Common but not forgotten

BY IAN LEWENSTEIN 

My father, mercifully, edited all my college papers. So when I was given the honor by my son to do the same—with a mandated same-day deadline—I was struck by his problems with commas and the irony that I had the same issues in college. But while my son, a first-year college student, can be excused, it’s much harder to forgive journalists and professionals for making basic comma mistakes that confuse the reader and can engender ambiguity. When it comes to basic comma mistakes, two are predominantly recurring: (1) missing commas between independent clauses and (2) commas used unnecessarily in compound predicates.

Commas as connectors

Commas can be used in multiple ways and for different purposes, but one important use is to serve as connective tissue between independent clauses. A clause contains a subject and a verb (I write); an independent clause can stand by itself as a complete sentence: 

I walked to the courthouse. I was late to my hearing.

In the example, both sentences are independent clauses because both clauses (1) have a subject and a verb, and (2) can stand by themselves as complete sentences. But we want to connect the clauses and show a logical relationship between them. To do this, we use coordinating conjunctions: “I walked to the courthouse, so I was late to my hearing.”

Along with the comma, the conjunction so connects the two independent clauses. So is part of a rock/sports group called FANBOYS (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So). When you have two independent clauses, you connect them using one of the FANBOYS.¹ Neglecting to use this connective tissue can easily stump readers because they expect a break between two sentences, each of which is expressing a distinct idea. This break is also known as the “pause test.” While not always reliable, the pause test illustrates how readers naturally expect breaks in writing. When the break isn’t there, expect your readers to slow down and stumble, negating your message.

Here are some examples from the Star Tribune that show how we need more FANBOYS in our lives:

If the two clauses are short and closely connected, we can politely excuse the commas and FANBOYS: “Ian cooked and Cindy cleaned.” (But don’t tell Microsoft Word, which is scolding me for omitting the comma after cooked.) Or if you are writing fiction, you can be more loosey-goosey. But remember that the goose shouldn’t be loose in professional writing.

Beware the compound predicate

Although using commas with FANBOYS is important, you don’t want to make the mistake of adding a comma where one is unnecessary. One example is when you have a compound predicate—that is, the same subject in two or more clauses, with the subject omitted after the first clause (stay with me!). A predicate is the verb plus other information. 

In a compound predicate, you wouldn’t add a comma as such: “The judge waved his hands furiously and spitefully threw his gavel at the witness.” The judge is the subject for both independent clauses, so we don’t need to repeat them in the second clause.

By dissecting why the judge was so animated (commas, perhaps?), you can understand why you would be mistaken to insert a comma with a compound predicate.

Normally: independent clause + comma + FANBOYS + independent clause

The judge waved his hands furiously, and the judge spitefully threw his gavel at the witness.

But compound predicate: independent clause + comma + FANBOYS + independent clause (same subject)

The judge waved his hands furiously, and the judge spitefully threw his gavel at the witness.

And if you add another verb, you have a series and must punctuate accordingly (serial comma, of course): “The judge waved his hands furiously, spitefully threw his gavel at the witness, and left the bench with a quick sweep of his cloak.” For the last two items in the list, you could insert “the judge.” But we don’t because we want to avoid sounding stilted and interrupting the sentence’s natural flow.

When you have a series of three or more items, ensure that you are using a parallel construction with both the subject and verb. For example, if you say, “I sing, dance, and cook,” the subject (I) is the same for each item in the series, and each item in the series is a verb. Here are some common mistakes (also from the Star Tribune) with parallel constructions:

Use but don’t abuse

Commas are good for organizing information in sentences. As with other punctuation, commas help readers navigate writing, understand it, and, ultimately, use the information. Misplacing a comma may seem trivial, but once you make it a habit, the reader stops reading and instead looks—or winces—for the next misplaced comma. Also, poor mastery of commas makes you vulnerable to being schooled by a judge, who may use a lengthy footnote and multicolor highlighting to explain basic grammatical concepts.²

Have other comma questions or topics you want covered? Feel free to email me.

IAN LEWENSTEIN has worked for the Minnesota Legislature in the Office of the Revisor of Statutes and for several state agencies, helping write clear regulations in plain language. He serves on the board of the Center for Plain Language and has a master’s degree from the University of Chicago and a paralegal certificate from Hamline University.

Notes

¹ You can also exchange the comma and FANBOYS for a semicolon: “I walked to the courthouse; I was late to my hearing.” The courts have recognized this semicolon use, too, even citing Strunk and White, authors of The Elements of Style. See In re Welfare of D.J.F.-D., 986 N.W.2d 17, 25 (Minn. Ct. App. 2023). Oddly, the court misdiagnosed that the clauses were independent and also the reason for the semicolon.

² See, e.g., In re Annexation of Certain Real Property to the City of Waconia from Waconia Township, OAH 84-0330-32991, 12 n.33 (Minn. Office Admin. Hearings 1/19/2016).