Comma Space

I have recently picked up an old habit I used to have. Occasionally, when I am reading or writing and I come to a comma, I say "comma space". It is a strange habit, which is why I tend to say it in my mind or whisper it very softly, but I still do it and I am not trying to stop myself. I have actually found it to be useful.

One of my writing professors, from time to time, would give a workshop on performing our work. One of the things he would tell us is that "you Yankees talk too fast." He was write. All of my classmates would rush through their performances. Some were conscious of it and others were not. People mostly do it because of fear, but there is also the fact that many people simply talk very fast by nature. It may work for a one-on-one conversation, but it makes for lousy performances.

When I say "comma space", it adds a space between the words that the comma separates. If I say it in my head (i.e. silently) instead of saying it aloud, it naturally produces the perfect amount of space that a comma indicates. If you need to practice slowing down when giving an oral speech, "comma space" is an excellent tool for doing that. It also teaches you a certain amount of phrasing; breathe in when you say "comma space" and then keep going until you reach a period or the next comma. It sounds more natural that way.

The origin of "comma space" is in typing. When I write, I tend to use the write-the-way-you-speak approach, but I take it a step further. I actually say out loud the words I am typing. I naturally speak slower than I normally would because I am not a fast typist, but things like punctuation can add even more drag to my vocal train of thought. So I adopted the habit of saying the punctuation I was typing.

"Comma space" was the only spoken punctuation that stuck, but it has ended up being the most useful. Commas are the most used and most misused punctuation mark in English. Because I announced every time I was using a comma, it reinforced where and when to use commas. The rules got stuck in my head. Now I know when to use commas by feel, even when I don't know the proper rule for it. It ended up being a learning tool as much as it was a bizarre habit.

I don't necessarily advocate people saying "comma space" as they read or write. It won't be useful for everybody. I will say, though, that if you are having a problem with speaking too fast or misusing commas, this could be a useful exercise to help with your problems. It certainly can't hurt you to try it. Just make sure you aren't around anybody who is going to make you feel bad for doing it.