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Unit19

I have always had some trouble with

the use of commas.

Chris: Do you have a moment, Lea?
Lea: Yes. Is there anything you need?
Chris: I need a little help.
Lea: Don’t worry; let me check how I can lend a hand to you.
Chris: I have been making a letter to a prospective sponsor and I’m having some difficulty with
the use of punctuations.
Lea: Oh, I see. I hope I can help. Let me scan what you’ve written so far.
Chris: I have always had some trouble with the use of commas.
Lea: As far as I can recall, some uses for the comma are to separate topics in a series and con-
nect two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction.
Chris: I see. Then it seems that I would have to change this semicolon to a comma.
Lea: Yes. If you did not have a conjugating conjunction, then it would have been correct to use
the semicolon; however, in this case, a comma should be placed before the conjugating con-
junction.
Chris: I think I can manage it now. I’ll just remember what you’ve said and go over what I’ve
written again.
Lea: That’s good. Just call me if you need anything else.
Chris: You bet I will. Thanks!
Lea: No problem here. Chow!
Chris: Catch you later.

1. Which punctuation mark(s) do you have trouble with?

Sample answer:
I often have difficulty with whether or not to use a comma. For instance, I’m not sure
whether a comma should be placed after a short introductory phrase or at the begin-
ning of the sentence or not.

2. Could you cite an error in the use of commas that you’ve previously encoun-
tered?

Sample answer:
I once came across a list of uses for a particular product which contained an unneces-

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