The Nine Comma
Commandments
From the House of Tinker
The Ambiguous Comma
• Comma usage is probably the biggest
dilemma that all writers deal with.
• Students often say, “Commas go where
the pauses are, right?”
WRONG
Punctuation Saves Lives
9 COMMA RULES
There are nine rules that will allow you to
feel much more comfortable about using
commas. 
I know these rules, and I am going to share
them with you.
#1 To separate items in a list
This is the comma rule that you all are
probably very familiar with.
Martin voraciously ran to the store to buy
eggs, dandruff shampoo, and anti-fungal
cream.
*The last comma is known as the Oxford
Comma—always use it, and you won’t be
wrong.
#2 To separate two independent
clauses with FANBOYS
Whoa, wait a minute! What in the world is
an independent clause?
An independent clause is a complete
sentence.
In order to make this happen, you must call
on my favorite boy band….
F.A.N.B.O.Y.S.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
For
And
Nor
But
Or
Yet
So
These conjunctions
are necessary for
combining two
independent
clauses (complete
sentences)
#2 continued…
Whoa, wait a minute! What’s a complete
sentence?
A complete sentence consists of three
main ingredients:
1.Subject (noun/pronoun)
2.Verb
3.Complete idea
#2 continued…
Complete Sentences 
Sentence Fragments 
• My dog ran away.
• Jordan ate a whole
pizza.
• I ran home.
• Because I don’t like
ketchup.
• To stop them from
running.
#2 continued…
• Mary walked home after school. Her dog
was nowhere to be found.
Mary walked home after school, and her
dog was nowhere to be found.
• I told Tommy to take a shower. He still
smells like bad body odor!
I told Tommy to take a shower, but he still
smells like bad body odor!
# 3 To set off introductory
elements
An introductory element is a part of a
sentence that is used to give the reader a
sense of timing.
Yesterday, Tyrone and I went to go see
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
Before you wash your car, make sure you
have all of the correct materials.
#4 To set off parenthetical
elements (whisper clause)
A parenthetical element is non-essential
information inserted into a sentence to
give the reader more specific details.
The best team in the NFL, the Chicago
Bears, is playing tonight against the
Green Bay Packers.
#4 continued…
Thomas, the tallest kid in the class, is
wearing a Van Halen t-shirt.
#5 To separate coordinating
adjectives
Coordinating adjectives are simply two
adjectives, side by side, that both
describe or modify the same noun.
#5 continued…
• Throw away that stinky, old shoe.
#6 To set off contrasting
elements or a distinct shift
Contrasting elements are used to
emphasize the opposite of what was
assumed or thought.
#6 continued…
A distinct shift in the sentence indicates
the writer’s purposeful and dramatic use
of punctuation to emphasize a point.
* This is often used to communicate
sarcasm.
#6 Continued…
• He was merely ignorant, not stupid.
• I’m pretty sure Janet was looking at me,
not you.
#6 continued…
• Terry, the gorilla, seemed reflective,
almost human.
*A dash (--) is also appropriate for these
situations.
• Terry, the gorilla, seemed reflective—
almost human.
#7 To set off all geographical
names, dates, titles, and addresses
• Anchorage, Alaska
• September 30, 2010
• Rachel Lake, MD, will be at the
conference.
• Rachel Lake lives at 999 Bears Drive,
Anchorage, Alaska.
#8 To shift between the main
discourse and a quotation
• Emerson argues, “Be an individual!”
• Emerson argues that we should be
“individuals.”
• Tommy turned to Gary and said, “I’m
hungry,” but Gary was too scared to eat.
• “Go home,” said Janice vehemently.
#9 To avoid confusion
• According to Frankie Martin never
sleeps more than four hours a night.
CONFUSING! Is Frankie Martin one
person??
• According to Frankie, Martin never
sleeps more than four hours a night. 
#9 continued…
• If you ask Sharita Alice Walker is one of
the most influential writers in the last
century.
INCORRECT!! Who is the writer???
• If you ask Sharita, Alice Walker is one of
the most influential writers in the last
century. 
Defenders of the Comma
World
Now that I have instructed you all in the art
of comma wielding, you can travel the
world perpetuating proper comma
usage.
Help Each Other Conquer!
Don’t be deterred by the Evil Comma
Abusers that seek to drag grammar into
the bowels of Run-on Sentences and
Comma Splices!!!
Comma Splice
• When you join two independent
sentences with a comma – OUCH!!!
• Avoid by:
– Using FANBOYS
• Or
– Using a SEMICOLON
#10 Semicolon
• Separate two independent clauses with a
semi-colon.
– Like a yield sign instead of a full stop.
• Period four is the best class ever; they
are not sorry for you.
– Period two is the best class ever. They are
not sorry.