Ah, the ubiquitous comma. Commas are here, there, and everywhere, but are they being used correctly? As an editor, I’m keenly aware of the rules governing comma usage. Today, let’s look at a comma rule that is probably not familiar to the average writer.
A comma is used before a direct question posed within a sentence:
The writer’s question was, is this an appropriate use of the comma?
If the direct question is long or contains internal punctuation, then the question can start with a capital letter:
The writer’s question was, Is this an appropriate use of the comma, or have I been misled by years of English instruction?
If you find that these types of sentences are awkward, you can always rewrite them so that an indirect question is posed instead of a direct one:
The writer wondered if this was an appropriate use of the comma.
Note that indirect questions require no commas, no capitals, and no question marks.