When do you use a comma?
The devil must have invented the comma! Not at all, because a comma gives the sentence structure the right meaning. If you want to know when to use a comma and when not to use it, all you need to know is a few basic rules.
You can hope to allay your displeasure with commas. Realize that a comma fulfills the vitally important role of including the individual words in a sentence in such a way that together they make sense of the sentence.
- Regardless of the rules, it is important that, being aware of this goal, you use a comma wherever you think it makes sense. From this point of view, it is not a matter of when you formally insert a comma according to the rules, but rather Make sure that you put the comma where you think it is appropriate, based on your feeling for the language and your understanding of sentences consider.
- When you formulate a sentence, you want to convey a thought to the reader. Say the sentence out loud to yourself. If you then recited all of the words in one breath, another person would have great difficulty understanding your text. So you have to take pauses, pauses in meaning that give the listener or reader of the sentence the opportunity to understand the words in their context. If you work with this sentence feeling, you are usually reasonably correct.
When to use a comma for "and"
Practical understanding of this hint is to look at the commas associated with the word "and". Usually, sentences or parts of sentences that are joined by an "and" are not separated by a comma.
- However, you can also use a comma if you want to clarify the structure of the entire sentence or if you want to emphasize a specific intention or emotion. Example: Our sales increased, and yet profits fell. The comma marks an emotional pause. It expresses indignation about the negative development of the profit situation and is therefore useful.
- If you formulate the sentence without "and", you have two main clauses with equal rights, which have to be separated with a comma: Our paragraph has increased, but the profit has fallen.
- By the way, there are of course some rules about when to put a comma. They facilitate the daily work in dealing with texts and standardize them spelling, orthography. So: Between clauses of equal rank that are connected with - and, or, or, as well as, how, either - or, both - and, neither - nor, are generally not used with a comma. Example: One is as good as the other.
- If two sub-clauses of equal rank are combined with opposing conjunctions such as - but, nevertheless, however, but -, put a comma. Example: We agree, but we ask for something in return.
- Equivalent main clauses, however, are separated, especially if they are in a list: Heaven is like this blue, the meadows are so green, the water is so blue and the mountains are so high that you can get there on the spot pulls.
- "That" is always preceded by a comma. Example: I hope you are fine.
- The "additional sentences" also require a comma. Example: We fight to survive. Here, after a "zu", the infinitive follows, i.e. the nominal form of a verb.
- The same goes for participle clauses. Example: Waiting for the bus, she read in the newspaper.
- According to the new regulation, you can use these sentences without a comma. For clarification and for better reading comprehension, however, it is recommended to use commas.
- Watch out for ambiguities. The comma changes the meaning of a sentence depending on where you put it. Example: We hope to get there every day. Contrast: We hope to reach our goal every day. If you say these sentences out loud to yourself, you can easily see the different meanings.
The rules for placing commas are quite simple, even if it is not so clear to everyone ...
The examples clarify the note at the beginning of this article. The new spelling rules have partially opened up the option of when to use a comma or when to leave it. The understanding of the sentence should always be decisive for your orientation.
