Commas Make The Dramas

INTRODUCTION

I'm here to talk grammar. I know... it's a dirty word, and many writers fight against learning it or don't even care if they're using it correctly. Well, don't fight it till you try it, and second, writing is an act of expression, and if a writer isn't yearning to improve their craft, then they're floating off into Forgotten-land. This primer will focus on only one small part of grammar, actually extremely small: the tiny punctuation marks (or lack thereof) which provide glue holding our thoughts together and describing their logical connections.

I'm an avid reader on this site; however, I've also been an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher for adults since the early 90s, so having taught grammar to non-native speakers of English, I've learned how useful and elegant English grammar can be. I also have a Master's in Education/TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) as well as a Bachelors in English, so I'm not just raving at windmills. I've tried to learn various other languages and am quite fluent in German, which uses punctuation completely differently to English.

One of English's strengths is its use of punctuation, which, when used effectively, can lead writers to have the ability to not only express themselves with words, but provides the spaces in-between, the pauses punctuation creates to give text readability. In addition, using punctuation correctly allows you to create additional drama with the comma. I know people don't mean to use punctuation and connecting words incorrectly; it's just few seem to know the rules or how to use them effectively. It's jarring to constantly be forced to re-punctuate stories in my head while reading simply to understand an author's intent. Thus, this is a hope that a few, if not many, can learn how to successfully combine ideas, thereby not only improving readability, but also "leveling up" their writing to meet the standards of the English language.

PHILOSOPHICAL BACKGROUND

Why is this topic important? Simply, a loose definition of grammar: it's the rules of communication agreed upon by the majority of its educated users. The best analogy: grammar is the rules of the game, yet here the game is communication. The better you are in understanding and using rules, the better you can play and win, and by winning, that's communicating your ideas successfully and expressing yourself the way you desire.

Like all rules, these can be broken, but

only

if you first know the rules. Two good examples come to mind. First, Picasso first learned the basic rules of drawing/painting before he could break them all and develop his personal, unique way of communicating. Once you learn the rules, then you can bend and break them, for then breaking them is for stylistic reasons, knowing that breaking rules in itself can lead to novel ways of expression. Another example I love to tell my students is the analogy of football/soccer great Diego Maradona, who famously broke the handball rule when scoring his "Hand of God" goal in Argentina's 1986 World Cup in Mexico City against England. Only his absolute mastery of the skills and rules of the game allowed him to break the rules and enable victory in plain sight. Not knowing the rules or simply using them incorrectly out of ignorance simply leads to a) getting caught out, b) maybe losing the game, which here means miscommunicating and/or confusing your reader.

Overview & Acknowledgements

I've read a few exposés here on this site which go into the basics of grammar, e.g. parts of speech, basic punctuation, & parts of a sentence. My goal isn't repeating their fine work, but I'd like to cite them and give them props first so you can reference them.

We're allowed to use HTML links, so please use the search function to find them.

—

"A Crash Course in Grammar" by

KillerMuffin

(02/19/02)

—

"Punk-Chew-Ay-Shun" by

Dreams of Desire

(09/09/06)

—

"

US English 101: Parts of a Sentence - Grammar made simple" (08/24/05) &

—

"US English 101: The Phrase" (08/24/05)" both by

lindiana

Rather than repeat their fine work, I want to explain, teach and motivate others to learn the correct ways to connect ideas in ways that are elegant and concise. As they say, it's not rocket science; in fact, many of my former students over the decades have improved their writing for business, academic and personal uses, simply by learning and applying these rules.

My reference, no my "bible," for these rules came from one specific book, one grammar tome to rule them all. You don't need to buy it, for mostly its usefulness comes from the charts and the wonderful exercises in learning how to use them, but still it's important to know the source of my knowledge. "Understanding and Using English Grammar" by Betty Schrampfer Azar is the book I've used in my ESL teaching religiously. The "Chartbook" is the best for seeing the rules illustrated & explained in simple, concise language in easy-to-follow charts. This and the other books by the author can be found at Amazon or any other reputable bookseller.

