Ah, commas. This cute little punctuation mark is essential to writing understandable prose. Unfortunately, it is also among the most misused punctuation marks. I’ve seen countless examples of extra commas, missing commas, and commas that seem to be hanging out just because the writer wanted to put one there (or made a typo).
How can you conquer comma usage and take your writing to the next level? Here is your guide to navigating some of the most common comma conundrums. And don’t worry — I’m not a fan of high-falootin’ language, so this article should be digestible even for folks who shudder when they hear the word “grammar.”