Phrases, Clauses, and Sentences
Commas, Semicolons, and Colons
The main mistake people make with commas is putting them where they absolutely don't belong.
Don't use commas around restrictive elements.
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The novel Naked Lunch was banned from the school library.
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not The novel, Naked Lunch, was banned from the school library.
Don't separate subject from verb with a comma.
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The girl in the window is not my sister.
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not The girl in the window, is not my sister.
Don't separate a verb and a direct object or complement with a comma.
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I saw immediately the mistake I had made.
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not I saw immediately, the mistake I had made.
When your sentence includes paired elements—for example, with correlative conjunctions—don't use a comma to separate them.
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I wanted either a trip to Europe or a new Mercedes.
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not I wanted either a trip to Europe, or a new Mercedes.
In other situations when you are unsure about using a comma, don't add one out of insecurity. Check the rules first, and if the answer isn't there, count on your own ear to tell you when a pause is important.
