A comma in English is the most common and, therefore, the most difficult to write punctuation mark. It is in cases with the use of a comma that there is the greatest number of various difficulties and questions, which is often determined by the opinion of the author, personal emotional perception and interpretation of a particular case and situation described in the text. A comma in English, unlike Russian, is not always placed in subordinate clauses to separate from the main one, while in Russian, subordinate clauses are always separated by a comma.
When a comma is not set
Commas are not separated in English:
- subordinate subject / predicate / additions:
It is important that she should be there on Wednesday. It is important that she be there on Wednesday.
My rule is that you should not drink. My condition is that you do not drink.
I insist that you call him soon. We insist that you call him quickly.
- subordinate clauses, where there is a circumstance, when they go after the main clause:
She told her all when she went downstairs. She told her everything as she walked down the stairs.
I had to end my work earlier to aid mother. I had to finish work earlier to help my mother.
The police may take your car if you park it there. The police can confiscate the car if you park there.
Most common comma use situations
The most common situations are using a comma.
- A comma in English is always used when accessing.
Waiteress, I would like a menu, please. Waitress , bring menu please .
Father, there is no one here. Father, nobody is here.
- A comma in English is used to separate individual enumeration items:
Purple, lily, red flowers filled several vases. The vases were filled with purple, lilac, red flowers.
Not rose, went around the table, leaned down and take the little armchair. He got up, walked around the table, leaned over and took a small chair.
She laughs, drinks and speaks too much. He laughs too much, drinks and talks.
It should be remembered that in this case, the comma before and can be used, but not necessarily.
- Used (but not necessarily) between the 2 main sentences connected by unions and / as / but / and others. The comma is especially often used in English when the first sentence is long:
He will affirm it, and I will help him with his problems. He will confirm this, I will help him with his problems.
They stopped to look at each other, and she asked about this hard day. They stopped to look at each other, and she asked about this difficult day.
The crowd was stupefied, as the clown tried to entertain with his jokes. The crowd was enchanted when the clown tried to entertain with his jokes.
- Used after circumstances in subordinate clauses that go before the main sentence:
When she went downstairs, she told him that Selena had already come. When she went down, she told him that Selena had already come.
To support my sister, he had to leave Moscow. To help my sister, he had to leave Moscow.
Having called Sara, she rapidly went to the station. Calling Sarah, she quickly drove to the station.
When in doubt, you should come to see me. When in doubt, come to me.
If you park the car there, the police will seize it. If you park a car there, the police will confiscate it.
- It is used after any part of the proposal where there is additional information about the subject:
The waiter, who was old, told that he knew me. The waiter, an elderly man, claimed to know me .
Subtleties of use
The strict rule of punctuation of the English language is the postulate according to which the use of a comma between the subject (several subjects) and the predicate is prohibited. This case is one of the few situations where it is possible to put a comma, but it should be borne in mind that only additional information is underlined with a comma, and on both sides:
The girl who was so pretty, assuared that he saw me. / The girl, who was so pretty assuared that he saw me. - Both sentences are wrong. There is no second comma .
The girl, who was so pretty, assuared that he saw me - That's right.
The man, who aided me that night, told that he recognized me. The man who helped me that night said he recognized me. - Wrong, there is no additional information about the subject, but only an explanation, commas are not required.
Correct : The man who aided me that night told that he recognized me.
The strike at the nuclear plant, which lasted theree days, is already over. - Additional data is separated by commas, as there is more information. Strike on the nuclear factory lasting three day is over .
The woman with whom Tom was in love left him after five years. - Explanation, commas are not required . Woman in which Tom was in love , left his later five years old .
The manson, which was empty for three years, has been sold out. The mansion, which was empty for three years, was sold.
The girl whom I desired to meet was away on vacations. The girl I wanted to meet with went on vacation.
Apostrophe (Apostrophe)
An apostrophe, or colloquially a comma (in English at the top) is used together with the letter s for all cases of the possessive case, except for the plural number of objects and things, is formed according to the standard rule (then the apostrophe goes without s):
father's look;
the princess's ring;
men's gloves (man-men);
students' tasks.
Note:
The comma in English above when forming the possessive case from proper names ending with the letter -s , you can use both options:
King Charles's wife / King Charles' wife.
Put in abbreviated forms to indicate missing letters or numbers:
I'm - I am;
he's - he is / has;
'86 - 1986.
The apostrophe is placed with the letter -s when forming the plural of letters, numbers or abbreviations (with numbers and capital letters, the apostrophe can be omitted):
In the 1970's / the 1970s;
VIP's / VIPs;
He could not distinguish his L's. He clearly pronounced the letter L.
Handling separation
The comma in English when used is in the English dialect (the colon is used in American) during registration of business correspondence, as well as in simple everyday speech.
Dear Mr. Frendick, We have received your letter ...
Used in official or business correspondence after the last phrases of greeting, separating it from last name and position (between which there are no punctuation marks):
Yours faithfully, / Yours sincerely, Ranason-.Ltd. A. Simpson Manager
A comma is used in addresses on the envelope or in the upper area of the letter (above the text), emphasizing the surname of the addressee / organization name / address / (no comma is required between the house numbers and the street name):
Stephen P. Denny, 5678 Starling Avenue, Garlem, LA 10857.
It is also used to separate explanatory words from direct speech, if there are no other punctuation marks:
"How were you?" Nick questioned. "He was ok", she replied. "Do you still hurt?" he asked. "No", she said, "not much." He said, "I am not aware."
Comma for introductory phrases and other words
The comma in English before because is not used.
He can not get into the house because she had lost the keys.
Subordinate clauses containing a circumstance require the use of a comma if they precede the main clause. Comparison:
Because he was strange, I broke up with him. Due to the fact that he was strange, I broke up with him.
A comma in English after introductory words (for example: so, well, however, probably, certainly, naturally)
In fact, I had a little chance to do it.
Probably, Tom would come to Paris at 8 pm.
In the presence of introductory words with the participle or participle:
Heartbroken, he has gone to his cottege. With a broken heart, she went to the cottage.
It is used before the word for if it goes as a union (secondary sentences joined by this union rarely go ahead of the main one):
I begged her to be there, for I had some information to tell her. I asked her to be there, as I needed to tell her some information.
I could tell about this woman, for I had seen him before. I could talk about this woman since I saw her before.
Features of use
This is just a fraction of the rules that must be used in everyday everyday life. And it always helped to be on top when communicating with an educated contingent and, without hesitation, make contact, discuss topics on forums.
In English, or rather, in the American dialect, which is used in the United States, everything is much simpler. Americans do not pay such close attention to this grammatical question as, for example, in Russian grammar.
The fact is that two different teachers can tell you different rules about the correct use of the comma in the English sentence, and both may be right. And all due to the fact that in America there is no strict, organized system for using commas. But at the same time there are general rules, adhering to which a person can get basic knowledge about English punctuation.
Conclusion
In normative English, the comma is a multifunctional punctuation mark, and its modern use is an example not only of transformations in the use of punctuation, but also of how the entire target concept of what is considered a normative sentence in English is modified. Until the very end of the 19th century, authors and writers used a semicolon where one comma is usually used now, and a comma in those cases where now no punctuation is required at all. Over the course of the 20th century, dramatic changes have occurred in the punctuation rules of modern English.