The Confounding Comma

Ah commas, the true double-edged sword of grammar. Incredibly versatile with inexplicably intricate rules, commas are often the one woeful weakness of the passionate writer. For who has the time to worry about what an Oxford comma is when their protagonist is escaping death by the skin of his teeth. You get the picture.

Nevertheless, toil we must, for the reader deserves the best we can do. And our best is precisely what we'll be equipped to write, once we're through with imbibing everything the following text tries to convey. Granted, it might be a lil' dry but rest assured, this is the most efficient comma guide anywhere on the Internet. Well, at least anywhere on the first page of Google.

#1: Mechanical uses of the comma

a) Labels:

Omit the comma when using labels like "Jr." and "Inc.".

b) Certifications:

Set off degrees or certifications, shown after a person's name, with a comma.

c) Directly addressing someone:

When you wish to directly address someone, the person's name or title should be set off by commas.

d) Dates:

If a date consists of all three elements (i.e. day, month, and year), we use a comma between the month and the year. However, if the date states only the month and the year, no comma is used.

e) Geographic elements:

Separate different geographical locations using commas; the final geographic element should also be followed by a comma if it appears in the middle of a sentence.

#2: The omniscient listing comma

a) This comma is used to separate a series of words, phrases, or independent clauses. Do NOT use a comma after the last item in the list unless the structure of the sentence requires it.

This final comma is known as the Oxford comma. Some writers omit it but doing so can cause confusion. Check to see if it's omission causes the last two items to merge together as one entry; if it does, use a comma.

b) If each adjective EQUALLY modifies a noun, use commas; with three or more adjectives, it is perfectly acceptable to treat the adjectives as a list and proceed accordingly.

However, if the sequential adjectives do NOT individually modify the noun, then no comma is required between said adjectives.

c) A comma is required when an adjective or adverb is repeated for emphasis.

#3: Nonessential information and commas

a) Set off nonessential information with a pair of commas when used in the middle of the sentence. If such information is added at the end, then only one comma is needed.

b) When an explanation or definition modifies the subject, it should be set off with commas:

c) "That" and "which":

"That", a restrictive pronoun, does not take a comma.

"Which", a non-restrictive pronoun, requires a comma.

Note that this is not true for all "that"s; only if the "that" can be replaced by a "which", without altering the overall meaning of the sentence, does this rule apply.

d) When a nonessential word or phrase interrupts in the middle of a sentence, it should be set off with commas.

Ex: My bed, once it was delivered, was exactly how I had pictured it.

e) When a word or phrase declaring one's opinion occurs at the beginning of the sentence, a comma should be used to separate it from the main clause.

Ex: Honestly, how could you even think that?

f) When a word or phrase follows the main clause at the end of the sentence, it should normally be set off with a comma.

Ex: The movie was rather boring, to be honest.

There, that should be enough to get your inner grammar diva put-putting. Of course, there's a host of numerous more rules but those are far too complex to be learned through elementary blurbs; the best way to up your grammar game is to read like there's no tomorrow. Or use a saucy semicolon and cut some of that comma confusion away.

Regardless, keep writing without stressing about the grammatical errors. Those will definitely improve the more you write, so write your heart out.