The curse of commas

[Kiddo]

I've noticed in my writing that I tend to overuse commas. Does anyone else have that problem? Let me know, and we'll start a comma user anonymous group... Just kidding. But seriously, does anyone else have difficulty varying their sentances with semicolons and such? I'm getting better though, slowly but surely, now that I've noticed the problem.

[soggydude]

Commas? I've never really paid attention to those, but I suppose it's possible. Although if you have a lot I don't think it's overusing as long as you put it where it can correctly br.

[Tdyans]

Yeah, nothing wrong with a comma as long as you're using it correctly. I mean, you shouldn't substitute a semi-colon or something else just because you think you have too many commas; you should only do it if it's more appropriate than a comma (as in this case, where if I'd used a commas instead of that semi-colon, this would have been a run-on sentence.) That's probably not what you mean by trying to vary your sentences anyway though. Perhaps your problem is making your sentences too long with tons of subordinating clauses, etc. and the result is a multitude of commas? If so, I'm in the same boat.

[althechia]

My english teacher told me I overused commas, and since then I've been a little paranoid. I fear the coma, and the coma fears me. AH!! I used two already?!?!

[Rumiko Takeshi]

Ugh...I've been told I underuse commas. >< Still, I can't stand fics where I see a comma five times in a four word sentence. And sometimes people use commas instead of periods, and then periods instead of commas when ending a quote. This confuses me to no end, and why I never read fics with atrocious comma-usage, among other things.

[L]

Down with those commas!

Hehe- no, really- they have a right to love and affection and useage just like other forms of punctuation!

But I tend to use the comma's scoundrel cousin -the dash- wherever I can.

And then, there's the ellipse...

So commas are good in moderation! Hug a comma today! ;D

[Oily]

I do tend to overuse the dash - it's so easy to use. Commas can be used for so many things that they can make a sentence confusing, or run on too long - like this one is...I also like what I term "those three dots".

At least we all use punctuation.

[Leb]

The elipsis is my friend...but I don't know what to call "...."--a quadipsis? Commas are cool, and I use them pretty much in moderation, but I seriously overuse dashes sometimes. My understanding is that a dash ("--") shows a pause longer than a comma, such as if someone says "I--I--um," and a hyphen ("-") connects two words, as in the original version of teenager, teen-ager.

Edgar Allen Poe used a lot of dashes and whatnot, but the punctuation rules were probably a lot different when he lived.

[scriptfox]

The rule for using a comma or other punctuation when ending a quotation is relatively simple.

"You really need to tell May about that," he remarked.

"Why on Earth should I?" she frowned.

He rolled his eyes. "Try it and find out for yourself."


Using the comma in the first line lets the sentence continue. If you'd used a period, you would have ended the sentence, but you needed to add the "he remarked" bit in there. Sometimes you will need to use the punctuation anyway. The second line uses a question mark at the end of the quote, though the sentence itself continues. (It needs that ? mark, and it wouldn't fit at the end of the sentence.) The third line ends both sentence and quotation with a period.

"We'd better keep running," he gasped, "or else they'll catch us!"

Again, commas are used to let the sentence continue through both quotes before it ends at the ! mark.

[Leb]

Yes--often times ," is followed by "_ said;" ." ends the sentence and a new one can start; ?" is followed by "_ asked;" and !" is followed by "_ exclaimed." For example:

"Yes," she said.

"Okay." They stood up.

"What?" someone asked.

"AHHHH!" he exclaimed.

Though you can shuffle them a bit, that's how I usually see it. The action of speaking is lower-cased after the quote, but a new action would start a new sentence. For example:

"That's fine," she said.

"Okay, then." He took out a piece of paper.

And, no, I, don't, use, commas, a, lot, why, do, you, ask? I think I use commas moderately, and I've never been known for run-on sentences.

[twayblade807]

At my school, lots of people have been told off for overusing commas where full stops should be (e.g. I like using smilies, they are cute.)

But then I've been told off for overusing brackets and hyphens. I *think* I've improved, but ... I still use them a lot.

[Princess Ember Mononoke]

I used to use commas a WAY too much. Then I learned about Mr. Heiphen. Now I only use a moderate amount of commas -- but also a moderate amount of heiphens. Together, they create some confusing run-ons.

[squieshie]

Yes! I always overdo commas all of the time. It's just this weird habbit, I suppose, that I can't get rid of. Argh!

[calvinseviltwin]

;DTHE ATTACK OF THE GIANT MUTANT KILLER MONSTER COMMAS! ;D

Heeh, I think someone ought to write an article about the deranged mutant killer monster commas.

YES! I've been reading calvin and hobbes wayyyy too much.


DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNN (<--Stupid kids in my class say it too much)

[jenjen26785]

Oh yeah, I definitely overuse commas, I find it's often because of the influence of the style or genre of writing you may have read, for example, Dickensian novels have sentences which carry on from eachother for about half a page, just the same as this one! *choke, gasp*

*Spike*