Scribd
Upload
55 views3 pages

Eight Essential Comma Rules

The document outlines eight basic uses of commas: 1) to separate independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction, 2) after introductory clauses or phrases, 3) between all items in a series, 4) to set off nonessential clauses, 5) to set off appositives, 6) to indicate direct address, 7) to set off direct quotations, and 8) with dates, addresses, titles, and numbers with four or more digits. It provides examples for each rule and an exercise for readers to practice applying commas correctly.

Uploaded by

Pavel Oscar Mendez Baez
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
55 views3 pages

Eight Essential Comma Rules

The document outlines eight basic uses of commas: 1) to separate independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction, 2) after introductory clauses or phrases, 3) between all items in a series, 4) to set off nonessential clauses, 5) to set off appositives, 6) to indicate direct address, 7) to set off direct quotations, and 8) with dates, addresses, titles, and numbers with four or more digits. It provides examples for each rule and an exercise for readers to practice applying commas correctly.

Uploaded by

Pavel Oscar Mendez Baez
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Commas (Eight Basic Uses)

To better understand the use of the comma, begin by learning the following eight basic uses:

1. USE A COMMA TO SEPARATE INDEPENDENT CLAUSES.

Rule: Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) when it joins
two complete ideas (independent clauses).

a. He walked down the street, and then he turned the corner.


b. You can go shopping with me, or you can go to a movie alone.

2. USE A COMMA AFTER AN INTRODUCTORY CLAUSE OR PHRASE.

Rule: Use a comma after an introductory clause or phrase. A comma tells readers that the
introductory clause (dependent clause) or phrase has ended, and that the main part of the sentence
is about to begin.

a. When Evan was ready to iron, his cat tripped on the cord.
b. Near a small stream at the bottom of the canyon, park rangers discovered a gold mine.

3. USE A COMMA BETWEEN ALL ITEMS IN A SERIES.

Rule: Use a comma to separate each item in a series; a series is a group of three or more items
having the same function and form in a sentence.

a. We bought apples, peaches, and bananas today. (series of words)


b. Mary promised that she would be a good girl, that she would not bite her brother, and
that she would not climb onto the television. (series of clauses)
c. The instructor looked through his briefcase, through his desk, and around the office for
the lost gradebook. (series of phrases)

4. USE COMMAS TO SET OFF NONESSENTIAL CLAUSES.

Rule: Use commas to enclose clauses not essential to the meaning of a sentence. Both essential and
nonessential clauses may begin with a relative pronoun (such as who, whom, whose, that, which).
A relative pronoun refers to the preceding noun or pronoun.

a. Steven Strom, whose show you like, will host a party next week. (nonessential)
b. John, who spent the last three days fishing, is back on the job again. (nonessential)
c. The gentleman who is standing by the fireplace is a well-known composer. (essential)

5. USE A COMMA TO SET OFF APPOSITIVES.

Rule: An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that renames a nearby noun. Nonessential appositives
are set off with commas; essential appositives are not.
a. Alexander Pope, the Restoration poet, is famous for his monologs. (appositive)
b. The poet Pope is famous for his monologs. (no appositive)
c. The New York Jets, the underdogs, surprised everyone by winning the Super Bowl.
(appositive)
6. USE A COMMA TO INDICATE DIRECT ADDRESS.

Rule: When a speaker in a sentence names the person to whom he is speaking, this addressing
of his audience is called direct address. Direct address is indicated by the use of a comma or
commas, depending upon its placement within the sentence.

a. I think, John, you’re wrong.


b. John, I think you’re wrong.
c. I think you’re wrong, John.

7. USE COMMAS TO SET OFF DIRECT QUOTATIONS.

Rule: A dialog is a conversation between two or more people. If the speaker (not the listener) in
the conversation is identified, his name, (or the noun or pronoun used to refer to the speaker), and
the verb that refers to his speaking are enclosed within commas.

a. Mary said, “I dislike concerts because the music is too loud.”


b. “I dislike concerts because the music is too loud,” she said.
c. “I dislike concerts,” proclaimed Mary, “because the music is too loud.”

8. USE COMMAS WITH DATES, ADDRESSES, TITLES, AND NUMBERS

Rules for dates: In dates, the year is set off from the rest of the sentence with a pair of commas.
Ex: On December 12, 1890, orders were sent out for the arrest of Sitting Bull.
Rules for addresses: The elements of an address or place name are separated by commas. A zip
code, however, is not preceded by a comma.
Ex: John Lennon was born in Liverpool, England, in 1940.
Ex: Please send the letter to Greg Carvin at 708 Spring Street, Washington, IL 61571.
Rules for titles: If a title follows a name, separate the title from the rest of the sentence with a pair
of commas.
Ex: Sandra Belinsky, MD, has been appointed to the board.
Rules for numbers: In numbers more than four digits long, use commas to separate the numbers
into groups of three, starting from the right. In numbers four digits long, a comma is optional.
Ex: 3,500 [or 3500] Ex: 100,000 Ex: 6,000,000

Exercise: Place commas where they belong in the following sentences.


