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This is the full-content outline of the speech I'm giving on commas. It might be useful.



The Missing Factor in Writing

Purpose: The audience will learn the importance and correct use of commas.

Central Idea: Commas have been severely underemphasized, and need closer attention.

Introduction: I remember that when I went into my first college class, I was arrogant. I expected to be the best, as I had always been. This was writing, this was what I did well. I had spent my whole life learning to improve my writing, mostly through reading, and thought I was ready. I was wrong. My teacher was Professor Guida, and he knew his business. My first assignment, which I thought I had done well on, had more red ink than my own black. Determined to improve, I tackled the second, and found that I had learned something. This went on, with me gradually improving, and by the end of the nine weeks, I was back at the top, and I couldn’t believe how different my writing was. It made more sense! It flowed better, and I had stopped fumbling with big words. Professor Guida changed the quality of my writing, and the grammar he taught will affect my chosen career forever. Yes, you heard correctly – grammar was the difference.

I. Grammar, as surprising as this may seem, is actually responsible for the awkward, stumbling feel to laymen writing.
A. The biggest of these problems concerns commas. Nobody, it seems, is entirely sure what to do with them. At best, the general flow remains uninterrupted, though said flow is rarely what it should be. At worst, the result is completely incomprehensible.
B. It is a common issue, and one that does not, it seems, belong to average, disinterested writer alone. Even universally acclaimed authors have been known to make these errors.
1. In fact, one of the greatest comma offenders that I have found is none other than Nora Roberts herself, renowned author of over a hundred novels.
2. Christopher Paolini, the mastermind behind “Eragon,” is another one. He’s not quite as bad, but misses commas, all the same.
3. Even you, college students, who have probably only recently come from ENC1101, are very likely guilty of the same offense. In my experience, most works of ten thousand words or more are missing as much as three hundred commas.
C. There’s hope. Once you grasp the concepts, it’s easy to learn to use commas. There need be no memorizing of complicated rules. In fact, you can usually see where to put them, with no rules needed. They make sense!
II. So why, exactly, are commas so important?
A. The main reason is that commas separate ideas. If this isn’t done, the entire meaning of the sentence changes.
1. “Writing Effective Speeches,” by Henry Ehrlich, which was supposed to be a reference, is, instead, an example. It is written, “The next time I used steep.” No comma. The sentence is now a fragment, promising to tell of the next time he uses the word ‘steep.’
2. It should be written, “The next time, comma, I used “steep.” Wait a minute, that’s not what he was saying before. This is something entirely different – now he’s saying that the next time he did something – what, exactly, is not important – he used the word ‘steep.’ It’s not a fragment, and it’s exactly what he meant to say.
3. Then, of course, there’s the classic, “Let’s eat Grandpa!” Poor Grandpa! Without that comma, Grandpa’s life is on the line. Better change that. With a comma there, Grandpa is not only safe, he’s also about to have a tasty meal.
4. If you’re paying attention, you’ve already learned something that all too many famous authors never did. “The Student’s Guide to Good Writing,” reminds us that “good ideas are sabotaged by mechanical errors.”
III. Now, as you listen, you may be thinking, “Why should I change the way I use commas? Lots of authors do it this way!” Lots of authors are wrong. There’s really nothing else to say on the topic.
A. I already mentioned Nora Roberts, but I’ll bring her up again, because she really is bad about her commas. Look at her books sometime. You may just begin to say, “Hey, wait, shouldn’t there be one here? And here? How could she make that mistake – it totally changes the meaning of the sentence!” I honestly don’t know the answer to that. I’m not Nora Roberts.
IV. So, now that we’ve finished leading up to it, you’d probably like to hear the answer to this problem. Well, I’m going to irritate you by throwing in a final word of warning. As “Everything You Needed to Learn about Writing in High School, But” says, “Don’t follow rules because other people suggest it, unless you feel it improves the writing.” Now to the good stuff.
A. Don’t be afraid to use commas. It’s much better to throw in one, where it doesn’t belong, than miss one altogether. In any case, if a comma makes sense in any given place, it’s usually right.
B. As Perdue University’s Owl Writing Lab website says, any time you start a sentence with a dependant clause – things such as, “While we were waiting,” and “As it was” – you always, always need to follow with a comma.
C. The Capital Community College Foundation’s grammar guide tells us that we always need a comma before a quotation. I shall add to that. You also need a comma at the end of the quotation, if you plan to add your own words, in the same sentence.

Conclusion: You can use this. Even if writing is a chore to you, you can, at least, improve your grades. Look closely, watch for pauses that you never realized you made, and watch your writing glow.

I use commas WAY too much. But I've learned to use them reasonably now xd

And for one reason or another, I tend to mix up my colons and semi-colons. Not sure why...