Comma challenge Copy
Posted on
23 December 2020
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Short sentences, with just one or two commas, are easy to check. The comma(s) will be there for a reason. Each comma will fulfil one of the purposes of commas. If a comma has no purpose, delete it!
For sentences that have more than two commas:
- Ask yourself whether you should create two shorter sentences out of this sentence.
- If the sentence needs to remain this long, identify commas that are acting singly and commas that are working in pairs, and check these as below.
- Fix as necessary.
For a single comma:
- Look at the position of the comma.
- Decide why it’s needed. If it’s not needed, delete it!
- If the comma is needed, check it’s in the correct position.
- Fix if necessary.
For a pair of commas:
- Look at the position of the two commas.
- Imagine deleting the words between them.
- If the sentence still makes sense, leave them where they are.
- If the sentence doesn’t make sense, ask yourself if you need to lose one of the commas, or move one or both of them.
- Fix as necessary.