How to Correctly Use Commas in All of Your Writing
written by Alice Jansing
Even professional writers struggle with commas. In theory, everyone knows what a comma is—it’s a pause between parts of a sentence. In practice, though, it can be difficult to figure out where commas actually belong. Here’s a quick, user-friendly guide to help you master the comma in your everyday writing.
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
4
Reads
357
Why We Struggle With Commas
Chapter 1
We add commas where they don’t fit, forget them when we need them, and treat them as an all-purpose tool for fixing clumsy sentences. (Pro tip: That rarely works.)
Commas confuse us perhaps because there are so many rules for using them, and also because comma usage varies by style. The Oxford comma is an infamous example. The Associated Press (AP) Stylebook doesn’t ban the Oxford comma, but the guide recommends using it only when necessary for clarity. The Chicago Manual of Style, on the other hand, favors the Oxford comma.
Before we dig into commas, it’s important to understand the difference between dependent and independent clauses. Commas often depend on them!
Commas confuse us perhaps because there are so many rules for using them, and also because comma usage varies by style. The Oxford comma is an infamous example. The Associated Press (AP) Stylebook doesn’t ban the Oxford comma, but the guide recommends using it only when necessary for clarity. The Chicago Manual of Style, on the other hand, favors the Oxford comma.
Before we dig into commas, it’s important to understand the difference between dependent and independent clauses. Commas often depend on them!