I mention the above book because this is where I'm getting the illustrations for this article. I've recreated them, using my own example sentences, and hopefully they'll show up as pictures here, in order to avoid copyright issues.

The key point about punctuation: "The comma makes the drama!"

Why is punctuation important? First off, take them out and it's clear that without them, visually commas and periods/full-stops break up the words into meaningful chunks. They basically instruct our brain a) how to visually depict where each idea begins and ends, b) how those ideas are connected and logically related to another, and c) how to organize and categorize them. These are mighty tools in a writer's arsenal, but just as any technology can used for good or evil, so can punctuation, or a lack thereof, be used to either confuse or provide clarity to the reader. The bestseller

Eats, Shoots and Leaves

, by Lynn Truss perfectly illustrated the problems we fall into when being careless using or omitting commas.

Finally, punctuation in English, actually almost in any language, is to also point out where we should breathe. Periods/full-stops tell us to take big breaths, or to make a more dramatic pause, and tell us to raise our voice to indicate it's the end of the idea.

Commas, conversely, inform us to take a shorter breath, to pause, telling us when to raise/lower our voice when reading.

Read this example sentence:

Because Texas is a big state, driving anywhere takes forever.

When read it out loud, at the comma, your voice with "state" goes up, then immediately falls to begin the word "driving." By doing this, we create drama in our voice. (Pro Tip: always say the sentence out loud or in your head if you need to verify if a comma is necessary or not.) Anywhere you want your reader to make a voice inflection, to go up, to make a dramatic pause, or to break up an idea in the head, use a comma.

The opposite order of the clauses creates less drama and makes the sentence sound like it's a matter-of-fact statement, for there is no voice inflection from between "forever and "because."

Driving anywhere takes forever because Texas is a big state.

Thus, the axiom: the comma makes the drama. Some more examples, with and without commas:

First, it's a good idea.

or

First it's a good idea.

Again, judiciously setting commas lets the reader know where you wish them to pause, breathe and add a dramatical space within the sentence. In the above sentences, technically from a grammatical standpoint, the left one is correct; however, a good writer knows when to omit them as a dramatical tool. In other words, once you know the rules, you can break them with artist license. Writers with no knowledge of using commas correctly, nonetheless, make sentences virtually unreadable by not using them in the required places or adding them when it makes no sense to breathe or pause.

CONNECTING IDEAS: Basic types

There are 4 basic types of sentence structures, i.e. grammar, used in English:

— CONJUNCTION

— ADVERB CLAUSES

— PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES

— TRANSITIONS

There are other types of grammar structures that come into play, yet none of them, such as Adjective or Noun Clauses, affect punctuation usage; consequently, we'll avoid them here.

First, exactly how to how to recognize them will be explained, then how they're employed in English, followed by examples. Finally, a summary chart will bring them all together, followed by a sample list of words organized by grammar type and meaning.

MAIN CLAUSE vs. DEPENDENT CLAUSE

: The root of all sentence structures.

Before we can delve into the above four sentence structures, it's vital to grasp one grammar concept: the difference between a DEPENDENT CLAUSE (DC) and INDEPENDENT CLAUSE, which will here be called

MAIN CLAUSE

(MC) to make it easier to differentiate between the words

dependent

and

independent

.

Main Clause vs. Dependent Clause

A

MAIN CLAUSE

is a complete sentence.

It contains the

only

a SUBJECT (S.) and VERB (V.) in a sentence. It may or may not contain an OBJECT (O.).

THUS: Main Clause = (S.) + (V.)

The dog ate my homework

.

(S.) (V.) (O.)

A DEPENDENT CLAUSE isn't a complete sentence. It must be connected to Main Clause.

Usually, it contains a connecting word in the beginning of the clause which makes it "dependent." It often but often doesn't have to contain a SUBJECT (S.) but doesn't need to have a VERB (V.), but can have a preposition phrase (Prep.).

EXAMPLES:

a)

The dog ate my homework because he was hungry.

Main Clause Dependent Clause

Dep. Cl. = because + he + was hungry

(Connecting word) + (S.). (V.). (O.)

b)

The dog ate my homework because of his hunger.

