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The comma is one of the most abused and misused punctuation marks in the English language.
The comma gives us the dreaded run-on sentence, the confusion of verb separation and odd
sentence fragments, and—when missing altogether—some of the most hilarious
misunderstandings in the grammar world.
Is there anything more annoying than a run-on sentence, one that doesn't seem to ever end, and as
one comma piles on another, without any break in sight, you begin to wonder what it is that you're
even reading, as the point becomes less and less clear the longer you read, and the original subject
gets lost in all these ceaseless, pointless, commas, because how can anyone think it's even possible
to understand so many thoughts crammed in between two periods?
The run-on sentence, or comma splice, happens when a comma joins two independent clauses.
An independent clause is a standalone statement. If both parts of your sentence make perfect sense
all by themselves, do not use a comma. Use a period, a semicolon, or a comma plus a conjunction
(if you really must have your comma).
As you can see, when the comma is missing, even the most well-intentioned statement can turn
into a minefield of unintended meaning. This common mistake runs rampant in text messaging,
Facebook comments, and status updates, which can lead either to someone simply laughing at the
awkward meaning of your sentence or to an epic misunderstanding.
"Attention: Toilet only for disabled elderly pregnant children. Thank you!"
As you can see, this comma separates the verb "clubbing" from its direct object, "baby seals." The
comma is the only thing standing between a murder and a dance-off.
When two elements of your sentence form a pair, usually in sentences using constructions like
"either . . . or," then no comma is necessary.
Remember, when you have an independent clause and a dependent clause in the same sentence,
no comma is necessary.
Although there are other ways to misuse commas, these three are the most pervasive; if you can
learn to avoid these, you're well on your way to proper comma usage! To be quite sure, consider
enlisting the expertise of a professional editing service to double-check for any missing,
unnecessary, or improperly used commas.