Those Pesky Commas

Commas. Commas are tricky.

We learn in school that a comma means a pause, which is true, when you are reading. This doesn’t mean that, when you are writing, you should stick a comma in anywhere you feel the need to take a breath.

The rule that gets ignored most often is this: do not use a single comma to separate the subject from the verb or the object from its modifier.

Which means:

DON’T DO THIS: Stella ran along the ancient corridor, and dodged a vampire on the stairs. (Here, “Stella” is the subject and and the two verbs are “ran” and “dodged.” Just as you wouldn’t write “Stella, ran along the corridor” you can’t stick a comma between “Stella” and “dodged.”)

INSTEAD, DO THIS: “Stella ran along the ancient corridor and dodged a vampire on the stairs.”

DON’T DO THIS: “Just in time, Ambrose flung the amulet out of the window, and into the shrubbery.” (Here “flung” is the object and “into the shrubbery” is an adverbial phrase modifying “flung.” Just as you wouldn’t write “Ambrose flung the amulet, out of the window” you can’t stick a comma between “flung” and “into the shrubbery.”)

INSTEAD, DO THIS: “Just in time, Ambrose flung the amulet out of the window and into the shrubbery.”

Tune in later for more about getting commas into the correct places.