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 7/ 28/2015 Comma Rules data:te xt/html ;charset=utf-8,%3Ch1%20class%3D%22left-fl oat%20A bbrParagraph_h1%2 2%20style%3D%22box-si zi ng%3A %20border-box%3B%20font-size… 1/3  Comma Rules Comma rules can be confusing, not necessarily because they’re difficult, but because no one can seem to agree on what they are. One teacher will tell you one rule for using commas while another will tell you exactly the opposite, and the frustrating truth is that they’re probably both right. The rules for comma use are, for the most part, firmly set, but there are a few gray areas as well, and it’s helpful to know what they are so that you understand where you absolutely need a comma, where you absolutely shouldn’t put one, and where you can fiddle around a bit. 10 Key Rules for Commas 1. Use a comma to separate items in a list (nouns and adjectives). If you have more than two nouns or more than one adjective, you need to separate them with commas. In a list of nouns, you will separate the final two with the word “and” or the word “or” like this: Janet went to the store to buy pasta, broccoli, lemons and beans. You don’t need a comma after “lemons,” but if you put one there, it’s not incorrect. It’s  just up to you. If you like a comm a there, use one. If not , don’t worry about it. 2. In a list of adjectives, you only need two to use a comma, and if the adjectives come before the noun, don’t use “and.” You only need to use “and” in a list of adjectives if the list comes after the verb “be.” Look at the following sentence: I have a big, old, warm quilt on my bed. 3. DON’T separate a subject from its verb with a comma.  Even if the subject is very long and you feel like you need a comma because anyone reading it would have to pause for a breath, don’t do it. The president of the largest company in North America and his most trusted and esteemed board of advisors (no comma here) wish to see you immediately. The quilt on my bed is big, old and warm. 4. Use a comma to separate clauses, both dependent and independent . Betty walks to work every day, talks to clients, makes appointments, eats lunch, has afternoon meetings, and walks back home. Just like in the first rule, the final comma (after “meetings”) is not necessary in a list of dependent clauses, but as the clauses get longer, leaving out that last comma can get confusing, so it is often better to put it in just to clear things up.  Betty gets home at 5:30, she and her husband have dinner together, they watch TV for a few hours, and they go to bed around 11:00. When your clauses are independent (they could stand alone as complete sentences), it is absolutely necessary to use both the comma and the “and” before the final one. 5. Use a comma to set off a non-defining subordinate clause or an appositive.  A non-defining subordinate clause gives some information about a noun, but the

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  • 7/28/2015 CommaRules

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    CommaRulesCommarulescanbeconfusing,notnecessarilybecausetheyredifficult,butbecausenoonecanseemtoagreeonwhattheyare.Oneteacherwilltellyouoneruleforusingcommaswhileanotherwilltellyouexactlytheopposite,andthefrustratingtruthisthattheyreprobablybothright.Therulesforcommauseare,forthemostpart,firmlyset,butthereareafewgrayareasaswell,anditshelpfultoknowwhattheyaresothatyouunderstandwhereyouabsolutelyneedacomma,whereyouabsolutelyshouldntputone,andwhereyoucanfiddlearoundabit.

    10KeyRulesforCommas1.Useacommatoseparateitemsinalist(nounsandadjectives).Ifyouhavemorethantwonounsormorethanoneadjective,youneedtoseparatethemwithcommas.Inalistofnouns,youwillseparatethefinaltwowiththewordandorthewordorlikethis:

    Janetwenttothestoretobuypasta,broccoli,lemonsandbeans.

    Youdontneedacommaafterlemons,butifyouputonethere,itsnotincorrect.Itsjustuptoyou.Ifyoulikeacommathere,useone.Ifnot,dontworryaboutit.

    2.Inalistofadjectives,youonlyneedtwotouseacomma,andiftheadjectivescomebeforethenoun,dontuseand.Youonlyneedtouseandinalistofadjectivesifthelistcomesaftertheverbbe.Lookatthefollowingsentence:

    Ihaveabig,old,warmquiltonmybed.

    3.DONTseparateasubjectfromitsverbwithacomma.Evenifthesubjectisverylongandyoufeellikeyouneedacommabecauseanyonereadingitwouldhavetopauseforabreath,dontdoit.

