[Linguists’ Forum] Essential Pauses for Clarity in Communication by Lateef Kugbayi, PhD

My years at the College of Education (Now Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology), Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti State are full of exciting memories. One of such memories was my experience during a General Studies (GENS) class. Although I can no longer remember the lecturer’s name, one of his examples on the use of commas has always been a reference point for me, whether as a student or a lecturer of English language. Differentiating between “Slow men at work” and “Slow, men at work,” the lecturer foregrounded the importance of the correct application of commas to meaning-making in texts. While commas are used to indicate that the reader should pause a little before s/he continues to read, their omission, overuse or wrong use can affect the readers’ interpretation of the writers’ intentions. The misinterpretation of a text can lead to a breakdown in communication. In essence, candidates who will excel in TOEFL, SAT, IELTS, WASSCE, NECO and UTME must be conversant with when to (and not to) insert commas in sentences. To avoid ambiguity, misinterpretation of meaning, complete breakdown of communication or wrong choice of options in comma questions during the examinations, the candidates should master the various uses of commas, which include:
a. To separate an introductory word from the rest of the sentence.
Example 1: Yesterday[,] the police arrested the notorious bandit.
Example 2: Unfortunately, the Super Eagles lost the match to South Africa.
b. To set off a dependent/introductory clause from the rest of the sentence.
Example 1: When he stood to deliver his speech[,] the crowd cheered him.
Example 2: Before he arrived home[,] his brother had sold the property.
Note: If the dependent clause comes after the independent clause in the sentence, the comma will be omitted, as in (i.) The crowd cheered the governor when he stood to deliver his speech (ii.) His brother had sold the property before he arrived home.
c. To set off an appositive (a noun/noun phrase that comes after another noun/noun phrase to provide more information on it) in a sentence.
Example: Mr Sajo[,] the newly appointed manager of the bank[,] is my uncle.
Where an appositive ends the sentence, only the comma before the appositive will be applied.
Example: The people hailed Mr Jinadu[,] the village councilor.
d. To set off a non-defining relative clause. This is a clause that provides additional information about the noun/noun phrase before it. If the additional information is removed from the sentence, the essential meaning of the sentence will not change. Non-defining relative clauses are usually introduced by relative pronouns such as which, who, whom or whose. The clauses are also called nonrestrictive/non-essential relative clauses.
Example: Dr Omole’s book[,] which was launched last week[,] centres on the life of Former President Muhammadu Buhari.
e. To separate items (which can be words, phrases or clauses) in a series. A conjunction such as “and”/“or” usually comes before the last item in the series. In American English, a comma is inserted before the conjunction. However, the comma before the conjunction is omitted in British English. Writers are advised to be consistent in the choice of either of the two.
Example 1: The set contains a ruler[,] two pencils[,] three pens and an eraser.
Example: The Senate confirmed the ambassadorial nominations of Reno Omokri[,] Femi Fani-Kayode[,] Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim yesterday.
f. For salutation in letters, as in
Dear Sir,
Dear Joy,
My dear brother,
g. When closing a letter, as in
Yours faithfully,
Yours sincerely,
Your friend,
h. For dates and addresses, as in:
1st August, 2025.
36 Barde Street[,] Angwan Gimbiya[,] Sabon Tasha[,] Kaduna[,] Kaduna State[,] Nigeria.
i. To set off parts of a sentence that are in contrast to each other in the sentence.
Example: I was Mercy[,] not Mariam[,] who bought the bag.
j. To set off a quotation.
Example 1: Bisola Ayeola usually says[,] “Survey says.”
Example 2: “The economy has turned the corner[,] said the President.

Lateef Iyanda Kugbayi, PhD
Senior Lecturer
Department of English Language
Zamfara State University
Talata Mafara
[email protected]/+2347032985052