Fun Grammar Tips: When to use a comma, when to not use commas, and some common comma mistakes
When our team at Abridge News first began publishing content on our site, we found ourselves constantly having to double-check grammar guides when it came to comma rules. It can be tedious! We decided to put together a fun, short list of some basic comma rules, using various Kardashian family members to demonstrate. Enjoy!
1. Kourtney’s Coordinating Conjunctions
Rule: Use a comma when a coordinating conjunction connects two independent clauses.
An independent clause= group of words that can work by itself as a stand-alone sentence.
The seven coordinating conjunctions are: and, but, for, so, or, nor, & yet.
Examples: (Notice the coordinating conjunction in bold and the independent clauses in italics)
A) Kourtney dated Scott Disick for many years, and they have three children together.
B) Kourtney’s sons Mason and Reign have the same birthday, yet the two brothers are not twins.
*** Beware the unfashionable comma splice! Comma splices occur when a comma is used to separate two independent clauses with NO coordinating conjunction.
2. Kendall’s Intros
Rule: Use a comma after an introductory word group. An introductory word group = phrase that usually: 1) Adds description to the sentence’s main verb or noun 2) Answers one of the following questions: How?, When?, Where?, Which one? OR 3) Places a condition of some kind on the main part of the sentence. An introductory word group cannot stand alone. The comma is placed after the introductory phrase to signal the reader that the introduction is over and the main sentence is is about to begin.
Examples: (Introductory word group is bolded, explanation in italics)
A) According to Forbes, Kendall was the World’s Highest Paid Model in 2017.
^adds description to main verb
B) In April 2017, Kendall appeared in a controversial Pepsi commercial.
^answers the question “When?”
C) Prohibited by her contract with Pepsi, Kendall could not publicly comment on the widely-criticized ad.
^places a condition on the main sentence
3. Khloés clichés: Multiple Adjectives
Rule: Commas are needed between two or more adjectives that separately modify the same noun.
Examples: (adjectives in bold)
A) Khloé tucks her long, beautiful hair behind her ear.
B) Khloé’s giant, shiny ring sparkles on her finger.
4) Kim’s Non-Essential Elements
Rule: Commas are needed to separate nonessential (also called non-restrictive) elements in a sentence. These elements can be made up of a single word, phrase, or clause. In order to decide whether commas are needed, you must identify whether the element is essential or nonessential. An essential element is one that defines or limits the meaning of certain words; a nonessential element adds further definition or expands meaning.
**Helpful tip** Usually, the removal of a nonessential element would not change the original sentence significantly. Some information might be lost, but the defining characteristics of the person or thing being described remain the same. In contrast, the removal of an essential element would make the sentence more general or more ambiguous than intended.
If you identify the element as essential, no commas are needed. Nonessential elements must be set off with commas.
Examples: (nonessential and essential elements bolded, explanations in italics)
A) Kim Kardashian’s only son, Saint, was born in 2015.
^ The name Saint is a non-essential element. If removed, the sentence is still clearly talking about Kim’s only son.
B) Kim Kardashian’s sister Khloé was once married to Lamar Odom.
^Here, the name Khloe is essential. Removing it would leave room for ambiguity: Which sister was once married to Lamar Odom? Was it Kourtney?
Kristine Sowers is the Editorial Lead at Abridge News, which aims to get people out of their news echo chambers by making it easy to engage with a balanced set of opinions on important news stories. Click Here to subscribe to the Abridge Newsletter!
