How to Write Great Essays

THE COMMA
Correct usage of commas (,) is not as critical to the meaning of your sentences as it is with other
punctuation marks. However, they can be used to convey your voice as they speed up or slow
down the pace of your sentences. Consider the difference in tone of the following example:
Sentence A: 
During my junior year, I attended a conference in Washington,
D.C., where student delegates from every state presented their ideas.

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HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS

CHAPTER 4 Mechanics
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Sentence B:
During my junior year I attended a conference in Washington,
D.C. where student delegates from every state presented their ideas.
Sentence A sounds more deliberate, giving a little more information with each clause.
Sentence B reads quicker, conveying the information faster and with equal weight on each
part.
In addition to helping to convey your voice and personality, commas are often misused.
There are two common errors that all college-bound students should be aware of: the comma
splice, and the serial comma.
Comma Splice
A comma splice is the incorrect use of a comma to connect two complete sentences. It cre-
ates a run-on sentence. To correct a comma splice, you can either:
■
replace the comma with a period, forming two sentences
■
replace the comma with a semicolon
■
join the two clauses with a conjunction such as and, because, or so
Comma splice:
Our school received an award, we raised the most money for
the local charity.