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Keep the following rules of thumb in mind for when to not use commas. To avoid making errors when using commas in your writing, you must understand when commas belong (and when they don’t). comma: Punctuation mark, usually indicating a pause between parts of a sentence or between elements in a list.Ĭomma usage errors fall into two categories: using unnecessary commas and failing to use necessary commas.A run-on sentence occurs when two or more independent clauses fuse together without punctuation to separate them.A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are joined only by a comma instead of an acceptable form of punctuation, such as a comma with a coordinating conjunction, a semicolon, or a period.Avoiding unnecessary commas is simply a matter of understanding the rules of correct comma usage.They often include additional descriptive details. Occurring at the end of a sentence, cumulative clauses hook up to a main clause and add further information. AccumulationĪnother type of relationship between ideas that writers signal to readers with a comma is that of accumulation.
Define comma splice serial#
Still, not using the serial comma is relatively uncommon in American English, except in newspapers and magazines. Otherwise, depending on the chosen style guide, it is considered optional. In this situation, the serial comma needs to be used. It looks like the speaker’s parents are Darwin and Lohan, when in reality, the speaker meant to thank her parents and Charles Darwin and Lindsay Lohan. I’d like to thank my parents, Charles Darwin and Lindsay Lohan.” Can you see the ambiguity in the example below?Įxample 2: “Thank you for the award. The serial comma should always be used where it is needed to avoid confusion. The final comma, the one before and or or, is known as a serial comma (also called the Oxford or Harvard comma). If the second independent clause is very short, or if it is an imperative, the comma can be omitted.Įxample 1: Buy apples, bananas, and grapefruit at the store.
Define comma splice full#
When joining two independent clauses, or clauses that could stand on their own as full sentences, place a comma before the conjunction.
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They also help avoid the choppy, flat style that arises when every thought stands as a separate sentence. Used with coordinating conjunctions, commas allow writers to express how their complete thoughts relate to one another.