The Comma: Read it, Learn it, Use it

"Overcome the comma!"
Rob’s Megaphone (July 12, 2008)

"Puny but powerful, the itsy bitsy comma remains a foe to many folks striving to use good grammar. The comma is among the most confusing and misused punctuation marks in English grammar. Some people place a comma whenever they pause in their proofreading. While this strategy is a good guide, it is not foolproof. Some guys have a vague recollection of grade-school grammar and guess at the comma's proper placement. The problem here is that the rules get muddled over time. We see commas used incorrectly in print everyday...."

This 10-point list is a little technical. But, if you got through high-school English you should be able to make use of the advice.

The comma is a good tool for writers - when used properly.

Now, if we could only get apostrophes used properly!