…and they have nothing to do with a NATURAL PAUSE!!!!
Writers use punctuation (commas, periods, question marks, etc.) to clarify meaning of their sentences.
A comma (,), for example, indicates a pause that is shorter than the pause at the end of a sentence.
Even though the comma indicates a pause in a sentence, it is not NATURAL!
It is RULE DRIVEN!
Commas are properly used to:
Set off introductory words, phrases, and clauses.
EXAMPLES:◦ First, we must save money.◦ By working very hard, we finished the job.◦ If what we hear is true, the concert will be
canceled.
Commas are properly used to:
Separate words, phrases, and clauses in a series.
EXAMPLES:◦ Did you buy apples, bananas, and oranges?◦ She raced into the house, ran upstairs, and
took a fast shower.◦ I came, I saw, I conquered.
Commas are properly used to:
Separate the individual items in dates and addresses.
EXAMPLES:◦ Lou graduated on June 10, 2002, from North
Stafford High School. ◦ The Smiths live at 21 Park Street, Mountain
View, California.
The comma is also used to:
Separate two or more coordinate adjectives before a noun.
EXAMPLES:◦ A long, sleek, black limousine◦ A skinny, dirty, lost dog
The comma is also used to:
Set off interrupting words or phrases from the rest of the sentence.
EXAMPLES:◦ Mrs. Green, carrying a bouquet of roses,
greeted her mother at the airport.◦ Michael Jordan, a great athlete, played
basketball for the Chicago Bulls.
The comma is also used to:
Set off the designation of the speaker in direct quotations.
EXAMPLES:◦ “Be sure,” he advised, “to come home early.”◦ Virginia cried, “You can’t make me do it!”