Commas

A comma is a punctuation mark (,) used to indicate the separation of elements in the grammatical structure of a sentence. They should be used to aid reading as they help indicate the natural pauses in a sentence.

There are no rigid rules, and it is often a matter of personal preference. But here are some examples of how we use commas.

To show where there would be a natural pause if we were speaking:

• If the deadline is too close, we can put it back.
• In the meantime, please do your best.
• When they arrived, the meeting was over.

In a list

• He wanted to study in Bristol, Birmingham, Bath, Bolton, or Bangor.
• At school I studied chemistry, maths, and biology.
• At university I studied French and business studies.

Note the Oxford comma before 'and' and 'or' when there are three or more items in the list.

In pairs, in the same way that we use brackets.

My line manager, Jane Patterson, is on holiday.

Using a comma with 'however'

You should use a comma after 'however' when however means 'by contrast' or 'on the other hand'.

However, a good deal of discretion is left in the hands of regional managers.

Don't use a comma after 'however' when it means 'in whatever way'.

However you look at it, existing staff are likely to lose out.