The Noble Art of Editing: Using the comma by Jane Walters

Since August, I have devoted my monthly MTW slot to the topic of editing. I’ll return to its broader applications soon, but for now I shall continue with my guide to punctuation. This month, it’s the turn of the comma.

Literally the wrong kind of comma (photo courtesy of Pixabay)

We have already observed that punctuation divides the words visually on the page, so we’re not out-faced by a tsunami of black letters. Further, when reading out loud (best practice for our own writing), punctuation lets us know when we might pause, or take a breath, or go and pop the kettle on. Because we have all read for so long, we instinctively know how to follow the nudges of the given punctuation. So why is it so hard to get it right when we’re writing?

I recently edited a manuscript for a delightful lady. We haven’t met, but I can guess how she speaks. How? Because she used more commas than ever inhabited a page before, and I suspect she popped one in every time she paused to think. Don’t do that! Think of your poor editor and that over-worked delete button… 

I’m going to address 2 key uses of commas. 

1. They separate items in a list: A, B, C, etc. The penultimate item doesn’t usually need a comma but has the word ‘and’ after it: A, B, C and D. You thereby know you’ve got to the end (plus the full-stop is an extra clue). There is, however, a convention that is called the ‘Oxford comma’. It’s a ‘not strictly necessary’ comma that can clarify meaning. For example, in a list situation, I might write: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We all know I am referring to three persons there; but look again. Am I meaning ‘Father: Son and Holy Spirit’, as if the second two were sub-categories? The Oxford comma would give us: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Do you see that there is now no confusion? 

2. Commas are also helpfully used when separating out a non-restrictive clause within a sentence. If that sounds too technical, keep reading – you’ll recognise what I mean! Here’s an example: I walked up to the castle, whose ruins had dominated the skyline for miles, calling for Joe to follow me. If you take out the words within the commas and find you still have a complete sentence, you’ve used your commas correctly.

In closing, a reminder that a comma’s use can mean the difference between life and death. ‘I’m hungry. Let’s eat, Grandma’ is a world apart from ‘I’m hungry. Let’s eat Grandma’!

Jane Walters is Chair of ACW and leader of Green Pastures Christian Writers.

November's to-do list includes a new MS proposal, two editing projects and continued planning of next year's Ready Writers Retreats.

Insta: @readywritersretreats

www.janewyattwalters.com