What does a comma do in writing?
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What does a comma do in writing?
What Is a Comma? While a period ends a sentence, a comma indicates a smaller break. Some writers think of a comma as a soft pause—a punctuation mark that separates words, clauses, or ideas within a sentence.
Why is punctuation important in literature?
Punctuation serves as a pause within a sentence, which is often necessary in order to emphasize certain phrases or words in order to help readers and listeners understand better what the writer or speaker is trying to convey. Thus, the basic function of punctuation is to place stress on certain sections of a sentence.
What are the five primary uses of a comma?
Separating the main elements of a sentence from each other. Setting off a parenthetical element from the rest of the sentence. Separating elements in a series. Setting off dialogs or quotations.
Do we need comma before and?
The word and is a conjunction, and when a conjunction joins two independent clauses, you should use a comma with it. The proper place for the comma is before the conjunction. Therefore, we need a comma before and. Don’t use a comma before and when one of the clauses it’s connecting is a dependent clause.
Poetry is frequently read aloud, so punctuation marks telling a reader when to pause are particularly important. In this poem, the commas tell the reader to pause where there is not a line break. This poem shows the way poets sometimes break phrases or sentences up into more than one line of a poem.
How punctuation affects meaning?
Missing or overused punctuation marks can change meaning and/or confuse the reader. In extreme cases, ambiguous sentences that are hard to decipher can be misinterpreted, putting lives at risk. Fortunately, most of the time, poor use of punctuation creates amusement rather than life-threatening danger.
Why should students learn punctuation?
As well as changing the meaning of a sentence, punctuation also helps to express ideas more clearly to the reader. Understanding that punctuation can change the voice of a piece of writing is the key to students becoming better writers.
What are the four uses of a comma?
Use a comma before and, but, or, so, for, nor, and yet when they connect two independent clauses (full sentences) that could stand alone.