Other Comma Errors
So far, we have explored two comma errors:
1. The comma splice (trying to connect two complete sentences with only a comma)
2. The subject-predicate comma (placing a comma between the subject and predicate, where there should be no punctuation)
The third type of comma misplacement is simply screwing up and placing a comma in some random place where there should be no comma. This odd comma creates an awkward, disruptive pause—one that leaves readers confused and annoyed. Unlike the subject-predicate comma, this error has no method to its madness. It is random and unexplainable.
There is one other case of comma misplacement that has some method to its madness. In the course of my time teaching, I often encounter this odd comma placement practice:
Bob worked hard to learn comma placement which, paid off in his writing.
Now, read that sentence aloud. Pause at the precise spot where the comma occurs. Here’s what you would hear:
Bob worked hard to learn comma placement which [pause] paid off in his writing.
That doesn’t sound right, does it? The reason it doesn’t sound right is simple: it isn’t right. Still, you may have noticed that there should be a pause—a comma—in this sentence. Where would you place that comma?
The answer is to place it before “which”—not after it:
Bob worked hard to learn comma placement, which paid off in his writing.
Or . . .
Bob worked hard to learn comma placement [pause] which paid off in his writing.
Do you see what happened? The student, hearing a pause directly before the word “which,” attempted to show that pause by placing the comma after “which.” For some reason, logic did not kick in, and the writer failed to place the comma where the pause actually occurs (in the space between the words, “placement” and “which.”). Although I do not know for sure, this error could be a symptom of dyslexia or some similar learning or cognitive disability, but oftentimes it is simply caused from a lack of good old-fashioned common sense. New freshman writers too often consider the arts of writing to be some encoded, esoteric practice, so they fail to see the common sense that governs most of the rules of writing.
Sometimes, comma errors are completely random. Perhaps the, comma was a slip of the finger, as seen in this sentence’s first comma. (When typing that sentence, my finger actually slipped and tapped the comma key. I thought this delightfully ironic error would serve as a perfect example of how even knowledgeable writers can suffer the occasional slip of the finger.) This issue is resolved by practicing effective proofreading methods, which I will share in a later article. Still, even the most attentive proofreader with the most effective methods commits an occasional typo and never catches it. Such is life: typos are sneaky bastards.
Most comma-placement decisions are remarkably simple: just place a comma where you hear a pause. So, why do people make them so difficult? And what reasoning do people give to account for their odd comma practices? Perhaps the writer, completely uninformed regarding the functions of commas, is simply trying to meet some imagined comma quota. Believe it or not, I have encountered this approach.
I recall teaching a college freshman who, somewhere along the way, had picked up the notion that he needed to have at least one comma per sentence. So, even if a sentence did not warrant a comma, he would simply throw one into the mix, wherever it “looked right.” Faced with the utter outlandishness of this student’s comma philosophy, I did not know whether to laugh or to cry, so I simply chose to stare blankly into space for a moment before assisting the unfortunate fellow with his writing.
I think part of the reason for such counterintuitive writing practices is that people do not view punctuation and grammar as serving any purpose beyond looking right or sounding proper. But punctuation does have applicable purposes, and this is especially true of the comma, which perhaps serves more roles in writing than any other mark of punctuation. (Consider, for example, the two roles the comma plays in that last sentence. Consider also how I used the comma in that first parenthetical sentence. The comma is a hard worker indeed.)
So far, we have explored the comma in terms of what not to do. We have applied the comma rule of thumb to develop a sense of the comma in prose. We have examined comma splices and other comma errors. But we still haven’t explored the functions of commas, and how they enhance our sentences. Even if we no longer fear the comma, how can we use it as our writing tool?
That, dear reader, is the subject of the next set of articles.
Interested? If so, here is the link to the first article on comma functions:
Christopher Altman, a community-college composition specialist, is passionate about bringing the art of effective writing to average, everyday Americans. He has published work in the field of medieval literature, and has authored a book on advertising language entitled, Telling the Truth to Deceive: How Advertisers Manipulate the English Language. Mr. Altman is an assistant professor of English at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, New York.
