More comma rules and guidelines:
Sentences containing parenthetical material usually need commas, depending on the type and necessity of the information. Take a look at the following examples:
1. Miss Piggy who is considered by most to be the star contributes to the success of the show.
2. Computers moreover play a vital role in all businesses and at the same time encourage new and fascinating approaches to the various fields of education.
3. Jerry a student in my Fundamentals of Writing course informed me that she could not find the word mnemonic in her pocket dictionary.
Commas are needed in all these sentences, so let’s take a closer look at where and why.
1. Miss Piggy, who is considered by most to be the star, contributes to the success of the show.
The clause who is considered by most to be the star gives us more information about Miss Piggy than is needed for this sentence to make its point. So we set it off with commas.
2. Computers, moreover, play a vital role in all businesses and, at the same time, encourage new and fascinating approaches to the various fields of education.
Moreover and at the same time are adverb phrases that aren’t really needed since they don’t affect the meaning of the sentence if we leave them out. Yet they do help direct our thinking, so when they are included we set them off with commas.
However, if the adverb is essential to the sentence, then we leave the commas out. For example:
The storehouse was indeed empty.
Two students cheated and were therefore disqualified.
3. Jerry, a student in my Fundamentals of Writing course, informed me that he could not find the word mnemonic in her pocket dictionary.
The phrase, a student in my Fundamentals of Writing course, renames the subject Jerry. Either used alone as the subject is valid.
Jerry informed me that he could not find the word mnemonic in her pocket dictionary.
A student in my Fundamentals of Writing course informed me that he could not find the word mnemonic in her pocket dictionary.
So when both are used, the restatement of the noun/subject is set off with commas. (This restatement of a subject is called an appositive.)
That’s enough for today. Next week we’ll continue with the parenthetical material as it relates to essential and nonessential clauses and phrases . . . and how to tell the difference.
1. Miss Piggy who is considered by most to be the star contributes to the success of the show.
2. Computers moreover play a vital role in all businesses and at the same time encourage new and fascinating approaches to the various fields of education.
3. Jerry a student in my Fundamentals of Writing course informed me that she could not find the word mnemonic in her pocket dictionary.
Commas are needed in all these sentences, so let’s take a closer look at where and why.
1. Miss Piggy, who is considered by most to be the star, contributes to the success of the show.
The clause who is considered by most to be the star gives us more information about Miss Piggy than is needed for this sentence to make its point. So we set it off with commas.
2. Computers, moreover, play a vital role in all businesses and, at the same time, encourage new and fascinating approaches to the various fields of education.
Moreover and at the same time are adverb phrases that aren’t really needed since they don’t affect the meaning of the sentence if we leave them out. Yet they do help direct our thinking, so when they are included we set them off with commas.
However, if the adverb is essential to the sentence, then we leave the commas out. For example:
The storehouse was indeed empty.
Two students cheated and were therefore disqualified.
3. Jerry, a student in my Fundamentals of Writing course, informed me that he could not find the word mnemonic in her pocket dictionary.
The phrase, a student in my Fundamentals of Writing course, renames the subject Jerry. Either used alone as the subject is valid.
Jerry informed me that he could not find the word mnemonic in her pocket dictionary.
A student in my Fundamentals of Writing course informed me that he could not find the word mnemonic in her pocket dictionary.
So when both are used, the restatement of the noun/subject is set off with commas. (This restatement of a subject is called an appositive.)
That’s enough for today. Next week we’ll continue with the parenthetical material as it relates to essential and nonessential clauses and phrases . . . and how to tell the difference.
This next comma "rule" is in a state of flux: when to use the comma in direct address. Used to be that anytime someone was spoken to using their name in dialogue, it was set apart with commas. And that rule still applies in sentences like these examples:
Officer, can you direct me toward the Southeast Expressway?
You have too many ands, buts, and sos in your essay, Dora.
For the moment, Carl, let's leave it alone.
However, today there is a shift toward dropping some of those commas in very short sentences/fragments. Like:
"But John . . ."
Go with your ear on these. If you don't put a pause in before saying the person's name, then leave the comma out.
Next week we'll wrap up the review on comma usage.
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