Nothing is to be done in education without steady and regular instruction.

Commas and other pieces of punctuation guide the reader through your sentence structures in the same way that signs guide drivers on the highway. Imagine what effect misplaced or incorrect road signs would have. Yet students often randomly place commas in their sentences, or completely for get to use them, making it hard to distinguish what the writer is trying to say. Try not to use a comma unless you know there is a need for it.

Any word group having a subject and a verb clause is a sentence. As we have seen, the clause may be independent (able to stand alone) or dependent (unable to stand alone). If two independent clauses are written together without proper punctuation between them, the result is called a run-on sentence. Here are some examples.

Classical music is soothing I listen to it in the evenings.

I love the sound of her voice therefore, Aaliayh is one of my favorite.

Run-on sentences can be corrected in one of four ways:

1. Make the two independent clauses into two sentences.

Classical music is soothing. I listen to it in the evenings.

I love the sound of a soft voice. Therefore, Aaliyah is one of my favorites.

2. Connect the two independent clauses with a semicolon.

 

Classical music is soothing; I listen to it in the evenings.

I love the sound of her voice; therefore, Aaliyah is one of my favorites.

When a connecting word such as:

also, consequently, finally, furthermore, however, likewise, moreover, nevertheless, otherwise, then, therefore, thus

Is used to join two independent clauses, the semicolon comes before the connecting words, and a comma usually comes after it.

BMWs are convenient; however, they are expensive.

BMWs are nice cars; therefore, I want one.

We traveled to London; then we  took the BMW to Paris.

Cosumnes River College recently built a large new library; thus students have more quiet study areas.

NOTE- The use of the comma after the connecting word depends on how long the connecting word is. If it is only a short word, like then or thus, no comma is needed.

3. Connect the two independent clauses with a comma and one of the following seven words (the first letters of which create the word fanboys): for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.

 

Aaliayh’s music is soothing, so I listen to it in the evenings.

Aaliyah is one of my favorite musicians, for I love the sound of a soft voice.

Each of the fanboys has its own meaning (for example, so means “as a result,” and for means “because”).

Swans are beautiful birds, and they mate for life.

Students may register for classes by phone, or they may do so in person.

I applied for a new job, but or yet I was still working at the time.

Aaliyah does not know how to use a computer, nor does she plan to learn.

However, before you put a comma before a fanboys, be sure there are two independent clauses. The first sentence that follows has two independent clauses. The second sentence is merely one independent clause with two verbs, so no commas should be used.

The snow began falling at dusk, and it continued to fall through the night.

The snow began falling at dusk and continued to fall through the night.

4. Make one of the clauses dependent by adding a dependent word (such as since, when, as, after, while, so that, as if, before, even if, even though, ever since, how, if, than, that, though, unless, until, what, whatever, when, whenever, wherever, whether, which, whichever, while, who, whom. Whose, why, or because).

Since Aaliyah’s music is soothing, I listen to it in the evenings.

Aaliyah is one of my favorites because I love the sound of piano.

Ways to Correct Run-On Sentences

They learned a new routine. They needed to practice it. (two sentences)

They learned a new routine; they needed to practice it. (semicolon)

They learned a new routine; therefore, they needed to practice it. (semicolon and transition)

They learned a new routine, so they needed to practice it. (dependent clause first)

They needed to practice because they learned a new routine. (dependent clause last)

5. Put a comma before for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (remember them as the fanboys) when they connect two independent clauses.

The neighbours recently bought a BMW 750i, and now they go everywhere together.

We wrote our paragraphs in class today, but the teacher forgot to collect them.

Monique was recently promoted, so she has moved to a better office.

If you use a comma alone between two independent clauses, the result is an error called a comma splice.

The ice cream looked delicious, it tasted good too. (comma splice)

The ice cream looked delicious, and it tasted good too. (correct)

Before using a comma, be sure words do connect two independent clauses. The following sentence is merely one independent clause with one subject and two verbs. Therefore, no comma should be used.

The ice cream looked delicious and tasted good too.

6. Use a comma to separate three or more items in a series.

 

Students in the literature class are reading short stories, poems, and plays.

On Saturday I did my laundry, washed my car, and cleaned my room.

Occasionally, writers leave out the comma before the and connecting the last two items of a series, but it is more common to use it to separate all the items equally. Some words work together and do not need commas between them even though they do make up a kind of series.

The Golden State Warrior team members wanted to wear their brand new white uniforms.

The bright white sunlight made the room glow.

To see whether a comma is needed between words in a series, ask yourself whether and could be used naturally between them. It would sound all right to say short stories and poems and play; therefore, commas are used. However, it would not sound right to say brand new and new white uniforms or bright and white sunlight; therefore, no commas are used.

If an address or date is used in a sentence, put a comma after every item, including the last. (No comma comes between the month and day in a date.)

My father was born on 10 September 1974, in Munchen, Bavaria, Germany, and grew up in New Castle, Delaware, America.

He lived in Oakland Hills, California, America, for twenty years.

When only the month and year are used in a date, no commas are needed.

He graduated in 1985 from Barbizon Modeling and Talent Agency in Wilmington, Delaware.

 

7. Put a comma after an introductory expression (it may be a word, a phrase, or a dependent clause) or before a comment or question that is tacked on at the end.

Finally, he was able to get through to his insurance company, and they offered a huge refund, and apology.

During her last performance, the actor was paid a huge sum of money.

Once I have finished my homework, I will call you.

He said he needed to ruminate, whatever that means.

The new chairs are very comfortable, are they not?

They cannot read who never saw the alphabet. They who know no tool, but the needle cannot be skillful at the pen.