PUNCTUATION 3 COMMAS COMMA THE MOST WIDELY USED

PUNCTUATION #3 COMMAS

COMMA • THE MOST WIDELY USED PUNCTUATION MARK IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE • IT HAS MANY JOBS – AND THE MAJOR QUESTION IS: DOES IT REALLY MATTER WHETHER YOUR COMMA IS IN THE RIGHT PLACE? ANSWER: IT CERTAINLY DOES. CHECK THESE OUT:

COMMA • WHEN TO USE COMMAS: 1. BETWEEN TWO COMPLETE SENTENCES THAT ARE JOINED BY A COORDINATING CONJUNCTION. FANBOYS: MY SISTER’S NAME IS LILY, AND MY BROTHER’S NAME IS SETH. NOTE: WHEN TWO INDEPENDENT CLAUSES ARE SHORT, YOU HAVE A CHOICE – COMMA OR NO COMMA. EX. ALLEN SLEPT LATE BUT JAMES GOT UP EARLY. 2. AFTER A CONJUNCTIVE ADVERB: (HOWEVER, NEVERTHELESS, THEREFORE) EX. I THOUGHT I MADE A C+ ON THE TEST; HOWEVER, I MADE A B+. 3. AFTER MOST INTRODUCTORY PHRASES AND CLAUSES EX. BECAUSE MY MOTHER FORGOT TO PACK ME A DESSERT, I ATE YOUR COOKIE. 4. TO EMPHASIZE AN ADVERB EX. HE FELL OFF HIS BICYCLE, HARD, AFTER HE SKIDDED ON LOOSE GRAVEL.

COMMA • WHEN TO USE COMMA (CONT. ) 5. WHEN ADJECTIVES COME AFTER THE NOUN EX. MY TENNIS RACKET, FRESHLY STRUNG AND SHINY NEW, WILL SURELY BRING ME GOOD LUCK IN THE TOURNAMENT. 6. IN A LIST (AKA…ITEMS IN A SERIES) EX. WE STUDIED MATH, HISTORY, HEALTH, AND GRAMMAR. 7. WITH CITIES AND STATES…NOTICE BOTH COMMAS EX. I WAS BORN IN YOAKUM, TEXAS, ON VALENTINE’S DAY. 8. WITH ADDRESSES…NOTICE THERE IS NO COMMA BETWEEN STATE AND ZIP CODE EX. SHE LIVES ON 225 VALLEY ROAD, HOPE, MAINE 04847 9. IN NUMBERS OVER 999 EX. 24, 567…EXCEPTIONS: YEAR (2020), ADDRESSES (22031 MAIN ST. ), AND TELEPHONE

COMMA • WHEN TO USE COMMAS: 10. WITH DIRECT QUOTATIONS EX. KATE SAID, “I WANT TO GALLOP OFF INTO THE SUNSET. ” NOT WITH INDIRECT QUOTATIONS EX. KATE SAID THAT SHE WANTS TO GALLOP OFF INTO THE SUNSET. 11. WHEN SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO SOMEONE (AKA DIRECT ADDRESS) EX. KEITH, IT’S TIME TO BRUSH YOUR TEETH. 12. WITH DATES EX. I WAS BORN ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1977, IN YOAKUM. 13. BEFORE AND/OR AFTER AN INTERJECTION EX. WOW, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DRESS. HEY, THAT’S MY LUNCH!

COMMA • WHEN TO USE COMMAS: 14. WHEN THE LAST PART OF THE SENTENCE IS A QUESTION EX. YOU WERE LATE, RIGHT? 15. BETWEEN CONSECUTIVE ADJECTIVES (TWO OR MORE) DESCRIBING THE SAME NOUN EX. IT WAS A DARK, COLD, DREARY NIGHT. 16. BEFORE AND AFTER SOME LATIN ABBREVIATIONS EX. I LIKE STONE FRUIT, E. G. , PEACHES AND NECTARINES, MORE THAN I LIKE BERRIES. 17. BEFORE AND AFTER PARENTHETICAL EXPRESSIONS (BY-THE-WAY PHRASES NOT ESSENTIAL) EX. I REMINDED MOM, IN CASE SHE’D FORGOTTEN, THAT I REALLY WANT A DIGITAL CAMERA FOR MY BIRTHDAY. 18. AFTER GREETINGS AND BEFORE CLOSINGS IN FRIENDLY LETTERS

COMMA • WHEN TO USE COMMAS: 19. TO SHOW THAT TWO PARTS OF A SENTENCES ARE BEING CONTRASTED EX. I ORDERED PIZZA, NOT LASAGNA. 20. BETWEEN REPEATED WORDS EX. THAT AIRPLANE RIDE WAS BUMPY, BUMPY. 21. TO INDICATE OMITTED WORDS EX. I ORDERED CHICKEN; AMANDA, FISH. 22. WITH TITLES WHEN THEY COME AFTER (BUT NOT BEFORE) THE PERSON’S NAME EX. JACQUES ROCHE, DVM, IS A FAMOUS COCKROACH VETERINARIAN. 23. BEFORE AND AFTER APPOSITIVES (AN APPOSITIVE EXPLAINS WHO OR WHAT THE NOUN IS) EX. OUR PRINCIPAL, JOHN BOSSMAN, GAVE A GREAT SPEECH. ***REMEMBER TO LISTEN FOR THAT LITTLE PAUSE, THAT TINY BREATH, AND COMMAS WILL BECOME MUCH EASIER TO USE.