Commas

Definition

Commas are punctuation marks used to indicate a pause between parts of a sentence, helping to clarify meaning and separate elements within sentences. They play a crucial role in structuring sentences, especially when integrating relative clauses, which provide additional information about nouns without starting a new sentence.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Commas are used to separate non-defining relative clauses from the main clause, indicating that the information is additional rather than essential.
2. When a relative clause is restrictive (defining), commas are generally not used because the information is essential to understanding which noun is being referred to.
3. In complex sentences containing multiple clauses, commas help clarify the relationships between those clauses, making the sentence easier to read.
4. Commas can also be used before conjunctions in compound sentences to separate independent clauses, improving clarity when connecting ideas.
5. Using commas correctly with relative clauses helps avoid ambiguity and ensures that the reader understands the intended meaning of the sentence.

Review Questions

• How do commas function in separating non-defining relative clauses from the main clause?
  • Commas play an essential role in separating non-defining relative clauses from the main clause by indicating that the information in the clause is supplementary. This means that if the relative clause is removed, the main sentence still retains its core meaning. For example, in the sentence 'My brother, who lives in New York, is visiting,' the clause 'who lives in New York' provides extra information but isn't necessary for identifying which brother is being referred to.
• Discuss the differences in comma usage between defining and non-defining relative clauses.
  • The main difference in comma usage between defining and non-defining relative clauses lies in their necessity for clarity. Defining relative clauses provide essential information about the noun they modify, so they do not use commas; for example, 'The book that I borrowed is on the table.' In contrast, non-defining relative clauses add extra information and are set off by commas: 'The book, which I borrowed last week, is on the table.' Omitting the comma in non-defining clauses can lead to confusion regarding the meaning of the sentence.
• Evaluate how incorrect comma placement with relative clauses can change a sentence's meaning and impact reader comprehension.
  • Incorrect comma placement with relative clauses can significantly alter a sentence's meaning and hinder comprehension. For instance, consider 'The students who study hard will pass' versus 'The students, who study hard, will pass.' The first suggests only those students who study hard will pass (restrictive), while the second implies all students will pass because they study hard (non-restrictive). Such misunderstandings can confuse readers about what information is critical versus supplementary, emphasizing the importance of proper comma usage.

Related terms

Relative Clause: A dependent clause that modifies a noun or pronoun, providing additional information and often introduced by relative pronouns.

Relative Pronoun: A pronoun that introduces a relative clause, such as 'who,' 'whom,' 'whose,' 'which,' and 'that.'

Independent Clause:

A group of words that can stand alone as a complete sentence because it contains a subject and a verb.