The Mechanics of Writing:COMMA ( , )

(The Oxford Comma)

Junnie Armel T. Salud, BSEd, MA (cand.)

• To write clearly in a style that is both personal and effective.

• A writer must master the mechanics of writing.

• Mechanics refers to the technical part of constructing sentences.

• Comma, quotation marks, and periods are visual signs. These signs help a reader to understand the writer’s intention.

Commas that Separate Basic Elements: Items in a Series A series consists of three or more words, phrases, or subordinate clauses of a similar kind.

Use commas to separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses in a series.

WORDS IN A SERIES: -Flounder, scrod, bluefish, and mackerel are all in season. -Her performance was flawless, exciting, - and inspiring.

PHRASES IN A SERIES: -I reached the station as the train pulled in by running at first, walking part way, and limping the final steps. -To check the accuracy of the experiment, we took four reading: at dawn, at noon, at dusk, and at midnight.

SUBORDINATE CLAUSES IN A SERIES: The report stressed that light was

inadequate, that the machines lacked safety guards, and that the ventilation system was poor.

Notice that the number of commas in each of the preceding series is one fewer than the number of items in the series.

*When conjunctions are used to separate all the items in a series, no commas are needed.

Ex. We ate hotdogs and baked beans and potato salad.

You should also avoid placing commas before items such as salt and pepper , bread and butter, spoon and fork because they are always paired.

Take a look at this sentence, what can you say about it?

Among those who came to watch the show were the president’s two daughters, Bill Clinton and George Bush. (without the Oxford Comma)

Oxford Comma (serial comma or Harvard Comma)

is a comma that is used before and/or in a list containing three or more items.

Oxford Comma helps avoid ambiguity in a sentence.

Among those who came to watch the show were the president’s two daughters, Bill Clinton, and George Bush. (with the Oxford Comma)

I would like to thank my parents, Nelson Mandela and Dalai Lama.

I would like to thank my parents, Nelson Mandela, and Dalai Lama.

(Without the Oxford Comma, it would appear as if Nelson Mandela and Dalai Lama are the parents of the writer.)

EXERCISESPunctuating Items in a Series and Coordinate Adjectives.Copy each sentence that needs commas, adding the

necessary commas. For any sentences that do not need commas, write correct.

1. The leader of the rock group was a friendly attractive youth.2. Fresh fruit green vegetables lean meat and grain products

were part of her diet.3. She wore her new blue jeans.4. Our advisor planned the trip chartered the bus and arranged

the hotel reservations.5. A well-planned thoughtful speech followed the introduction.6. Battles were fought in New Jersey New York Pennsylvania

Delaware and Virginia during the Revolutionary War.7. These hard plants grow equally well in window boxes in home

gardens and in open fields.8. The survey of the city showed that many buildings were

abandonded that many small businesses had closed and that the streets needed repair.

9. For Christmas I bought Father a pair of soft pigskin gloves.10. The vessel slipped into port on a rainy moonless night.

REFERENCES

Forlini, G., Bauer, M., Biener L., Capo L., Kenyon K., Shaw, D., & Verner, Z. 2010. Prentice Hall Grammar and Composition 4. Philippines: Pearson Education South Asia

www. grammarics.com