ABSTRACT

Though you are now doing advanced academic work, are you confident with using commas? For example, what is your main reason for placing a comma in a sentence? If the word pause comes to mind, you are not alone. Another common response is “to take a breath.” However, “pausing” is not a valid reason to use a comma, nor is “taking a breath.” The only way to place commas correctly is by applying comma rules: the rules for using commas are based on grammar, which defines sentence structure. Punctuation is the glue that holds grammar together.