Comma, Comma, Comma, Comma, Comma Chameleon!

by Kristin von Kundra, MFA/TA, Personal Statements Tutor

The general trend with writing is that, if there is not a specific rule dictating the necessity of a comma, it can be omitted. Since there are many rules dictating comma usage, this issue of “Grammar Corner” focuses on tricky situations when it comes to using commas. For example, sometimes the use of a comma depends on the meaning of a sentence. Here’s a sentence that will help illustrate this: The police officer is concerned about the college students, who were injured in the car crash. As written, the sentence indicates all the students were injured. Without a comma, the sentence would indicate that only some of the students were injured. The grid below gives more examples like this.

For a more complete tutorial on comma usage, check out the Writing Center's handout on commas, semicolons and colons.