1. Commas, their uses, and you

2.  QA Compact, chapter 24, has all the comma rules. They are all very straightforward except for one or two crazy exceptions.  And yes, there are grammatically-based comma rules.  “Put a comma when you want the reader to take a breath” is NOT a comma rule.  The more common sense rule is “put a comma when you want to avoid confusion.”

3.  Use a comma before coordinating conjunctions linking two independent ideas. ▪ To show addition: and ▪ To show choice: or, nor ▪ To show consequences: so ▪ To show contrast: but, yet ▪ To show cause: for  If the ideas are not independent, then NO comma – independence requires the verb AND the subject.

4.  I have many imaginary friends and enemies  I have many imaginary friends, and they like me.  I have many imaginary friends who like me and think I am special.  I have many imaginary friends, and I have many imaginary enemies.  I have many imaginary friends and have many imaginary enemies.

5.  Any word, phrase, or clause that proceeds the main clause of a sentence is followed by a comma This includes:  Subordinating conjunction inversions.  Although that party was crazy, I still found my way home last night.  Prepositional, participial and absolute phrase inversions  Under the moonlight, I stumbled down Evans.  Correlating adverbs (conjunctive adverbs)  However, I fell asleep on the dining room floor.  Crazy exception #1 – if the introductory element is short AND does not affect meaning some will omit the comma. However, you will NEVER be wrong if you use the comma.

6.  Restrictive elements contain information essential for the meaning of the sentence, so DON’T use commas:  DU students who transferred to DU from another university do not have to take a First-Year Seminar.  Some students at DU go to all the hockey games  Non-restrictive elements contain non-essential information.  DU students, who are exceptionally smart, have to pass WRIT 1133.  Jenny, who is a huge hockey fan, goes to all the hockey games.  To recognize, take out the phrase you are wondering about

7. do not  Subordinating phrases do not get a comma before them when they appear after the main clause:  You will like DU if you like to ski. ▪ But use the comma if inverting: If you like to ski, then you will like DU.  I like DU because it has a great campus culture. subordinator shows contrast  Some grammarians have suggested that a comma is appropriate when a subordinator shows contrast. But this is OPTIONAL  I like DU, although I don’t like to ski.  I went to a private university, rather than a state university.