The Use of Comma in Students’ Writing: Some Grapho-Syntactic Considerations

Abstract

This article on “The Use of Comma in Students’ Writing: Some Grapho-Syntactic Considerations” investigates the use of the punctuation mark comma among students of University of Uyo. English has indices for good and effective written communication, the indices comprising grammar and orthography.  The paper aims at determining the relationship between appropriate punctuation and grammar and its effect on good written English. The paper observes that of all the punctuation marks, comma is the most versatile and intricate in writing.  To justify this assertion, data on punctuation were obtained from written texts, isolated, categorized and analyzed in line with Error Analysis, the theoretical model adopted for this work.   From the analyses, it is observed that units of grammar such as lexical items, phrase and clause structures determine the use of comma in written texts. The investigation reveals that many students use comma haphazardly, one based on ignorance of grammatical rules, and two based on the notion that comma marks a pause.  The findings indicate a general tendency towards the insertion of comma where it is not required by comma selection processes and the omission of comma where it is required. The findings also reveal the preponderance of the separation of the subject from its verb and the verb from its direct object by comma contrary to the grapho-syntactic rules of English. Also found out is the inappropriate use of comma in coordinate elements, subordinate clauses and appositive constructions. The paper concludes that there is a relationship between punctuation and grammar. Because of the importance of punctuation in good written communication, it is pertinent to intensify drills on this aspect of language teaching and to make punctuation teaching an integral part of language teaching.