Thank You Again for Your Trust in Me Commas

Lesson 13: Commas

/en/grammar/abbreviations-and-acronyms/content/

What is a comma?

A comma is a punctuation mark that can be used in many unlike ways. Mainly, information technology'south used to separate things—for instance, ii thoughts in a sentence, multiple adjectives, or items in a list.

There are many rules that tell united states how commas should be used, but don't let it scare you. With a petty practice, information technology'll start to experience like second nature. Some rules are set in stone. They work the same way every time, so yous don't have to think about them too much. Other rules are more complicated. In these cases, you have to understand the pregnant of the sentence to know when and where to apply the comma.

Using commas

The bones rules for using commas are pretty foolproof. In other words, they're like shooting fish in a barrel to employ to your writing because they e'er piece of work the same manner. You don't take to worry about any special exceptions or wonder where the comma is supposed to go. Each rule tells you exactly what to do.

Joining two sentences

You already know how to join two sentences using conjunctions similar and, or, but, and and so. We do information technology all the time in regular chat, if not in writing.

As y'all can see, the comma goes between the two sentences, right before the conjunction. It tells you where one thought ends and another begins. Placing the comma after the conjunction would exist incorrect considering the conjunction is part of the 2d thought.

List items in a judgement

Commas can also be used to separate three or more items in a listing. But identify a comma between each item (and an appropriate punctuation mark at the end). The terminal detail is usually joined by a conjunction like and, or, or nor. Similar the rule for joining sentences, the comma goes correct before the conjunction.

Place names and dates

In that location are certain types of identify names (for example, urban center/state and state/land) that are always separated past a comma when you write them out. You tin can see this dominion in activeness on any mailing envelope.

Phoenix is a place inside Arizona—that's why at that place'south a comma betwixt the city and country. This dominion applies whenever you lot refer to a place in a similar fashion, whether it's MTV Studios , Times Square (which isn't fifty-fifty a city, state, or country) or England , United Kingdom.

Dates work most the same manner. For instance, when you write the full date, information technology should wait something like this: January 1, 2014. It's almost as if the day and the month are inside the year—which is truthful, in a fashion. We're talking well-nigh January ane in the year 2014. That's why at that place'due south a comma between the engagement and twelvemonth.

Quotations

Quotations are usually fabricated upward of two things: a quote (what the person said) and a tag (the person who said information technology). Commas play an of import role too—they separate the quote from the tag, so nosotros tin can tell they're separate only connected.

So where does the comma get? Information technology depends on the layout of the sentence. Here are 3 examples.

• Before the quote: Vanessa asked, "Is anyone else hungry?"
• Later the quote (inside the quotation marker): "I could go for some pizza," said Elizabeth.
• Both ways (in the middle of a quote): "I desire pizza," said Rick, "merely not with anchovies!"

To learn more, take a expect at our lesson on Quotation Marks.

There are two commas missing from the example below. Can yous tell where they're supposed go? Click the dots to see if yous're right!

Nope!

That's not quite right, but you're close. Call back: when joining ii sentences, the comma ever goes before the conjunction.

That's right!

This is where the kickoff comma should get—right before the conjunction . It tells y'all where ane idea ends ( I heard a audio in the attic ) and another one begins ( I went to see what it was ).

Try again!

This should exist a catamenia , non a comma. You can tell because the side by side judgement is a complete sentence (and there's no conjunction joining them together).

Correct!

This is a good example of a quote that comes after a tag. In a case similar this, the comma ever goes before the quote (outside the quotation marks).

More than commas

To utilise commas in more than complicated sentences, you lot'll have to use your judgment. This ways you'll demand to think nigh each sentence (and make certain you really understand what makes it work) before yous tin use the comma.

Don't permit this scare you lot. Every bit always, it's not the end of the earth if you make a mistake. If y'all get stuck on a rule, try looking closely at the instance—sometimes information technology helps to see the rule in action. If you're non a native English speaker, these rules tin exist especially difficult to grasp. You may want to ask someone yous know for help, such equally a friend, coworker, or teacher.

Adjectives

Another time you use commas is when yous have two or more than adjectives in a judgement. Just place the comma between them—this separates them and makes the judgement easier to read.

This dominion is pretty universal, just it isn't e'er truthful. Yous should only use a comma if the adjectives are interchangeable.

Interchangeable means you lot can list the adjectives in whatsoever society and it won't modify the meaning of the sentence. To discover out if 2 adjectives are interchangeable, endeavor reversing them—and so see if the sentence yet makes sense.

Hither'southward the same example with a different pair of adjectives: delicious and frozen. This time, the adjectives aren't interchangeable. (If you reverse them, you can probably see why.) This means they shouldn't be separated with a comma.

The truth is, frozen yogurt is more than just an adjective followed by a noun. Information technology's type of thing, like a miniature poodle, striped shirt, or fifty-fifty hot chocolate. All of these examples are made up of 2 words, just they correspond a single thing. If you split them with a comma—or write them in a different social club—the words lose their pregnant.

