Comma Usage
08 June 2012, 12:33 PM
#1
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Comma Usage
I find myself struggling when it comes to proper comma use. I particularly struggle with lists and would appreciate some input.
For example, say I plan to do the following.
1. Go to the cinema
2. Then go for some food
3. Then pull a bird
There appears to be two ways to write this:
a) I plan to go to the cinema, get some food, and pull a bird
b) I plan to go to the cinema, get some food and pull a bird.
In general, b) is used more regularly. However, I can't help but feel that a) is the more accurate punctuation.
By not having the final comma in b) could it not read that getting a food and pulling a bird are related (i.e. food leads to bird, or they occur at the same time). My interpretation is as follows:
a) I am going to the cinema then I will get some food and pull a bird at that establishment or as a direct result of getting some food.
b) I am going to the cinema then I will get some food then I will go and pull a bird - 3 separate events.
What are your thoughts on this?
Finally, is there some easy to remember and implement rules for general comma usage. Perhaps something that is 95%+ accurate?
For example, say I plan to do the following.
1. Go to the cinema
2. Then go for some food
3. Then pull a bird
There appears to be two ways to write this:
a) I plan to go to the cinema, get some food, and pull a bird
b) I plan to go to the cinema, get some food and pull a bird.
In general, b) is used more regularly. However, I can't help but feel that a) is the more accurate punctuation.
By not having the final comma in b) could it not read that getting a food and pulling a bird are related (i.e. food leads to bird, or they occur at the same time). My interpretation is as follows:
a) I am going to the cinema then I will get some food and pull a bird at that establishment or as a direct result of getting some food.
b) I am going to the cinema then I will get some food then I will go and pull a bird - 3 separate events.
What are your thoughts on this?
Finally, is there some easy to remember and implement rules for general comma usage. Perhaps something that is 95%+ accurate?
08 June 2012, 12:41 PM
#3
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Be careful. You are becoming a yank.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_comma
On a serious note, as you may gather from the link, the use you're talking about is becoming much more common in this country. I think a lot of young people will see Americans posting on the net, or read material produced in America, and use that as the norm. So pretty soon we'll have a generation of British people using that comma and the old style without one will be lost or used to a much lesser extent.
It should be used now where there is ambiguity anyway - see link. ^^ But any time you see a list of 3 things or more in American English, it will have the comma you talk about.
Oh, and good enough for Oxford is good enough for the rest of us, I'm sure.
So to clarify: you would not be penalised for it and it is becoming more normal in this country all the time. Both ways can be considered correct, but I suppose it depends on setting. If you work for someone who'd rather you use the common British English style, for example, I guess that's what you need to use.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_comma
On a serious note, as you may gather from the link, the use you're talking about is becoming much more common in this country. I think a lot of young people will see Americans posting on the net, or read material produced in America, and use that as the norm. So pretty soon we'll have a generation of British people using that comma and the old style without one will be lost or used to a much lesser extent.
It should be used now where there is ambiguity anyway - see link. ^^ But any time you see a list of 3 things or more in American English, it will have the comma you talk about.
Oh, and good enough for Oxford is good enough for the rest of us, I'm sure.
So to clarify: you would not be penalised for it and it is becoming more normal in this country all the time. Both ways can be considered correct, but I suppose it depends on setting. If you work for someone who'd rather you use the common British English style, for example, I guess that's what you need to use.
Last edited by GlesgaKiss; 08 June 2012 at 12:56 PM.
08 June 2012, 01:28 PM
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Be careful. You are becoming a yank.
08 June 2012, 02:48 PM
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I was always taught a comma signifies a pause to take a breath while reading a sentence out loud, or a separator for a list. I was also taught that a conjunction implies a pause and hence a comma is extraneous.
08 June 2012, 03:35 PM
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Count yourself lucky, as I wasn't taught at all. I fvcked around from 1st-4th year at school and failed to learn this stuff. I have a C for English because I could prattle on about "Of Mice and Men" but I have massive gaps in my knowledge on basic stuff 
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08 June 2012, 04:06 PM
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Hats off to you sir for starting this thread on what is essentially a **** grammar police forum.
I too had recently been wondering about the exact point you have raised, although i normally just do the old fashioned thing and read it through, then place a comma where i would take a breath or pause when reading the sentence back. I would use a full stop when i took both a breath/pause and started on a different point.
Sometimes i use commas in both ways that you have in the two examples. It depends on how they sound as i read the sentence back to myself.
I too had recently been wondering about the exact point you have raised, although i normally just do the old fashioned thing and read it through, then place a comma where i would take a breath or pause when reading the sentence back. I would use a full stop when i took both a breath/pause and started on a different point.
Sometimes i use commas in both ways that you have in the two examples. It depends on how they sound as i read the sentence back to myself.
08 June 2012, 04:53 PM
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Sometimes i use commas in both ways that you have in the two examples. It depends on how they sound as i read the sentence back to myself.
09 June 2012, 09:06 AM
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09 June 2012, 10:01 AM
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09 June 2012, 10:42 AM
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Look up
Eats shoots and leaves
OR
Eats, shoots and leaves
Comma is essential if you are describing an animal but not needed if you are describing a scene from a cowboy movie.
Incidentally if you look at the current UN thread you will see a glaringly obvious misuse of the comma, actually as an apostrophe, in "pansy's" which should simply be pansies
dl
Eats shoots and leaves
OR
Eats, shoots and leaves
Comma is essential if you are describing an animal but not needed if you are describing a scene from a cowboy movie.
Incidentally if you look at the current UN thread you will see a glaringly obvious misuse of the comma, actually as an apostrophe, in "pansy's" which should simply be pansies
dl
09 June 2012, 11:32 AM
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09 June 2012, 11:33 AM
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+1.....oh and it`s nowadays 
English 101 as they say.
As said above, hats of to saxoboy for starting a thread like this. Maybe we should have one about bought and brought again because it`s still happening
Ps. the correct use is b by the way. Never use a comma before and...simply because you shouldn`t pause before using the word as it`s a `joining word` if you know what I mean
As said above, hats of to saxoboy for starting a thread like this. Maybe we should have one about bought and brought again because it`s still happening
Ps. the correct use is b by the way. Never use a comma before and...simply because you shouldn`t pause before using the word as it`s a `joining word` if you know what I mean
Last edited by ScoobySteve69; 09 June 2012 at 11:36 AM.
09 June 2012, 12:08 PM
#23
As mentioned above Google search eats shoots and leaves, it really does signify the importance of comma placement.
Last edited by BLU; 09 June 2012 at 04:25 PM.
09 June 2012, 01:12 PM
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Now please. You can't write about commas and disregard apostrophes
That's and it's
dl (pedantic of Wiltshire)
10 June 2012, 10:26 AM
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