Confessions of a Twenty-Something Comma Queen
A Comma Guide for the Overly Indulgent Comma User
I almost feel I need to begin this post with an apology… commas are just the worst. There are so many sneaky rules that don’t always feel consistent—I swear, even commas don’t know where they want to go. Commas were always my archnemesis in writing (still are much of the time, honestly). Whichever teacher in high school advised me to use a comma every time I took a breath while reading a sentence can kindly eat dirt. Apparently, I hyperventilate when I speak because I was dropping commas everywhere for years after that. When I began my copyediting courses, I knew commas were among the top concepts I wanted to master.
I found, of course, that there are a lot of rules that hide in the shadows. I also found that I wasn’t alone in my misuse, as commas are commonly acknowledged to be one of the densest grammatical concepts.
When scrolling through various online guides to see what others consider to be the top three to five most important rules, the least number of rules I saw in one post was eight.
ProWritingAid’s article on commas includes over thirty FAQs on commas on top of the twenty-six rules in their “definitive list” of comma articles (yes, twenty-six separate links to individual articles about a single comma rule). That being said, it is one of my go-to sites for when I need reminders about commas, and I will link it at the end of this post.
I say all of that not to scare you away and discourage your eventual mastery of all things commas, but to let you know that you're not alone if you struggle with comma usage.
I won’t overwhelm you Comma Queens with dozens of rules today, but I do want to cover the rules where we see the most comma mishaps at EJL Editing.
1. Coordinating conjunctions separating independent clauses
Probably the most common comma error I see in manuscripts is the absence of a comma before coordinating conjunctions, or the presence of a comma when there is not a coordinating conjunction separating independent sentences (see our next perpetrator, the comma splice, for more on that).
As a reminder, coordinating conjunctions act as our connectors in sentences, and when used in between two independent clauses (complete sentences with a subject and a verb), they require a comma before them. To help remember what words act as coordinating conjunctions, you can use the acronym FANBOYS.
For
And
Nor
But
Or
Yet
So
Ex: Sara likes dogs, but she hates cats.
Ex: You can have a hotdog, or you can have a hamburger.
Ex: I ate the bowl of Captain Crunch quickly, and I wanted more as soon as I finished it. (That sentence may or may not be inspired by real-life events occurring as I write this).
The easiest way to determine if a sentence needs a comma before the coordinating conjunction is to see if the second clause can stand alone as a complete sentence. If it can, you will add a comma before the conjunction. If it can’t, it doesn’t need one.
Ex: I saw the horse and immediately backed away.
“immediately backed away” is not a complete sentence on its own, so a comma should not be added.
Ex: I saw the horse, and I immediately backed away.
“I immediately backed away” is a complete sentence on its own, so a comma is required.
2. Comma Splices
Comma splices are also among the top comma crimes writers commit. Comma splices occur when two independent clauses are linked with only a comma.
Ex: Delilah kissed Tom, he couldn’t believe it.
There are several ways to fix comma splices depending on the tone, pacing, and flow you are aiming for.
Option One: Make two separate sentences.
Ex: Delilah kissed Tom. He couldn’t believe it.
Option Two: Add a conjunction.
Ex: Delilah kissed Tom, and he couldn’t believe it.
Option Three: Use a semicolon.
Ex: Delilah kissed Tom; he couldn’t believe it.
Option Four: Rewrite the sentence.
Ex: Tom couldn’t believe Delilah kissed him.
Option Five: Use an em dash or a colon.*
*Em dashes, but colons especially, should be used sparingly and with intention. The colon tends to be more formal and must be directly related to the first sentence. Both tend to add an air of dramatics and emphasis to the second sentence. I am personally a bit of an em dash addict, but its usage all depends on the tone and intention of the sentence.
Ex: Delilah kissed Tom—he couldn’t believe it.
Ex: Delilah kissed Tom: He couldn’t believe it.
It is important to note that, in fiction writing, there may be rare instances where it is a deliberate, stylistic choice to use a comma splice. Again, these instances are rare, and more often than not, it is more appropriate to use one of the solutions above to remove the splice.
3. Dialogue Tags
Dialogue tags are words that immediately follow or precede dialogue that identify who is speaking and the nature of their speech.
Ex: “Pass the salt, please,” he said.
“I’d be happy to,” she replied.
Some common dialogue verbs are:
Ask
Answer
Exclaim
Respond
Retort
Whisper
Yell
So where does the comma come into play here?
When a dialogue tag follows the quoted dialogue, the dialogue should end in any punctuation except for a period. This means that if you don’t intend to use an exclamation mark or question mark to end your dialogue, but are following it with a dialogue tag, then you use a comma instead of a period.
Ex: “I can’t think of anything better than a thrilling book and a toasty fire,” said Bonnie.
When a dialogue tag precedes the dialogue, the tag should end with a comma.
Ex: Silas replied, “Add a steaming mug of tea to the mix, and I’d agree with you.”
Now, here is where things get extra confusing: when an action tag is used before or after dialogue, the quoted speech should be punctuated by any punctuation except a comma.
Ex: “Ah! You are absolutely correct, Silas. Let us put on the kettle.” Bonnie smiled at Silas before she stood and made her way to the stove.
Here is a final note on commas and dialogue: in American English, the punctuation (including commas) always goes before the closing quotation mark.
4. Introductory phrases
Introductory phrases are dependent clauses (not complete sentences on their own) that appear before the main body of the sentence. Typically, these phrases prepare readers for what is coming next in the sentence. A comma is used after an introductory phrase to separate the dependent clause from the rest of the sentence.
While there are several different elements and phrase types that can make an introductory phrase, below are some of the most common adverbs that typically signal an introductory phrase.
After
Although
As
Because
Before
If
Since
Though
Until
When
Yesterday/tomorrow/today
Yes/no
Ex: When you told me to leave, I thought you were kidding!
Ex: Yesterday, we went to the dog park and met some new friends.
Ex: Before you go, could you fix that light?
Ex: Because I love you, I will never give up on you.
Ex: No, I didn’t take her out last night!
5. Participle phrases
Participle phrases are phrases beginning in either a present participle (verbs ending in -ing) or a past participle (typically verbs ending in -ed). Participle phrases are used as adjectives to modify nouns that come before them.
When these phrases are adding additional nonessential context to a sentence (when the phrase is “nonrestrictive”), we separate the phrase with a comma. The rules for where to place commas are as follows:
When the participle phrase is before the main clause, the comma goes after the participle phrase.
Ex. Turning to face her, Becka spoke in a low voice.
When the participle phrase is after the main clause, the comma goes before the participle phrase.
Ex. I sank into the couch, exhausted from a long day on my feet.
When the participle phrase is in the middle of the sentence, there is a comma before and after the participle phrase.
Ex: Roy, wishing he hadn’t said anything in the first place, sighed deeply before continuing.
Carry on, Comma Queens—don’t let those commas smell your fear. You’ve got this!
