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  | Commas LEARN NINE WAYS TO USE COMMAS 1. USE A COMMA IN A COMPOUND SENTENCE A compound sentence contains two independent (main) clauses joined by a comma and one of the coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet. An independent clause contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete idea. An independent clause is the heart of any sentence. In a compound sentence, the comma comes before the coordinating conjunction.
Punctuating Long Compound Sentences Some compound sentences begin or end with phrases. Others begin with dependent clauses. Such phrases and clauses can also take commas.
2. USE A COMMA AFTER AN INTRODUCTORY ELEMENT Introductory elements are words, phrases, or subordinate clauses that come at the beginning of a sentence.
3. USE COMMAS TO SEPARATE ITEMS IN A SERIES To keep the meaning of your sentences clear, use commas to separate nouns , pronouns, adjectives, adverbs , phrases, and clauses that come one after another in a series.
Not: Children feared the man who wore the red hat, and the
funny suit.
4. USE A COMMA AROUND A NONRESTRICTIVE MODIFIER AND A SENTENCE INTERRUPTER A nonrestrictive modifier (adjective) helps describe a noun but does not define it and is not essential to its meaning. If you left that modifier out of the sentence, the sentence’s meaning would not change. A restrictive modifier identifies a noun or distinguishes it from all other such nouns. This type of modifier limits the noun’s meaning to one particular person, place, or thing.
An Easy Way to Distinguish Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Modifiers A modifier that can be removed without affecting the meaning of the sentence is nonrestrictive and needs commas. Students, who can use campus services free of charge, must show their IDs before entering the library. If you removed the modifier, the sentence would read Students must show their IDs before entering the library. Theclause who can use campus services free of charge doesn't restrict the meaning of students to a specific group of students. The clause refers to all students. A sentence interrupter is a word or phrase that appears in the middle of a sentence and forces the reader to pause. Most interrupters introduce another thought that is not as important as the interrupted thought. In other words, sentence interrupters are nonrestrictive. Always place commas around sentence interrupters. He was given all that money, we think, by his aunt. 5. USE A COMMA TO SEPARATE COORDINATE ADJECTIVES Coordinate adjectives are two or more describers that follow one another and describe the same noun. An old, red barn sat on the hill. Sometimes, adjectives you think describe the same noun really describe a larger term, which contains an adjective and a noun. The old high school was torn down. High describes school, but old does not. Old describes the larger term highschool. AN EASY WAY TO TELL WHETHER ADJECTIVES ARE COORDINATE If placing the word and between the adjectives makes sense, they are coordinate and can be separated by a comma.
Not:The old, and red barn sat on a hill. 6. USE COMMAS IN DATES, ADDRESSES, NUMBERS, AND TITLES
July 4, 1776
Not:July, 1776
In a sentence, use a comma to separate the street address from the city. However, when addressing an envelope, place the street address on one line and the city on the next. In this case, do not follow the street address with a comma. Bertrand Bong lives at 10 Willow Drive, Eugene, Idaho. BUT Bertrand Bong Always place a comma between city and state or city and country. When writing a sentence, use a comma to separate the state or country and any information that follows.i They have lived in Mexico City, Mexico, since 1997; before that they lived in Seattle, Washington, and several other large American cities.
Use commas in units of more than three digits, setting off every third digit as you count from the right. They paid $95,000 for their house.
Steve Smith, M.D., graduated from Duke University. 7. USE A COMMA TO SET OFF A DIRECT QUOTATION A direct quotation uses another writer’s exact words within quotation marks. Use direct quotations to include dialogue or to support your own ideas with opinions of others.
"Who was president of the Confederacy?" Jo asked. 8. USE COMMAS TO TAKE THE PLACE OF WORDS Frequently, you can replace the conjunction and with a comma.
You can even use a comma to replace several words, thereby streamlining your writing and giving it variety and emphasis. This practice is especially useful in sentences that express a contrast. He was hardworking, not brilliant. 9. USE COMMAS TO MAKE SENTENCES CLEARER You can sometimes make sentences clearer by placing commas between words that, when set side by side, might be misleading, confusing, or unintentionally humorous.
LEARN WHEN NOT TO USE A COMMA 1. To separate a subject and verb even if the subject is followed by several adjectives:
2. To separate a verb and its direct object:
3. To separate a verb and its complement: Complements are adjectives that come after the verb and describe the subject.
4. To separate an adjective and the word it describes:
5. To separate paired words and phrases:
6. To set off subordinate elements at the end of a sentence:
People lost in the cave screamed, hoping rescuers outside would hear them. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
