The comma is the most common and therefore the most difficult punctuation mark in English. It is in cases with the use of a comma that there are the greatest number of various difficulties and questions, which is often determined by the opinion of the author, personal emotional perception and interpretation of a particular case and situation described in the text. A comma in English, unlike Russian, is not always placed in subordinate clauses to separate from the main one, while in Russian subordinate clauses are always separated by a comma.
When a comma is not used
Commas are not separated in English:
subjective /predicate/ object:
It is important that she should be there on Wednesday. It is important that she be there on Wednesday.
My rule is that you should not drink. My condition is that you don't drink.
I insist that you call him soon. We insist that you call him quickly.
subordinate clauses where the circumstance is when they come after the main clause:
She told her all when she went downstairs. She saidher everything as she walked down the stairs.
I had to end my work earlier to aid mother. I had to finish work early to help my mother.
The police may take your car if you park it there. The police may confiscate the car if you park there.
The most common use of commas
The most common use of commas.
Comma in English is always used when referring to
Waiteress, I would like a menu, please. Waitress, bring the menu, please.
Father, there is no one here. Father, there's no one here.
Comma in English is used to separate individual enumeration items:
Purple, lily, red flowers filled several vases. The vases were filled with purple, lilac, red flowers.
Not a rose, went around the table, leaned down and take the little armchair. He got up, walked around the table, leaned over and took a small chair.
She laughs, drinks and speaks too much. He laughs, drinks and talks too much.
Note that in this case a comma before and can be used, but not required.
Used (but not required) between 2 main clauses connected by conjunctions and / as / but / and others. The comma is especially often used in English when the first sentence is long:
He will affirm it, and I will help him with his problems. He will confirm it, I will help him with his problems.
They stopped to look at each other,and she asked about this hard day. They stopped to look at each other and she asked about their hard day.
The crowd was stupefied, as the clown tried to entertain with his jokes. The crowd was mesmerized as the clown tried to entertain with his jokes.
Used after circumstances in subordinate clauses before the main clause:
When she went downstairs, she told him that Selena had already come. As she went downstairs, she told him that Selena had already arrived.
To support my sister, he had to leave Moscow. He had to leave Moscow to help my sister.
Having called Sara, she rapidly went to the station. Calling Sarah, she quickly drove to the station.
When in doubt, you should come to see me. When in doubt, come to me.
If you park the car there, the police will seize it. If you park your car there, the police will confiscate it.
Used after any part of a sentence where there is additional information about the subject:
The waiter, who was old, told that he knew me. The waiter, an older man, claimed to know me.
Subtleties of use
A strict rule of English punctuation is the postulate, according to which the use of a comma between the subject (several subjects) and the predicate is prohibited. This case represents one of the few situations where a comma is possible, however, it should be borne in mind that commas are underlinedonly additional information, and on both sides:
The girl who was so pretty, assuared that he saw me. / The girl, who was so pretty assuared that he saw me. - Both sentences are incorrect. No second comma.
The girl, who was so pretty, assuared that he saw me - Right.
The man who aided me that night, told that he recognized me. The man who helped me that night said he recognized me. - Wrong, there is no additional information about the subject, but only an explanation, commas are not required.
Correct: The man who aided me that night told that he recognized me.
The strike at the nuclear plant, which lasted theree days, is already over. - Additional data is separated by commas, as there is clarifying information. The strike at the nuclear plant that lasted three days is over.
The woman with whom Tom was in love left him after five years. - Explanation, commas are not required. The woman Tom was in love with left him five years later.
The manson, which was empty for three years, has been sold out. The mansion, which had been empty for three years, was sold.
The girl whom I desired to meet was away on vacations. The girl I wanted to meet has gone on vacation.
Apostrophe
An apostrophe, or colloquially a comma (in English it is placed at the top) goes together with the letter s in all cases of using the possessive case, except for the plural of objects and things, is formed according to the standard rule (then the apostrophe goes withouts):
father's look;
the princess's ring;
men's gloves (man-men);
students' tasks.
Note:
Comma in English above when forming the possessive case from proper names ending with the letter -s, you can use both options:
King Charles's wife/ King Charles' wife.
Used in abbreviated forms to indicate missing letters or numbers:
I'm - I am;
he's - he is /has;
'86 - 1986.
The apostrophe is put together with the letter -s when forming the plural of letters, numbers or abbreviations (with numbers and capital letters, the apostrophe can be omitted):
In the 1970's /the 1970s;
VIP's / VIPs;
He could not distinguish his L's. He slurred the letter L.
Split on call
A comma in English when addressing is used in the English dialect (colon is used in American) when making business correspondence, as well as in simple everyday speech.
Dear Mr. Frendick, We have received your letter…
Used in official or business correspondence after the last phrases of greeting, separating it from the last name and position (between which there are no punctuation marks):
Yours faithfully, / Yours sincerely, Ranason-. Ltd. BUT. Simpson Manager.
The comma is used in addresses on an envelope or in the upper zone of the letter (above the text), underliningaddressee's surname / name of organization / address / (no comma is required between house numbers and street name):
Stephen P. Denny, 5678 Starling Avenue, Garlem, L. A. 10857.
Also used to separate explanatory words from direct speech if no other punctuation marks are available:
"How were you?" Nick questioned. "He was ok", she replied. "Do you still hurt?" he asked. "No", she said, "not much." He said, "I am not aware."
Comma for introductory phrases and other words
Comma in English before because is not used.
He can't get into the house because she had lost the keys.
Subordinate clauses containing a circumstance need a comma if they precede the main clause. Comparison:
Because he was strange, I broke up with him. Because he was weird, I broke up with him.
Comma in English after introductory words (for example: so, well, however, probably, certainly, naturally)
In fact, I had a little chance to do it.
Probably, Tom would come to Paris at 8 pm.
In the presence of introductory words that have a participle or gerund:
Heartbroken, he has gone to his cottege. With a broken heart, she went to the cottage.
Used before the word for if it goes as a union (secondary sentences attached by this union rarely come before the main one):
I begged her to be there, for I had some information to tell her. I asked her to be there as I needed to give her some information.
I could tell about this woman, for I had seen him before. I could talk about this woman since I've seen her before.
Features of use
This is just a fraction of the rules that must be used in everyday life. And it always helped to be on top when communicating with an educated contingent and, without hesitation, to make contact, discuss topics on the forums.
In English, or rather, in the American dialect that is used in the US, everything is much simpler. Americans do not pay as much attention to this grammatical issue as, for example, in Russian grammar.
The thing is, two different teachers might tell you different rules about the proper use of a comma in an English sentence, and both might be right. And all due to the fact that in America there is no strict, organized system for using commas. But still, there are general rules, adhering to which a person can gain basic knowledge of English punctuation.
Conclusion
In normative English, the comma is a multifunctional punctuation mark, and its modern use is an example not only of transformations in the use of punctuation, but of how the whole target concept of what counts as a normative sentence in English is being modified. All the wayAt the end of the 19th century, authors and writers used a semicolon where one comma is now usually used, and a comma in those cases where no punctuation is now required at all. Throughout the 20th century, there have been dramatic changes in the punctuation rules of modern English.
