Bill Pragnell wrote:
> Commas are tricky... most native speakers aren't too sure where to put 
> them. I know when they look wrong or right, and when there should be one 
> when there isn't, but I'm not sure I could describe the rules.

There are strict rules, tho.

Put one before a conjunction joining independent clauses, but not one 
joining a dependent clause to an independent clause. I.e., if you could 
replace it with a period and take out the word after, it needs to be a 
comma.

John went to the store, but Mary went swimming.  << Right.
John went to the store but Mary went swimming. << Wrong.
John went to the store but didn't buy anything. << Right.
John went to the store, but didn't buy anything. << Wrong.

(When the sentence gets really long but has a comma, I at least tend to 
get confused, as I'm instinctively looking for the second subject.)

Put one after an introductory prepositional phrase with multiple 
prepositions in it:

In an emergency run away. << Right.
In case of emergency, run away. << Right.
(I think a comma in the first one is optional but not required.)

If you have a phrase that limits the preceding phrase, use "that" 
without a comma. If you have a phrase that clarifies, use a comma and 
"which".

My grandfather Fred is old. (Note I have two grandfathers.)
My father, Steve, is young.
The monsters that you can't kill should be avoided.
   (Avoid only the monsters you can't kill,
    kill the monsters you can kill.)
The greebles, which you kill with the pistol, are weak.
   (The greebles are weak whether you kill them with the
    pistol or not.)

Introductory adverbial clauses always get a comma, even if they're only 
one word long. (These two instant sentences are rule one, btw. :-)

However, I liked the movie.
Not very helpfully, it was too long.

Put commas between elements of a list, obviously, especially if they are 
more than one word.

I like peanut butter and jelly, cucumber and bacon, and mustard sandwiches.

There are two or three more that aren't coming to mind at the moment. 
This is American English as taught by a British-native English teacher 
who actually had to learn the information as rules, which was 
tremendously helful for my nerd-brain..

> Just don't get me started on apostrophes :)

Angry Bob's Apostrophe Rules!

-- 
   Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)
     "That's pretty. Where's that?"
          "It's the Age of Channelwood."
     "We should go there on vacation some time."

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