Tuesday Tips: Commas and Clauses
Writing became such a process of discovery that I couldn’t wait to get to work in the morning: I wanted to know what I was going to say. ~Sharon O’Brien
Last week we tackled the role of the comma in lists… now we move on to a slightly more difficult task — the use of commas to join clauses…
photo credit: tlindenbaum
First, a definition: A clause has a subject and a verb and may or may not express a complete thought. If it does express a complete thought and can stand alone, then it is an independent clause. Otherwise, it is a dependent clause.
- The dog slept = independent clause (verb = slept / subject = The dog)
- The boy threw = dependent clause (verb = threw / subject = The boy)
Commas can be used to join two independent clauses, if you remember to add a transition or joining word (conjunction):
- The dog slept, and the cat smiled.
If you forget to add the conjunction, then you will be guilty of what is called a “comma splice” or run-on sentence:
- The dog slept, the cat smiled.
Sound simple? It is!
Questions? I would love to answer them! Next week, we wrap up the other details of comma usage…
Wondering what Tuesday Tips you’ve missed?
- Why Punctuation Matters
- Apostrophes: Contractions
- Apostrophes: Possessives
- Apostrophes: Plurals
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