In the first part, we covered the basics of complex sentences: Independent and Dependent clauses. We learned that dependent clauses cannot stand on their own and must be attached to an independent clause to form a grammatically correct sentence.

In this section, we will begin covering the use of punctuation starting with commas. I will present the easiest method to developing an intuition for comma use.

The No-Comma situations: Independent + Dependent

While commas are often used to link independent and dependent clauses together, they are not always necessary. Specifically, you do not need a comma when an independent clause is followed by a dependent clause.

Situation	Rule	Example
Independent and dependent clause	No comma is needed If the dependent clause comes after the independent clause.	“We went to the store to buy school supplies since the new school year was about to begin.”
Independent and dependent clause	No comma when joining an independent clause with a dependent clause using a FANBOYS conjunction.	“The teacher scolded the boy for being late and sent him to the principal’s office.”

As we can see, if we follow the order “Independent Clause” + “Dependent Clause” we don’t need a comma. Whether we use a comma or not.

Comma situation: Dependent Clause + Independent Clause

Writing is ultimately a creative art, and it allows us flexibility.

For example, we can rewrite the same sentence in two different ways:

1. “We went to the store to buy school supplies since the new school year was about to begin.” 
2. “Since the new school year was about to begin, we went to the store to buy school supplies.” 

In the 1st example, we use the default order (independent followed by dependent) and don’t need to use a comma. In the second case, we shift the dependent clause out of it’s usual order, and thus need to use a comma to attach it.

Situation	Rule	Example
Dependent Clause (called “introductory clause when first in the sentence”) +Independent Clause	Put a comma after an introductory clause	“At the beginning of spring, flowers begin to bloom.”

Comma situation: Dependent clause in the middle of the Independent clause.

Let’s take a look at these two sentences:

1. “Johnny insisted on establishing positive first impressions” 
2. “Johnny was never to be seen without his sunglasses.“

The second sentence describes something in the first sentence, and it’s content is relevant. In these cases, we can include these details in one sentence by putting the contents of the second sentence after the noun it describes:

“Johnny, who was never to be seen without his sunglasses, insisted on establishing positive first impressions” 

In this case the extra information is not critical to understanding the content, and doesn’t “restrict” our understanding of the sentence. We call these types of dependent clauses “non-restrictive clauses.”

Let’s look at another example:

“Jonathan Joestar is the first of the Joestar lineage.”

Notice, we have two nouns in this sentence: Jonathan Joestar, and Joestar lineage. We can add details after either or both:

1. No Detail: “Jonathan Joestar is the first of the Joestar lineage.”
2. Describe Jonathan: “Jonathan Joestar, who was the first JoJo to obtain a stand, is the first of the Joestar lineage.”
3. Describe the Joestar lineage: “Jonathan Joestar is the first of the Joestar lineage, which continued through five more geneations.“
4. Describe both: “Jonathan Joestar, who was the first JoJo to obtain a stand, is the first of the Joestar lineage, which continued through five more generations.“

In these examples we have used commas to surround the non-restrictive clauses, but we can also use parenthesis or em-dashes (long dashes: 1 dash is a hyphen, 2 dashes is an en-dash, and 3 dashes in a row is an em-dash) to accomplish the same effect but with varying levels of formality.

Comma rule: Combining Independent Clauses

While everything up to this point has been focused on connecting an independent clause with dependent clauses, there are times where we use commas to connect two independent clauses(standalone sentences).

Situation	Rule	Example
Two Independent clauses	We can join two independent clauses using a comma and FANBOYS conjunction.	“The situation is perilous, but there is still one chance of escape.”	Conjunctions include:For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So  And, but, for, or, nor, while (in the sense of “at the same time”), and as (in the sense of “because”)

Comma Rule: Separating items in a list

This rule is one that is probably quite familiar to you: Using commas to separate lists of items.

a list

Use commas to separate items in a series

“Dogs, cats, and birds are common household pets.”

A quick note: While the “oxford comma” is optional, I believe it is recommended because it makes things clearer.

• Oxford comma: “I find inspiration in cooking, my family, and my dog.”
  • Here, the author is saying they find inspiration in the act of cooking, through their family, and through their dog.
• Without: “I find inspiration in cooking, my family and my dog.”
  • Here, we may end up interpreting that the author is saying they find inspiration in the act of cooking their family and dog.

Commas: Coordinate Adjectives

We often use multiple adjectives to describe a noun: “rough, narrow path” or “large red apple.” When the adjectives separately describe the same noun, they are called coordinate adjectives and need a comma between them. In other cases we have cumulative adjectives, which don’t need a comma.

• Coordinate Adjective (comma): The adjectives independently describe something about the noun.
  • For example, in “long cold winter” the adjectives “long” and “cold” both describe “winter” It was a “long AND cold winter”
    • If you can insert an “AND” between the adjectives and have it make sense, it is a coordinate adjective.
• Cumulative Adjective (no comma): With cumulative adjectives, the first adjective describes the adjective and noun together. For example, in “big red apple” the adjective “big” describes “red apple.” It’s an adjective used to point to a specific red apple.

In the next sections we will describe the use of other punctuations.