Check for Commas Online: Common Comma Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

A comma error is a mistake that originates from the wrong use of a comma or missing one where it is supposed to be placed. Commas help readers know where there is a pause in your sentence so that they can make sense of your message. Unfortunately, comma errors are prevalent in academic writing. Students miss commas and other quotation marks, especially when writing in a hurry. Others speak English as the second language and are not very consistent on areas to use a comma. Unfortunately, punctuation errors, particularly the misuse of commas, lead to low grades when you submit your paper.

Common Types of Comma Errors to Fix With Comma and Punctuation Checker

Check for Comma Errors within Clauses

Most of the conversations are made of more than one clause. In most cases, this is two independent clauses or one independent and a dependent one. You make several errors within clauses or when joining two or more clauses. Here are some of them.

check for commas within clauses

Adding a comma before “that”. “That” in a clause is used to introduce a restrictive clause and does not require a comma. Here is an example:


Incorrect: The boy, that won the price was 12 years of age.

Correct: The boy that won the prize was 12 years of age

Using a comma just before a verb in a relative clause. Putting a comma before a verb in a relative clause changes the meaning of your sentences as it disconnects the two clauses.

Incorrect: One of the benefits of joining the group, is easy access to credit.

Correct: One of the benefits of joining the group is easy access to credit.

Use commas in essential adjective clauses. Essential adjectives explain what the sentence is about. Using a comma disconnects the clause from the rest of the sentence.

Incorrect: She is the girl, whom I met at the club.

Correct: She is the girl whom I met at the club.

Our comma misuse within clauses checker finds and fixes all these errors in your clauses.

Commas before coordinating conjunctions online check. Coordinating conjunctions are used to join two independent clauses. A comma should be used just before the conjunction. The only exception is if both independent clauses are very short. Here is an example:

Incorrect: He came home early but he was not feeling well.

Correct: He came home early, but he was not feeling well.

Incorrect: He is plump, but short

Correct: He is plump but short

However, if non-essential elements do not follow conjunctions, do not use a comma. Here is an example:

Incorrect: The cow needed treatment as soon as possible, but the veterinary doctor could not be reached on his mobile phone.

Correct: The cow needed treatment as soon as possible, but the veterinary doctor could not be reached on his mobile phone.

A comma should not punctuate sentences that start with coordinating conjunction. Here is an example:

Incorrect: Yet, the typical lifestyle of a college graduate represents a 20% rise in the cost of living than it was five years ago.

Correct: Yet the typical lifestyle of a college graduate represents a 20% rise in the cost of living than it was five years ago.

 Our comma and punctuation checker can fix these comma errors fast and conclusively.

Oxford Comma Grammar Checker

An Oxford or a serial comma is placed after a series of items in a list before placing the coordinating conjunction and, or).  The list should have at least three items. Depending on the writing style you pick, you may or may not use the comma. (APA writing style does not require the commas).  You know how to fix Oxford comma based on these rules. Here is an example:

Incorrect: He came home with oranges, bananas, mangoes, pineapples and dates.

Correct: He came home with oranges, bananas, mangoes, pineapples, and dates.

examples of oxford comma check

Our oxford comma grammar checker brings to your attention whenever you miss a serial comma. It also fixes cases where you put a comma between two items in a list of only two. Here is an example:

Incorrect: He bought a phone, and a bucket

Correct: He bought a phone and a bucket.

Online Check for Unnecessary Comma

You can check for unnecessary comma in your paper using our automatic comma checker. It scans your work and determines instances where you should not have used a comma, and fixes it. Many students tend to write really long sentences and put several unnecessary commas in the course of the work. Our tool helps you write concisely by underlining unnecessary punctuation. Here is an example:

When you pick a course, particularly in medicine, you need to put in hours of study, research, and practical lessons. Your hard work, will pay off, with a good grade at the end of the course.

There are too many unnecessary commas in the passage that you can correct with our grammar and punctuation checker. Just run the

Too Many Commas Identifier

Your paper may have too many commas. One of the most common instances where students tend to overuse commas is when connecting two independent clauses. This is also called a comma splice. Our comma splice checker is the perfect tool to help with comma and comma splice.  For people who are asking, “Do you put a comma between two independent clauses?” This tool identifies instances when you should or should not use a comma.

On the other hand, if you are wondering, “Do I use too many commas in my work?” This is the tool to pick to cross-check your essay for comma misuse. Luckily, the tool identifies and explains why you should not use a comma at that part of the sentence.

In most cases, writers use too many commas in wordy sentences. Our checker helps remove words that do not add value to your conversation. Here is an example:

With John, Mary took the loan, to build a house, whose cost was 1 million pounds, and put furnishings, worth 2,000 dollars.

This sentence can be split into two: Mary, with John, took the loan to build a house, whose cost was 1 million pounds. They put furnishings worth 2,000 dollars in it.

Missing Comma Finder

Are you wondering, “Does the comma go in the quotation marks?” and end up not putting one? Do you end up using too few commas in your search of how to avoid using too many commas in your writing?  Our comma and punctuation checker can help find missing commas and add them to your work. Besides, it explains why you need such commas where they are inserted. Our comma generator is the best tool to use to learn about punctuation if you do not have a good command of English.

To sweeten the deal, you can use our comma checker online for free. All you need to do is paste the work into its web-based editor and have the missed commas fixes with a few clicks.

Use our automatic comma checker to find and fix diverse types of coma errors!