We often have discussions, sometimes disagreements, about the use of commas.
I found this link to six rules for using commas. Click here.
Do these make sense? Is that all there is to it?
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4 months ago
2 comments:
It's a start, but not the whole story. It doesn't deal with use in and around dialogue, equal adjectives (the new, blue shirt), names of states and cities, ages or large numbers.
The rule in lists is more complicated, too. If there is a phrase in the list that includes the word "and" the separator should be a semicolon. E.g. The good; the big and bad; and the ugly.
The AP Style Manual has two pages on comma use but refers readers to the punctuation guide at the back of Websters New World Dictionary. Of course, that's no good if,like me, you don't have that dictionary (I use the Shorter Oxford English).
I wonder why our fair comma-lady has such a focus on these little tadpole punctuation pieces (yes...that's kind of silly of me.) Why are commas so important? What about semi-colons (which are always more difficult from my point of view), or the long em-dash or the single and double quotes? Or to think of it, the question mark. Or should I say, question mark?
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M.A.
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