Main Clause Dependent Clause

Dep. Cl. = because of + his hunger.

(Connecting word = Prep.) (O.)

It's important to know the differences between the 2 here, but these are the 2 basic building blocks of English, the basic concepts you can't escape. I'll be referring to them later as DC (Dependent Clause) & MC (Main Clause.)

CONJUNCTIONS

: Connecting two Main Clauses.

There are only 7:

AND, BUT, YET, SO, FOR, OR, NOR

Does anyone remember the "Conjunction Junction" cartoon shorts from Schoolhouse Rock on Saturday mornings? If you don't, it's worth going to YouTube and watching it.

Conjunctions are elegant ways to combine two MCs

, but

it's not always the best solution.

1)

Texas is a big state. Driving anywhere takes forever.

[Incorrect]: Texas is a big state, driving anywhere takes forever.

Both are Main Clauses (MCs). They cannot be connected simply with a comma.
When this happens, it's called a run-on sentence. A period/full stop is used to separate the MCs.

2) Combining two MCs with conjunctions.

a)

Texas is a big state, and driving anywhere takes forever.

[A comma usually precedes the conjunction.]

b)

Texas is a big state and driving anywhere takes forever.

[In

short

sentences, the comma may be omitted.]

c)

Texas is a big state. And driving anywhere takes forever.

[In very

informal

writing, it's possible for a conjunction to begin the sentence.]

Two Main Clauses (MCs) may be combined into one sentence with a conjunction (full name: coordinating conjunction).

3) Examples with but, yet, so, for, or, nor

a)

Texas is a big state, but driving anywhere takes forever

.

b)

Texas is a big state, yet driving anywhere takes forever.

c)

Texas is a big state, so driving anywhere takes forever

.

d)

Texas is a big state, for driving anywhere takes forever.

e)

You can take a car home, or it's possible to take a taxi.

f)

It's too hot to walk, nor can we go jogging.

Notes.

In (b) when

yet

means

but

, it always follows a comma.

(When

yet

means "up to this time," it usually comes at sentence's end:

She hasn't arrived yet.)

In (d) when

fo

r means

because

, it always follows a comma. (When

for

is a preposition, it never follows a comma.

She thanked me for the present.)

In (e) when

nor

is used as a conjunction, it strangely doesn't follow the normal Subject + Verb pattern of English.

Sometimes, shorter sentences, such as example 1) above, sentences without combined clauses and ideas, can be used for stylistic reasons,

yet

when we do that, the reader must make the logical connections in our heads,

and

that connection sometimes has a chance of getting lost.Aren't conjunctions grand?

The key point to combining ideas with conjunctions is that a comma always comes before it. However, as stated above, a comma can be omitted in relatively short sentences. In longer, more complex sentences, it is usually preferable to use a comma simply for clarity's sake. Combining ideas with conjunctions allows ideas to be connected explicitly within a logical framework,

for

longer sentences almost always profit from using a comma when connecting with conjunctions. (For example, the last sentence!)

ADVERB CLAUSES

: Connecting Dependent Clauses with Main Clauses.

The essential way of thinking about using commas with

Adverb Clauses

is by visualizing driving from side street to main road. The side street is the

Dependent Clause (DC)

, and when we come to a major or main road, we need to slow down, maybe even stop and look, before proceeding on, what is called yielding, or giving the right of way. This slowing, stopping, and looking is basically a comma. In other words, the comma informs us that the

Dependent Clause

is done, and now here comes the meat, the main part of the sentence, the

Main Clause (MC)

. The opposite is true when coming from a major or main road onto a side road. The main road has the right of way and doesn't need to yield, thus, not needing to slow, stop to look, and therefore, not needing a comma. That's why no comma is necessary when beginning a sentence with a

Main Clause

and then proceeding to a

Dependent Clause

.

Thus the equations: 1) MC DC.

or

MC

[never a comma!]

DC.

Also:

2) DC, MC.

Another thing vital to remember when using Adverb Clauses is the adverb, such as because, while, if or whereas, etc, are always followed by a subject and a verb.

Example:

because

+

S

+

V (because we love)

We'll see below this is important in Prepositional Phrases.

