The question is – Should they?
It is becoming increasingly annoying to read anything that is posted online these days. So much of what I’m reading contains some sort of punctuation error or incorrect homonym, and even spelling errors. It’s not because the person writing doesn’t know any better, rather I believe, it’s because time isn’t being taken to proofread what was written. Our world is fast-paced; there is no doubt about that. Deadlines need to be met. We want information instantly, and our compulsive want for communication comes at a price.
Have you ever gotten a text message where absolutely no punctuation was used? It’s tricky enough to decipher tone in the written word, and without commas and periods, it’s near impossible to understand.
I love the English language with all of its nuances and many rules and the exceptions to those rules – and of course – the exceptions to the exceptions. It is a beautiful, intricate language that has evolved over the centuries and continues to do so.
Oscar Wilde is credited with once saying, although I can not say with certainty of authenticity, “I spent half the day putting a comma in and half the day taking the comma out.”
I am certain, that sometimes, I feel like that, too.
Verbal English is not the same as written English. When we speak to someone one-on-one, or even over the telephone (Who does that?), we use pauses and inflection – the latter is not present in the written word. Did you ever have a teacher say to you if you pause while saying your sentence out loud, that means there is a comma needed? Emmm, not exactly.
The ‘Drama Comma’
This brings me to my favorite part of speech (read: pet peeve). It’s what I call the ‘drama comma.’ Imagine you are telling your best friend about a great sale the dress shop is having. “…the dress was half price,” you say, “aannndd (you put in a major dramatic pause) they took an additional 10% off at the register!” Most often you will find this written with a comma after the word and – like this:
“…the dress was half price and, they took an additional 10% off at the register!”
And comma. Ugh! This is the most irritating violation of grammar I can think of. How’s that for drama? You’ll find the abuse in every major news source, most blog sites, tweets and even within LinkedIn articles. Don’t even get me started with Facebook posts.
Moving Right Along
For the record, and is a conjunction, as is but, if and or. There are others, but those are the most commonly used with misused punctuation. Those of us of a certain age will recall the SchoolHouse rock series that aired Saturday mornings. They devoted an entire segment to dealing with conjunctions. Why? Because they are an important part of grammar. I’m betting that some of you are now humming the song, Conjunction Junction. For those who are not aware, here is a link. (Spoiler alert: you’ll be singing the song all day; I apologize in advance.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODGA7ssL-6g
What’s the function of a conjunction? As the song says, “…for hooking up words and phrases and clauses…” They join the words, and phrases and clauses to keep the train – the metaphor for a sentence – moving. In other words, no pausing here, so no commas are needed. Let me say that with a little more drama. For all that is good and holy, please do not place a comma after a conjunction! Thank you, I feel better already.
The Proof is in the Proofreading
I’m not flawless, by any means, and that’s why I ask others to proof my work. The technique may not eliminate all my errors, but I’m betting it’s more than enough to allow the reader a chance to digest what I’m trying to say. Taking a few extra minutes to look over your work, as I’m sure at least one teacher has suggested should be done, will yield far better results. Your readers will come away with a greater understanding of your words, and your work will have greater credibility. No drama there.
I’m interested to read your comments, drama-filled or not.
The Beth-Ann Alternative 