Grammatically Correct 9/28/04
A weekly grammar tip created by Academic Center Peer Writing Tutors.
University of Houston-Victoria
3007 N. Ben Wilson
Victoria, TX 77901
Commas Separating Words, Phrases, and Clauses in a Series
by David Felts
Using commas to separate words, phrases, and clauses in a series correctly allows for understanding by defining the elements in the series clearly.

Commas can be used in a series in three main ways.
1. The tomato plant was tall, green, and healthy.
(Note that this series has the preferred comma after green.)
2. The tomato plant was tall, green and healthy.
(Note that here the comma is omitted. This can be done if it does not interfere with the meaning of the sentence. Here’s an example of where an omitted comma could cause misreading: The street was filled with angry protestors, shouting spectators and police. It reads like the police were shouting.)
3. The tomato plant was tall, green, healthy.

Commas can be used to separate words.
Ex: I will need pencils, paper, and luck to ace this test.

Commas can be used to separate phrases.
Ex: This semester, I vow to work hard, pay attention, and buy the book.

Commas can be used to separate clauses.
Ex: The man who had the motive, who was in the library, and who had access to the candlestick was Colonel Mustard.

Note: Semicolons may be used instead of commas to separate the elements of a series or list when the elements themselves contain commas.
Ex: When you play the game Clue, you must decide on the weapon, the candlestick, the rope, or the lead pipe; the person, Colonel Mustard, Ms. White, or Ms. Scarlett; and the place, the library, the billiard room, or the kitchen.

Definitions

Phrase:
A sequence of grammatically related words without a subject and/or predicate
Ex: I went down the street with a kick in my step.

Clause:
A sequence of related words in a sentence that has both a subject and a predicate and functions either as an independent or dependent unit

Series:
A succession of three or more parallel elements

Definitions are from Harbrace College Handbook 
(12th ed.).
Recommended Grammar Website of the Week
by David Felts
Along with our own website, this week we recommend English Plus. English Plus has punctuation rules sectioned off into specific types of punctuation. It covers the more common types like commas and semicolons and goes on to cover ellipses and brackets with simply put rules to follow for correct use.

Visit English Plus at http://englishplus.com/grammar/punccont.htm.
Test Your Knowledge
by David Felts
Test your understanding of the comma by correcting the following sentences.

1. The author seems intelligent informed and pompous.

2. She said to Dr. Phil that she would love deeper listen better and work harder.

3. The man who drank too much who got behind the wheel and who was pulled over by the police no longer has a license to drive.

Answers (Note that your answers may vary due to the preferred comma.)

1. The author seems intelligent, informed, and pompous.
Alternate Answer: The author seems intelligent, informed and pompous. (Note: The first version provides more emphasis on the last item in the series—which is the point.)

2. She said to Dr. Phil that she would love deeper, listen better, and work harder.

3. The man who drank too much, who got behind the wheel, and who was pulled over by the police no longer has a license to drive.

 

Grammatically Correct is a grammar tip of the week created by Academic Center Peer Writing Tutors at the University of Houston-Victoria in Victoria, Texas.

Comments about this newsletter should be directed to Summer Leibensperger, leibenspergers@uhv.edu.

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