1. Are you attending my graduation or are you visiting your aunt in Chicago?
2. Marty ate four pancakes two bacon strips and a bowl of grits.
3. The movie although Susan enjoyed it immensely left her in tears.
4. Simon Blake a well-known lawyer may run for governor.
5. If you ever need a ride Judy just let me know.
6. “I’ll eat the eggs” said Jane “if you’ll eat the bacon.”
7. The winner of the contest will receive $1000000.
8. Although the sky was cloudy no rain was in the forecast.
Homework
Edit the following paragraph, adding and deleting commas as needed. Refer to the eight
comma rules you have learned and be sure you know why you are adding or deleting a
comma.

With her mortarboard firmly on her head Tammy, took her place in the graduation

procession which was held on May 12 2009. She told her mother Louisa that she wanted

to be the first in the family to get a college degree which would also help her get a good

job. In her mind either you could get a degree after high school or you could get a degree

later but eventually everyone in the United States would need a college degree. When the

chance came for her to go to college, and pay for most of it herself she decided it was a

chance she could not afford to pass up. Each course she took in her ambitious

undergraduate curriculum was another triumph for her. Another 15 weeks of reading

staying up late at night writing studying and sitting at uncomfortable desks never scared

Tammy. As she marched off the stage Tammy clutched the diploma in one hand, and

hurled her mortarboard into the crowd with the other. She yelled “Yes! I made it!” When

she got through the crowd and reached her family she screamed “Mom I did it!”

[Link]

Common questions

Powered by AI

Commas in direct address separate the name of the person being spoken to from the rest of the sentence, clearly indicating the person is being directly addressed. This helps avoid confusion by signaling the conversational tone and ensuring the sentence is directed explicitly at someone. For example, "John, I think you’re wrong," clearly designates John as the one being addressed .

Correct comma usage with appositives is crucial because appositives provide add-on descriptive information about a noun. If an appositive is nonessential, it should be separated by commas to denote that the sentence remains coherent without it. For instance, "Alexander Pope, the Restoration poet, is famous for his monologs" indicates the appositive is additional information; whereas, "The poet Pope is famous for his monologs" omits commas, showing the appositive is essential .

In dates, commas set off the year from the rest of the sentence; for example, "On December 12, 1890," the year is isolated for clarity. In addresses, commas separate different components like the city and state, but not the zip code. For example: "708 Spring Street, Washington, IL 61571." Titles following names are set off by commas, like "Sandra Belinsky, MD," creating a clear boundary between the person’s name and their qualifications. These rules enhance sentence structure by demarcating distinct elements, improving readability and comprehension .

In complex sentences with multiple clauses, commas are vital for delineating different clause types and indicating introductory, non-essential, or appositive elements to enhance readability. For instance, "With her mortarboard firmly on her head, Tammy took her place in the graduation procession," where the introductory phrase is set off to allow the main clause to stand out. Proper comma placement averts misreading by clearly segmenting logical parts and ensuring sentence coherence .

Managing commas in large numbers groups digits into thousands (e.g., 1,000,000), facilitating readability and reducing errors in numerical interpretation. For numbers over four digits, commas separate into groups of three, starting from the right, and although optional for four-digit numbers, they often enhance clarity; for example, "2,500" versus "2500" .

The rule for using commas to separate independent clauses is to place a comma before a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) when it joins two complete ideas. This is important because it clarifies the sentence structure by clearly indicating the separation between two independent thoughts, thus preventing run-on sentences and enhancing readability .

Using commas in a series separates each item and helps avoid ambiguity, ensuring the sentence lists are clearly understood as separate elements instead of a single compound noun. For example: "The instructor looked through his briefcase, through his desk, and around the office for the lost gradebook." Here, commas clarify that the instructor searched in three distinct locations .

Commas are used after introductory clauses or phrases to signal the end of the introduction and the start of the main part of the sentence. This grammatical placement helps to delineate the dependent clause from the main clause, ensuring clarity for the reader by indicating the transition from context-setting information to the central action or statement of the sentence .

Essential clauses provide information crucial to the meaning of the sentence and are not set off by commas, while nonessential clauses add extra information that can be removed without altering the sentence's fundamental meaning, and are enclosed by commas. For instance, in "John, who spent the last three days fishing, is back on the job again," the clause is nonessential; however, "The gentleman who is standing by the fireplace is a well-known composer" has an essential clause .

Commas are used to set off direct quotations by enclosing the speaker's name and the dialogue, which provides clarity in distinguishing the spoken words from the rest of the sentence. For example, "Mary said, 'I dislike concerts because the music is too loud,'" uses commas to highlight that the text within quotation marks is what was spoken, ensuring clear attribution of speech .

You might also like