Rule
Co
Explanation Examples
You will have 32 sentences total in the right hand column.
Follow the rule & create your own example.
Comma Guide If there is a ⭐, recreate that example.
Some rules have extra sentences for more examples.
A comma is used to
separate the day, the
, ,
⭐1. On Monday November 16 2020 we will be ,
watching a movie in class.
1. date day of the month from
the year, and always put
one after the year.
⭐2. The store closed its doors for good in
No comma is used
between the month
October 1958.
and the year when
they are the only two
elements in the date. Incorrect: The store closed its doors for good in
October, 1958.
(Hint: If any part of the date is omitted, leave out the comma.
Example: They met in December 2017 at college.)
A comma is used to
separate a city from
,
I am from the Harlan Iowa area. ,
2. address state and after the
state if the sentence ,
I would like to travel to Chicago Illinois.
continues.
*You DO NOT place a
comma between the ⭐3. Use the address 210 Durant Street, Harlan, Iowa,
state and the zip code. for any mail that needs to be sent to Harlan Community
Middle School.
[Link] a A comma is used to Contrasting elements - usually begins with “not,” “never,”
comma to separate a statement “seldom,” or “rather” and always takes a comma or
separate from a question & to commas.
contrasting
separate contrasting I shower every night, never in the mornings.
parts of a
parts of a sentence.
sentence
,
⭐[Link] can go can't we?
,
⭐5. I watch TV on the weekends seldom during the
week.
A comma is used to
separate words,
, ,
⭐[Link] English and Hindi are the three most
widely used languages. (words)
phrases, or clauses in
a series (3 or more
4. series
items).
,
⭐[Link] comfortable with technology working well
,
with others and knowing another language are
important skills for today’s world. (phrases)
,
⭐[Link] dad works in a factory my mom works in an
,
office and I work in a school. (clauses - complete sentence)
[Link] A comma is used to
set off the exact words
,
⭐[Link] firefighter said “When we see a fire, we put it
The tagline out.”
can be at the of a speaker from the
beginning rest of the sentence.
⭐10.“When we see a fire, we put it out ” said the ,
middle or
Pay attention to firefighter.
end
capital letters when
using dialogue. ⭐11.“When we see a fire, ” said the firefighter, “we put it
out.”
How to
punctuate
dialogue
A comma is used to
separate a noun of
,
⭐[Link] do you know that I love anchovy pizza?
6. direct direct address {one that
address names a person spoken to in , ,
⭐[Link] Jack putting fish on your pizza seems
from the
the sentence} normal.
rest of the sentence.
A comma is used to
separate two or more
,
⭐14. Comfortable efficient cars are becoming more
Create 2 different sentences:
7. adjectives that equally important to drivers.
separate modify the same
two noun. ,
Some cars run on clean renewable sources of energy.
adjectives
*except color and age
A comma is used to
separate two
⭐15. Many students enjoy working on computers so , Write one sentence with & one without a comma:
8. teachers are finding new ways to use them in the
independent clauses
classroom.
compound (complete sentences) that
sentence are joined by a
coordinating ,
Computers can be valuable in education but many
F B conjunction (for, and, schools cannot afford enough of them.
nor, but, or, yet, so).
A O
N Y ⭐16. I play football and play baseball. (no comma)
conjunctions
A comma is used to
separate a
,
⭐17. If we studied our comma rules daily we would
Write one sentence with & one without a comma:
9. complex subordinate clause be expert comma detectives.
sentence found at the
beginning of the
sentence from the
(subordinate main clause.
clause) If the subordinate clause is found in the middle of the
sentence, you do not need a comma.
(ON A WHITE BUS) ⭐18. We would be expert comma detectives if we
studied our comma rules daily. (no comma)
, ,
⭐19. My essay to be perfectly honest flew out of the
Create 2 different sentences:
A comma is used to bus window while I was riding to school.
set off a word, phrase,
10. or clause that , ,
⭐20. What you just ate if you must know was squid
interrupter interrupts the main eyeball stew.
thought or flow of the
sentence. , ,
Our school as we know wins a lot of state titles!
