![]() Some writers, such as Adam Freedman, say the commas in the law are arbitrary, and that the sentence is best understood by taking the commas out. "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." They have argued that the use of commas in the amendment changes the meaning. Both supporters and opponents of gun rights have argued about the meaning of the law. In other words, the comma makes clear that the final term is different than the others on the list.Ī second - and perhaps more famous - debate involves the second amendment to the United States Constitution. An Oxford comma is a comma that is used before the conjunction in a series of nouns. Part of the dispute in a recent legal case was related to the meaning of an Oxford comma. In other words, there is some level of personal choice when it comes to comma placement.Ĭomma placement is important - not just for writing papers and stories. Even when operating under the same stylistic guide, McCoubrey writes, different people will want to put commas in different places. In The New York Times newspaper, Carmel McCoubrey writes that the difference between comma usage styles is not always clear. So the independent clause, "we will explore common uses of the comma," could be its own sentence. You could remove the words that come before the comma. In the example you heard, the phrase "In today's Everyday Grammar" gives information about what comes after the comma: "we will report on common uses of the comma." Second, the comma shows that what comes before it is serving a different grammatical purpose than what comes after it. ![]() Jill Robbins) that she needs to pause her voice. The comma appears after the word "Grammar." Why is that?įirst, it shows the reader (in this case, Dr. ![]() "Today on Everyday Grammar, we will report on common uses of the comma. In their book, The Art of Styling Sentences, they note that commas generally serve two purposes: separating the main parts of a sentence and enclosing words and expressions.Ĭonsider the words you heard earlier in this report: However, in many kinds of modern writing, the comma serves a different purpose: to show what is different and what belongs together.Īnn Longknife and K.D. Historically, commas were used as a way to mark a short stoppage or break, instead of showing grammatical differences. In these kinds of writing, the relationship between written and spoken language is very strong. Pauses are important in creative writing, such as poetry, and in speechwriting. The first, and perhaps most common, use of commas is to show a pause. Luckily, we can find patterns among all of these stylistic rules. Teaching guides say there are lots of ways to use commas in writing. We will also tell about the importance of commas in American law, and how they still influence the meaning of laws.ĭo not fear: unlike driving on busy American roads, this report will be fun! Today on Everyday Grammar, we will report on common uses of the comma. ![]() One of the most important – and most debated – punctuation marks is the comma. Punctuation marks, like traffic signs, show your reader what is coming: a full stop, a minor turn or a sudden change of direction, for example. They show your reader what words are important, and what belongs together. Think of punctuation as a series of signs. What could help you find your way in this strange land? You are driving a rental car that you got at the airport. Imagine you are taking a trip in a foreign country. From VOA Learning English, this is Everyday Grammar. ![]()
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