because." I'll explain why in my next blog.
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You are too funny!
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On Facebook, there's a group called:
"Let's eat Grandma" or, "Let's eat, Grandma." Punctuation saves lives!
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I want that for a bumper sticker!
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Too funny, very enjoyable,and where in your head,Tom does this stuff come from? p.s.to me comma's are just fun to add so I can take another breath.luv,mom
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Where in my head does this stuff come from? Mom. Really. Genes, genes, genes.
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