, ,
There are however other schools that wish they had
Usually two commas as many trophies as we do.
are used.
, ,
We are of course the best!
( If you leave them out of a sentence, the meaning of the sentence
will not change.)
A comma is used to set
off an appositive from
,
⭐21. Babe Ruth the famous baseball player set many , Create one sentence using an appositive:
11. the rest of the sentence. world records.
appositive An appositive is a word
or phrase that identifies,
,
Cyprus an island in the Mediterranean Sea is about ,
half the size of Connecticut.
renames, or adds
information about the
Be careful
noun.
of Relative
Clauses , ,
The principal Dr. Vaughan would like you to eat all
your vegetables at lunch.
12. A comma is used to
separate an
,
Yes I will be joining field hockey.
introductory
word, introductory word or
phrase from the rest ,
Fortunately no one was hurt in the accident.
of the sentence.
phrase ⭐22. Through the forest we could see the,
deer.
interjections Gee, you really are a fabulous tennis player
13. Use a comma to ⭐23. For this reason, the students will wear red Using the link provided, select 2 different
Transition separate the transition during the game tonight. transition phrases and correctly use each in a
word/phrase from the sentence:
words/ rest of the sentence.
phrases Common Transition ⭐24. Given these points, the company will vote to
Words/phrases keep the same logo.
14. There is often confusion
about when to use commas ⭐25. Sarah has always been close to her parents who ,
When with who and which. live in the same village as us.
Not to Unfortunately, there is no
Use simple rule. Sometimes (The clause who live in the same village as us is not
there should be commas required to identify Sarah's parents – comma
Commas and sometimes there required before who.)
with should not. The rule is: ⭐26. The boy who broke our window brought some
Who When the information flowers to the door.
and provided by the clause is
Which required to identify the (The clause who broke our window is required to identify
person (or thing), then the boy – no commas.)
and there are no commas.
That
⭐27. Students that study the rules will not be in
Comma Club. (NEVER a comma before "that")
Watch this
video!
15. An introductory phrase Write one sentence with & one without a comma:
that starts with an ⭐28. Rattling in the cabinets ,↷ the dishes were about
“ING” word requires a to crash to the floor.
“ING”
comma at the end of it.
words
,↷ I noticed the great
(Participle)
Wandering around the halls
posters for tutoring clinics.\
Gerund (“ING” word, acts
like a noun) at the Singing in the shower ,↷ I was oblivious to the
beginning of a sentence doorbell ringing.”
“Running to the car ,↷
the boy welcomed his father
home after three months away.”
REMINDER - the ing phrase has to describe the next word in
the sentence after the comma! Notice the arrows ↷
⭐29. Swimming is good exercise. (does not require a
comma.)
Dancing is fun. (does not require a comma.)
16. The Comma after e.g. or
i.e. - In the US, it is usual
⭐30. .EXAMPLE: Eating a squirrel taco
to follow e.g. or i.e. with a without any ranch dressing is like playing
i.e. comma. The golden rule
is be consistent. , ,
leapfrog with a unicorn i.e. a very bad idea.
e.g. Use a comma before & (i.e. = in other words)
after certain introductory
etc. words, such as namely,
that is, i.e., e.g., and for
instance, when they are
followed by a series of
items. ⭐31. EXAMPLE: The buffet provided excellent
Watch
this , ,
variety e.g. vegetarian and non-vegetarian soups,
"Etc." is used to indicate Italian and French breads, and numerous sweets.
video!
that only some of the
items from a list have (e.g. = example)
been used. If "etc." is
used in the middle of a
sentence, it is followed
by a comma. ⭐32. EXAMPLE: Tennis, soccer, baseball etc. , , are
outdoor games.
.