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Wondergirl, How Does a Person Know When to Add a Comma or Commas to a Sentence?

Asked Feb 9, 2010, 11:25 PM — 10 Answers
Hi, Wondergirl, or to Others Who Might Also Have the Answer!

How does a person know when it's appropriate to add a comma or commas to a sentence, please?

When and where...

I tend to go "comma crazy" when I add them! I think that I add them too much. But, I'm not sure about that...

Thanks!

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10 Answers
Wondergirl's Avatar
Wondergirl Posts: 31,901, Reputation: 24408
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#2

Feb 9, 2010, 11:40 PM


One studied that in school long ago.

Please memorize this page on commas. The test will be on Valentine's Day.

Rules for Comma Usage

How one earth did you start thinking of about where you put commas? (Alty is guilty of comma splices.)
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Clough's Avatar
Clough Posts: 27,302, Reputation: 8524
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#3

Feb 9, 2010, 11:48 PM
I will look at and study that page.

My thinking is, that there really aren't set rules for them, unless a person is trying to be punctuation-wise correct for the usage of them because of preparing for and writing something where the reviewers of the work are requiring them to adhere to some sort of prescribed "standard".

Thanks!
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Wondergirl's Avatar
Wondergirl Posts: 31,901, Reputation: 24408
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#4

Feb 9, 2010, 11:53 PM


Quote:
Originally Posted by Clough View Post
My thinking is, that there really aren't set rules for them
Of course, there are set rules for them, just as there are measures and scales and values to notes. You don't play a piece of music just any old way or as you feel like it. There are rules and consistency in keeping them. The same goes for grammar and punctuation.
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Clough's Avatar
Clough Posts: 27,302, Reputation: 8524
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#5

Feb 10, 2010, 12:08 AM
I'll be back...

This old computer is starting to mess up now, as I can't click on a bunch of things for them to work the way that they should.

I need to restart.

I'll be back!

Thanks!
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Clough's Avatar
Clough Posts: 27,302, Reputation: 8524
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#6

Feb 10, 2010, 12:30 AM
Okay, I'm back now!

That took a bit of doing!

I don't know if you're still online or not.

How about if I make up something in a subject area about which I know, so that we can discuss it concerning punctuation and grammar?

Thanks!
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Wondergirl's Avatar
Wondergirl Posts: 31,901, Reputation: 24408
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#7

Feb 10, 2010, 09:02 AM


Let me know where.
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Clough's Avatar
Clough Posts: 27,302, Reputation: 8524
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#8

Feb 10, 2010, 11:22 AM
It would be on this thread, probably about music, piano technology or, maybe about playing the organ or piano for church.
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J_9's Avatar
J_9 Posts: 37,466, Reputation: 25825
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#9

Feb 10, 2010, 11:31 AM
I'm listening. I am guilty of repeated elipses, but that's only here on the boards. When I write, I am OCD about my writing. I learned a long time ago in the legal field that commas in the wrong places can change the meaning of the contract or legal document.
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Wondergirl's Avatar
Wondergirl Posts: 31,901, Reputation: 24408
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#10

Feb 10, 2010, 01:31 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Clough View Post
It would be on this thread, probably about music, piano technology or, maybe about playing the organ or piano for church.
Putting a comma in the wrong place in a sentence would be like writing music in 4/4 time and putting 5 quarter notes into one measure or like playing the scale in C but making the G a sharp. Not having a comma where it belongs is like having only 3 quarter notes (and no rest) in one measure of that piece or skipping the G entirely when playing that scale.
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