{"id":70538,"date":"2013-06-05T15:44:04","date_gmt":"2013-06-05T14:44:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.strattoncraig.com\/insight\/grammar-collection-the-comma\/"},"modified":"2013-06-05T15:44:04","modified_gmt":"2013-06-05T14:44:04","slug":"grammar-collection-the-comma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.strattoncraig.com\/us\/insight\/grammar-collection-the-comma\/","title":{"rendered":"The Stratton Craig Grammar Collection – The Comma"},"content":{"rendered":"

 
\nIn this edition of our compelling Grammar Guide, we\u2019ll be looking at the use of the humble comma and how its use can make or break your sentence. Pens at the ready!
\nWhere the comma came from<\/strong>
\nThe earliest incarnation of the comma was around the Third Century BC, when Aristophanes \u2013 the librarian at Alexandria \u2013 developed a three-part system of dramatic notation to help actors know how much of a breath to take in between reading a manuscript aloud. The name itself comes from the word comma<\/em>, which means \u2018a piece cut off\u2019 in Greek.
\nInterestingly, when the word became part of the English language in the Sixteenth Century, it actually referred to completely separate group of words rather than the actual \u2018tadpole\u2019 symbol we know today \u2013 that little gem came from the Venetian printer Aldus Manutius the Elder, who used a system of slashes to indicate pauses in text. These slashes gave birth to the petite \u2018figure nine\u2019 that we use in modern writing.
\nWhat you think you know about the comma<\/strong>
\nAsk anyone and they\u2019ll probably tell you to use a comma whenever you\u2019d take a breath if reading the text aloud. However \u2013 and in spite of what I\u2019ve just explained about the origin of the comma \u2013 the \u2018take a breath\u2019 rule isn\u2019t strictly true when placing commas. Since the days when people started reading in their heads rather than aloud, commas have acted more as a means of splitting up text into smaller, more digestible chunks. They can also change the meaning of a sentence quite dramatically; the famous example being the description of the panda in the dictionary:
\n\u201cPanda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.\u201d<\/em>
\nThis definition doesn\u2019t suggest that pandas in captivity regularly chow down on some bamboo, whip out a pistol and shoot some zoo staff before fleeing the scene \u2013 but the use of the comma in this example could imply so. Too many commas can be confusing, but then too few can be as well. So, how do we use the comma and ensure everyone\u2019s happy?
\nPutting the comma to good use<\/strong>
\nYou\u2019ll use a comma to indicate an introduction to a statement, such as:
\nWhen I was a child, I used to play in the garden.<\/em>
\nThis format indicates that the main statement (\u201cI used to play in the garden\u201d) took place in a specific time period and situation (\u201cWhen I was a child\u201d). Commas are also used to join two statements that would otherwise be separated by a full stop. For example:
\nI\u2019m really good at running, but swimming is much more fun.<\/em>
\nHere, the two sentences are linked by a comma and the word \u2018but\u2019. This makes sense, as it\u2019s how you would say it in conversation and it links two statements to make a general point. This is also true for sentences with lists. So, if you\u2019re explaining that you enjoy eating, drinking and dancing, as well as meeting up with friends, you\u2019d write:
\nI love to eat, drink, dance, and meet up with friends.<\/em>
\nThis rule exists despite the fact that we\u2019re usually taught never to use a comma before a conjunction such as \u2018but\u2019 or \u2018and\u2019. However, it\u2019s actually grammatically correct to do this if you\u2019re still joining two statements.
\nA comma is also used to signify a transitional phrase, which joints one sentence to the one following it:
\nWe wanted to stop for dinner at the caf\u00e9. However, we didn\u2019t have time in the end.<\/em>
\nYou\u2019ll find yourself using a comma in sentences like this with other words such as \u2018therefore\u2019, \u2018consequently\u2019 and the like.
\nHaving scraped the surface of using the comma, we\u2019ll come back to explore the other ways you can use it in another post. Until then, happy writing!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  In this edition of our compelling Grammar Guide, we\u2019ll be looking at the use of the humble comma and how its use can make or break your sentence. Pens at the ready! Where the comma came from The earliest incarnation of the comma was around the Third Century BC, when Aristophanes \u2013 the librarian […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[314],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-70538","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-copywriting-us"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Stratton Craig Grammar Collection - The Comma - Stratton Craig - Global Copywriting & Content Marketing Agency<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.strattoncraig.com\/us\/insight\/grammar-collection-the-comma\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Stratton Craig Grammar Collection - The Comma - Stratton Craig - Global Copywriting & Content Marketing Agency\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"  In this edition of our compelling Grammar Guide, we\u2019ll be looking at the use of the humble comma and how its use can make or break your sentence. 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