Introductory clauses

You lot might already know that an incomplete sentence is a fragment. When you brainstorm a sentence with a fragment, it'south chosen an introductory clause. (To acquire more than, bank check out our lesson on Fragments.)

It'southward perfectly OK to begin a sentence this way, then follow it with a complete idea. You just take to separate these thoughts with a comma. This makes the sentence easier to read, and information technology also tells the reader where to suspension if needed.

In the example in a higher place, the thing before the comma (while yous were sleeping) is a fragment; the thing after the comma (I gave you a new haircut) is a consummate judgement. The comma is necessary only if the clause introduces the judgement. If the phrases were written in the opposite social club, you wouldn't use a comma.

What well-nigh expressions similar luckily, however, and as you lot can encounter? It's more common to come across these at the kickoff of a sentence, merely they can appear the end equally well. Unlike introductory clauses, they don't necessarily add together annihilation new to the sentence. Regardless, they should always be separated past a comma. For case: I gave you a new haircut, every bit y'all can see.

Nonessential clauses

You should also utilize commas to separate nonessential clauses that appear in the middle of a sentence. A nonessential clause is something that adds significant merely that isn't completely necessary. In other words, if y'all took information technology out the sentence would yet mean basically the same thing.

To observe out if a clause is nonessential, endeavour removing it from the sentence, then see how it sounds. The sentence above would still make sense if we removed the detail well-nigh the ascot. It would be: Steve is very tidy.

If the clause was essential, we wouldn't exist able to remove information technology. Try this sentence instead: Men who wear ascots are very tidy. If we take out the detail about the ascot, nosotros're left something slightly different: Men are very tidy. This is far too general to be truthful—after all, some men are really sloppy. This is how you lot know the clause is essential to the sentence'south pregnant.

Other cases

Equally yous gain more experience with commas, you'll run across cases when your judgment matters more than e'er. These cases are more than difficult to ascertain, just they build on the rules we only discussed.

For instance, some sentences end with a type of fragment called a gratis modifier. This is but a fancy give-and-take for something that clarifies or relates to some other office of the judgement. When you use a free modifier similar this, always separate information technology with a comma.

Other sentences finish with a distinct intermission, followed by something more ambiguous. That final beat out could exist the proper name of the person yous're talking to, a statement of confirmation, or a single give-and-take. Any information technology is, that beat also should be separated by a comma.

Below are ii sentences that include a series of commas—one is correct, and the other is not. Utilise what you just learned to decide which one is correct, then click the dots to see if y'all're right!

Not quite!

Here, an essential clause has been mistaken for a nonessential clause . The sentence should exist written without commas instead:

Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

Right!

The comma in this sentence is used correctly. It separates the introductory clause ( if you keep making that face ) from the residuum of the sentence ( it'due south going to stay that way ).

Mutual comma mistakes

Joining two sentences without a conjunction

People often make the mistake of using a comma to bring together ii sentences without a conjunction. For example:

Notice how the first version of the sentence is missing something? It needs a conjunction similar and or merely to join the two halves properly. You could likewise use a semi-colon to right information technology instead: She was a minor-town-daughter; he was a city boy . Or y'all could rewrite the sentence every bit ii sentences, with a period in betwixt.

Joining a chemical compound discipline or predicate

Recollect how y'all're supposed to use a comma to separate three or more items in a listing? Be careful non to get overboard and beginning separating 2 items that vest together (in other words, a compound subject field or predicate).

Information technology might help to think of the compound equally a unmarried idea or thought. In the instance above, the gym instructor and the principal are both part of Aunt Ruth's dating history—and they're the only things listed. You wouldn't break them up unless and the main was rewritten equally a consummate sentence. For example: Aunt Ruth used to date the gym teacher, but she dumped him for the principal .

When a fragment follows a sentence

Information technology's easy to confuse a fragment at the stop of a sentence with an introductory clause—they do look similar. Nosotros already touched on this dominion when we went over introductory clauses, merely information technology can't hurt to review it once more.

A fragment just works as an introductory clause if it'due south at the beginning of a sentence. If it'southward at the stop, you don't need a comma. In this example, the sentence would need a comma only if information technology was written in the contrary guild: While my husband went camping, I went to Vegas .

Forcing a break

Using a comma to forcefulness the reader to pause is a common mistake. Just remember: Commas are meant to make things easier to read, not necessarily influence the way they're read.

If you want the reader to interruption, yous'll have to get creative with your formatting. For instance, y'all could employ an ellipses (a very common mode of indicating a break), like in the example above. Or you lot could write the give-and-take you want to emphasize in all caps or italics. This way, the reader can really feel the weight of information technology: And THAT is how yous deep-fry a turkey .

/en/grammer/homophones/content/

paulwhatch.blogspot.com

Source: https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/grammar/commas/1/

Share this post