Hopefully, after reviewing these rules, you understand the power of the most versatile punctuation mark, the comma. Such information is only useful if you can apply it to your own writing, though. Some of the work with commas simply involves memorizing a set of rules—like putting commas between the day and the year in a date, such as July 4, 1776. Other rules require more creativity, and learning these rules means using commas in a masterful way to improve and enhance the messages in your text.
Here are some ideas for using commas to improve your writing and take it to a higher level of proficiency.
An independent clause is a group of words that contains both a subject and a predicate and can stand alone as a complete thought. Commas can be used to join independent clauses, which creates longer and more interesting sentences. When a conjunction is used to join these ideas, the comma is placed before the conjunction.
Avery went to the theme park. She went on all the rides.
How can these two independent thoughts be combined into a compound sentence that gives the same message but shows a more masterful use of language?
A dependent clause can't stand alone as a sentence. It does have a subject and a verb, but it doesn't contain a complete thought. It depends on an independent clause to give it meaning. Dependent clauses are often used to introduce ideas in a sentence. When a dependent clause comes before an independent clause, a comma should be used to join them.
The ball rolled down the hill. (independent clause)
The dog chased after it. (independent clause)
How could these two thoughts be combined into a complex sentence by changing one to an introductory dependent clause?
In the pieces you have selected for your portfolio, look for places where you have some short simple sentences next to each other. Use a comma and coordinating conjunction to combine similar or closely related thoughts. Also look for simple sentences that could use an introductory clause to provide more details and information.