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES

1)

Because of its size

,

driving anywhere in Texas takes forever

.

(

DC

,

MC

.)

2)

Driving anywhere in Texas takes forever

because of its size

.

(

MC DC

.)

Prepositional Phrases

consist of a Dependent Clause (DC) [Actually it's not a clause but a phrase.] & Main Clause (MC).

Here the DC

: because of its size

The MC: driving anywhere in Texas takes forever

A comma is used to separate the parts of the sentence only when a

Prepositional Phrase

begins the sentence. A comma isn't used when the MC comes before a

Prepositional Phrase.

Sentence 1) & 2) have the same meaning.

Notice: the punctuation pattern in English is almost always:

1. "MC (never a comma!) DC."

2. "DC, MC."

LIST OF WORDS USED TO INTRODUCE

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES

.

CONTRAST

: Despite / in spite of

PURPOSE

: in order to / so that

CAUSE & EFFECT

: because of / due to / on account of / owing to

Adverb Clauses and Prepositional Phrases basically use the exact same comma rules:

1) MC DC.

(or

MC

[never a comma!]

DC.)

2) DC, MC.

The main differences between the Adverb and Prepositional Clauses are:

1) Prepositional Phrases use a preposition (due to, instead of, as for, etc.) instead of an adverb to introduce them.

2) Prepositional Phrases are followed ONLY by a noun object instead of a Subject and Verb.

Difference between

Adverb Clauses

&

Prepositional Phrases

Adverb Clauses

1)

Because Texas is a big state

,

driving anywhere takes forever

. [

DC

,

MC

.]

2)

Driving anywhere takes forever because Texas is a big state

. [

MC DC

.]

The

Adverb Clause

contains a

Subject

& a

Verb

, as in example sentences

1) & 2), which have the same meaning.

Notice: the punctuation pattern in English is almost always:

"MC (never a comma!) DC."

"DC, MC."

Prepositional Phrases

1)

Because of its size

,

driving anywhere in Texas takes forever

. [

DC

,

MC

.]

2)

Driving anywhere in Texas takes forever because of its size

. [

MC DC

.]

Prepositional Phrases

consist of a Dependent Clause (DC) [actually it's not a clause but a phrase] & Main Clause (MC).

It does NOT contain a Verb.

It consists of a

Preposition

[

because of]

& a

Noun Object

.

[its size]

The DC in sentence 3):

because of its size

The MC in sentence 3):

driving anywhere in Texas takes forever

A comma is used to separate the parts of the sentence only when a

Prepositional Phrase

begins the sentence. A comma isn't used when the MC comes before a

Prepositional Phrase.

Sentence 3) & 4) have the same meaning.

It follows the same punctuation pattern as

Adverb Clauses

: 3) "

DC

,

MC

." 4) "

MC DC

."

ADVERB/PREPOSITIONAL LINKING PHRASES

Adverbs:

Clearly,

there seems to be some rules governing comma usage.

Next,

we'll see how they're used in sentences.

Tomorrow,

we'll have learned how.

In the last sentence, the words "clearly," "next," and "tomorrow" are adverb linking phrases. Basically, (yet another!) the general rule is — use a comma to separate the pre-sentence adverb from the Main Clause with a comma if it comes in the absolute beginning, basically introducing the following sentence. However, it's not necessary, and depends more on how you the writer wants the sentence to read. With a comma, there's a pause for a mini-breath, creating drama or dramatic tension. Those same three sentences above can be written without a comma and still be understood; however, it reads differently. Without commas, there isn't a breath, a pause, or any space between the adverb and the following sentence; thus, you read it in one long breath. The comma indeed here is for grammar, but without it, the sentence lacks the drama that a comma provides. Therefore, it depends on how you the writer want us the reader to read the sentence. Again, "the comma makes the drama," and here we see one of the best examples of it. If you put the above adverbs anywhere inside the sentence, no comma is used. So, don't forget when you're writing to include them, especially for clarity if you end up writing long, complex sentences like I'm prone to do. But use them intentionally or don't use them... intentionally.

Prepositional Phrases