Commas
Commas
Use a comma between two independent clauses (phrase that could stand alone as a sentence) joined by a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, and yet).
We wanted to go fishing, but the pond was frozen.
She had to get her hair cut, so she drove downtown.
A good money manager controls expenses and invests surplus dollars. (Invests surplus dollars is not an independent clause, so a comma is not used.)
Use a comma after introductory words, phrases, and clauses.
Oops, I dropped the ketchup.
Yes, I’ve seen that movie.
Well, she should have asked her parents first.
Having read the book Cold Mountain, we went to see the movie.
Until he meets Juliet, Romeo is madly in love with Rosaline.
Because she was late, she had to get a tardy note.
While you were sleeping, I went to the store.
Angered by her brother’s remarks, she stormed out of the room.
Unfortunately, the third game of the series was rained out.
Despite her best efforts, she could not secure a reservation.
Because the coach yelled at the umpire, he was ejected from the game.
Use commas to separate items in a series.
We like apples, oranges, bananas, and strawberries.
We drove to zoo, saw many animals, and bought souvenirs.
The store had a sale on gym shoes, swimsuits, and beachwear.
The discussion centered on the start of World War I, the key battles of the war, and the failures to conclude a lasting peace.
Do not separate items that are used as pairs.
We had hamburgers, macaroni and cheese, and Coke for dinner.
Use commas to separate two or more adjectives (coordinate adjectives) before a noun. Use commas between coordinate adjectives that modify nouns separately. Note: If you can flip the two adjectives and connect with an “and” – and it still makes sense—you use a comma.
Montresor leads Fortunato to the dark, cold vaults (cold, dark vaults works)
Brian is an honest, warm person. (Brian is a warm, honest person also works.)
He bought her an expensive diamond necklace. (He bought her a diamond, expensive necklace does not work).
Use commas to set off nonrestrive/nonessential (unimportant) appositive clauses and phrases. Caution: Do NOT use commas for essential clauses and restrictive elements. The definition of an appositive is a word or word group that defines or further identifies the noun or noun phrase preceding it. Rule: When an appositive is essential to the meaning of the noun it belongs to, don’t use commas. When the noun preceding the appositive provides sufficient identification on its own, use commas around the appositive.
Use a comma BEFORE which (and sometimes who)
Which always adds extra information to the end a sentence (a sentence almost never begins with which), so really this is
the same rule as the one above. Similarly, place a comma before who if it adds extra, nonessential information:
The girl sped off on her bike, which was an old beach cruiser.
The author argues that voter participation numbers rose, which was a welcome development. Voters were excited, says the author, who is a member of the Green Party.
Do NOT place commas before clauses that begin with that. The information in a that clause is needed to correctly identify part of the sentence. (The boy that lost his shoe lost the race.)
Be careful placing commas before clauses that begin with who. Who clauses might be essential to the proper meaning of the sentence. For example, the following who clause should not be separated from reporter:
The reporter who stayed up all night watching election results soon realized results would be surprising.
Our YMCA, which was built in the 1950’s, is undergoing remodeling and repairs.
My brother attends Warm Springs Middle School, which has an enrollment of 541.
I spoke with Marilyn Greer, who manages the bank.
Julie’s new car, a 2019 Honda Accord, had been recommended by her father.
The car with the dented left fender in Row 210 was towed away last night. (No comma due to restrictive/essential element or clause.)
For camp the children needed clothes that were washable. (No comma due to restrictive/essential element or clause.)
For camp the children needed sturdy shoes, which were expensive.
The woman with the red flower is my mother. (No comma due to restrictive/essential element or clause.)
Jorge Torres, our senator, was born in California.
Our pediatrician, André Wilson, was born in California.
The girl who received a scholarship is my sister. (No comma due to restrictive/essential element or clause.)
My sister, who received a scholarship, will attend Harvard.
My brother's car, a sporty red convertible with bucket seats, is the envy of my friends.
The chief surgeon, an expert in organ-transplant procedures, took her nephew on a hospital tour.
A bold innovator, Wassily Kandinsky is known for his colorful abstract paintings.
The first state to ratify the U. S. Constitution, Delaware is rich in history.
A beautiful collie, Skip was my favorite dog.
Use commas to set off parenthetical words and phrases (elements that interrupt a sentence or contrasting elements).
Dr. Ganderbai, in fact, worked very hard.
The storm, the worst this winter, raged for days.
He was not angry, on the contrary, he was quite nice.
Human beings, unlike oysters, frequently reveal their emotions.
However, in many Eastern cultures the snake is revered.
Hindus, for example, have deep respect for the snake.
Alfred Hitchcock, the well-known director, died in 1980.
The climax of this movie, a scene at a carousel, thrills audiences.
The new plan, however, doesn’t seem to make sense.
The soccer team, after replacing the normal goalie, seemed to really improve.
Caution: If you use a word like “however” to separate two independent clauses, you need to use a semicolon in front of it.
The new plan at first seemed interesting; however, I saw that it had a major flaw.
Use commas for dates that include a month, day and year. Use commas for addresses, salutations, and abbreviations.
On August 28th, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke before a crowd of a quarter of a million people in Washington, D.C.
Dear Al,
Sincerely,
Hunter applied for the job on Wednesday, June 12th, 1996, but turned it down on June 14th because it paid only minimum wage.
Use commas with addresses and place names if both the city and state are provided.
The letter from Trinity was in a purple envelope. (no comma for just city)
The letter from Springfield, Illinois, was dated December 2nd, 1998. (comma after city and state)
Our address is 25 Peralta Road, Oakland, CA 94611 (Commas are not placed between the state and zip code.)
Use commas with large numbers
The city spent $4,500,323 on the new bridge.
She sold 4,280 units before December.
Use commas to separate the quoted words from the sources.
FDR said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”
“I wonder,” he asked, “what the world would be like today without smartphones?”
Use commas with interjections and nouns of direct address
Well, I guess that about settles it for mer.
Jennifer, are you ever going to get out of bed?
Linda, pass me the salt.
I’ve heard, Clara, that dentists make a large salary.