ShmoopTube

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How to Use a Freakin' Comma, a la Shmoop. Certain things are so simple, it's a wonder

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that some people don't know how to use them.

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For example, you'd be appalled if you saw someone wearing their hat... like this.

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Or using a pair of scissors... like this.

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Or brushing their teeth... like this. The comma is one of those things that most

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of us use nearly every single day...

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...and yet many of us are still clueless.

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The poor comma is misused more than the blunt end of a screwdriver.

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But we're going to set things straight.

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So sit back, relax, and allow us to tell you everything you need to know about our curvy

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little friend. So... when should you use a comma?

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When separating out phrases that don't need to be there.

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So you're writing a sentence and you want to add a little color commentary. Add it between

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commas.

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"My pug, Morton, is lazy."

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Take out what's between the commas, and the sentence won't buckle.

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Sure, Morton is totally appreciative of the shout-out, but if you removed his name...

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and the two commas... the sentence would still send the same message.

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"My pug is lazy." So in this instance, the comma is used to rope off non-essential information.

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Sorry, Morton. We promise we don't consider you non-essential. Not that you'd ever get

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off your duff to do anything about it. When linking two independent clauses with

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a conjunction.

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If you need a refresher, conjunctions include your "ifs," your "ands," your "buts" and your

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"coconuts."

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Ok, maybe not the coconuts.

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When you've got two halves of a sentence that could exist on their own...

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...but you're lumping 'em together...

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...you'll use a comma and a conjunction to make them play nice with each other.

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As in: "I'd like to go to Six Flags, but it's my day to clean the bathroom."

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You could say "I'd like to go to Six Flags. It's my day to clean the bathroom."...

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...but by adding a comma and a conjunction, you can say both. And you can make your obvious

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bitterness so much more pronounced. When you're addressing someone in particular.

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As opposed to all those times you go out onto your balcony to address the masses collectively.

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This one can be a lifesaver... literally.

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Just check out the difference between "Let's eat, Grandma!" and "Let's eat Grandma!"

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Grandma only survives the first example. And it would really be a shame if she kicked the

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bucket this close to her 90th birthday. When making a list.

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A list of... inappropriate ways to use commas, for example.

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Suppose we want to communicate that our favorite foods are "peanut butter M&Ms, Brussels sprouts,

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and fried... anything."

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But what about that last comma? You might have noticed that not everyone drops a comma

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in that spot.

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But Shmoop does. That last comma—also known as the serial or Oxford comma--can help alleviate

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list confusion...

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Like if we were to say, "Shmoop's role models are their parents, William Shakespeare and

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Toni Morrison."

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Although they possibly used to date... in some bizarre, alternate universe... Billy

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Shakes and Toni M are not our parents.

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Instead, we're naming three separate things. So we would write it this way:

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"Shmoop's role models are their parents, William Shakespeare, and Toni Morrison."

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People have gotten into full-on brawls over this one, but Shmoop says: Don't be a serial

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comma killer. When you have more than one adjective modifying

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a noun.

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As in, "The brilliant, hilarious Shmoop." We could keep adding complimentary adjectives

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all day long, but we think those two probably get our point across.

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After introductory phrases or clauses.

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Once we're done with this example, we'll move on to the next one.

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<<Pause.>> That was it. Our example. Did you miss it?

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So is that all? Those are the only times you need a comma? Well, no.

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There are some other instances... dates, the ending of a letter, geographical locations,

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et cetera... but these six are the biggies. But when shouldn't you use a comma?

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The easy answer is... all other times.

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You should never use a comma just because you feel like a sentence could use a good

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pause...

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...or because the period key on your keyboard is broken. Call Geek Squad... they'll hook

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you up. But here are a few specific times when people

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tend to get tripped up... When separating two independent clauses without

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a conjunction.

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A run-on sentence, believe it or not, isn't necessarily a long sentence.

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If you plug a comma somewhere it doesn't belong, you can actually make a very short sentence

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a run-on.

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It might be more of a jog... but still.

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Try this one on for size: "I eat, I sleep."

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First of all... way to keep your priorities in order. But secondly... we've got a run-on

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sentence here.

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Both parts of the sentence could function on their own as complete sentences, and they

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can't be joined by just a comma.

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Without their conjunction buddy, it simply doesn't work.

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This specific type of run-on sentence is called a comma-splice. And they're as painful as

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they sound. After the conjunction.

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So none of this: "You think you're wrong but, I think you're right."

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Ugh. We just cold a cold chill. And finally, when separating a dependent and

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independent clause with a conjunction.

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Translation: a comma would be totally inappropriate here:

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"We ran to the kitchen, and started to down some cookies."

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"Started to down some cookies" isn't its own sentence, so even with the conjunction there,

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the comma has to go.

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Besides, the comma is only going to slow you down in your quest for those cookies.

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Make sure you bring enough to share with the whole class.

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So yeah, there are a few rules to keep straight...

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....but it isn't brain surgery.

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If it were... there would certainly be a lot of people praying not

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to fall into a comma.

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