The break indicated by a comma is lighter and shorter than that indicated by a full stop. There are several ways to use commas within a sentence.
If there is a list of adjectives describing a particular thing, commas can be used to separate them. In the English language this rule generally applies to two or more adjectives as in this example:
A great, big, black horse ran across the dark muddy meadow and stopped beside the old, broken, wooden gate.
Commas can also be used at either end of a descriptive phrase:
A figure, dressed in a flowing black cape, walked slowly across the road.
Commas are used in written English if you want to separate items in a list. This is the same as listing adjectives as illustrated above.
I went to the market and I bought two cabbages, three oranges, a pineapple, four bananas, six apples and a melon.
In written English commas should never be used before conjunctions like ‘and’ and ‘but’. However, if the meaning is unclear a comma may be added to clarify it.
When the post arrived there were job offers from Johnsons, Reckitt and Coleman, and British Telecom.
Commas are also used in English to separate clauses. (A clause is a short sentence which contains a verb and forms part of a longer sentence. If you take the clause out the rest still makes sense.)
He had been running, his face was red and sweaty.
Commas can also be used to separate out a phrase that isn’t really part of the main sentence.
His clothes, although he had fallen in the mud, were still dry.
Commas can also be used to clarify what you mean. For example:
The fastest runner was nicknamed Mike, King of the track.
If the comma is not inserted the meaning of the sentence is changed and the runner’s name becomes ‘Mike King’:
The fastest runner was nicknamed Mike King of the track.
Commas should always be used to separate words that are said (in direct speech) from the person who says them:
‘I know what I want to do next,’ she said.
She shouted loudly across the room, ‘I know what I want to do next.’
The use of commas in written English is not easy to learn. The only way to get it right is to keep practising. Reading what you have written aloud can sometimes tell you where you need a comma. If you do this and you think that you need to insert a comma to clarify the meaning of a sentence, you should use one but be careful not to overdo it.
Writing email, essay, articles using the correct punctuation marks will give your reader a better reading experience.
To know how to use all forms of punctuation marks in English you can ask one of our many qualified teachers.