    ThepresidentofthelargestcompanyinNorthAmericaandhismosttrustedandesteemedboardofadvisors(nocommahere)wishtoseeyouimmediately.

    Thequiltonmybedisbig,oldandwarm.

    4.Useacommatoseparateclauses,bothdependentandindependent.

    Bettywalkstoworkeveryday,talkstoclients,makesappointments,eatslunch,hasafternoonmeetings,andwalksbackhome.

    Justlikeinthefirstrule,thefinalcomma(aftermeetings)isnotnecessaryinalistofdependentclauses,butastheclausesgetlonger,leavingoutthatlastcommacangetconfusing,soitisoftenbettertoputitinjusttoclearthingsup.

    Bettygetshomeat5:30,sheandherhusbandhavedinnertogether,theywatchTVforafewhours,andtheygotobedaround11:00.

    Whenyourclausesareindependent(theycouldstandaloneascompletesentences),itisabsolutelynecessarytouseboththecommaandtheandbeforethefinalone.

    5.Useacommatosetoffanondefiningsubordinateclauseoranappositive.Anondefiningsubordinateclausegivessomeinformationaboutanoun,butthe

  • 7/28/2015 CommaRules

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    informationisnotnecessaryforidentifyingthatparticularnoun.Theseclausesusuallybeginwithwhichorwho.

    TheEmpireStateBuilding,whichwasbuiltin1972,isstillNewYorkstallestbuilding.

    Thenondefiningsubordinateclause,whichwasbuiltin1972givessomeinformationabouttheEmpireStateBuilding,butwedontneedthatinformationtoidentifythebuildingordistinguishitfromanyotherEmpireStateBuildings.Itsjustextrainformation.Anappositiveissimilar,butitdoesntincludewhichorwho.Itsawordorphrasewhichcanbesubstitutedforaname.

    BobVance,thepresidentofVanceRefrigeration,marriedmycoworkerPhyllis.

    Here,youcouldidentifyPhyllisshusbandaseitherBobVanceorthepresidentofVanceRefrigeration.Theyarethesameperson.YouwillnoticethatshortoronewordappositivessuchasinthephrasemycoworkerPhyllisdonothavetobesetoffwithcommas.Ifyouthinkasentenceorphrasewouldbeclearerbysettingoffashortappositivewithcommas,thenbyallmeans,doit.However,itisnotabsolutelynecessary.

    6.Useacommatosetoffexpressionsofcontrast.

    Itwashismoney,nothislooks,thatfirstattractedmetohim.Hedoesntlookforcharminarestaurant,butservice.

    7.Useacommatosetoffaquote.

    Soshesaidtotheguy,Look,Idonthavetotakethisnotfromyou,andthensheturnedandwalkedaway.

    Please,hebegged,cantwejusttalkaboutthis?

    Shestoppedandturnedaroundslowly.Itstoolate,shereplied.Youhadyourchance.Useacommatosetoffadirectaddress.Thepeoplearemostgrateful,YourHonor,foryouryearsofcontinuedservice."AndIwanttothankyou,RayDon,onbehalfofallthewomenoftheworld,foryourunfailingattentionandconcern."

    8.Useacommatosignalthatthemain,independentclauseisabouttobegin(whenthesentencebeginswithsomethingelse)orthatitisbeinginterrupted.Wordsthatmaybeusedtointroduceorinterruptasentenceare:infact,ontheotherhand,totellthetruth,yes,no,indeed,well,nevertheless,however,inmyopinion,etc.

    Thetruth,inmyopinion,isthatweareallguiltyinpart.Indeed,IknowthatIam.However,Ididntpullthetrigger.Mrs.Peacock,onthetheotherhand,did.Ifyouhaveanydoubtsaboutthisfact,pleasecheckherpurse.Youwillfindthegunthere,Ibelieve.

    9.Usecommasinaddresses,datesandlargenumbers.

    Portland,Oregon

    December13,2009

    1,945,687,238,400

    10.Usecommasinthesalutationandtheclosingexpressionofaletter.

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    DearAuntCarol,

    Ifyourewritingabusinessletterthatisveryformal,youmightsubstituteacolon(:)forthecommainthegreeting.Theclosing,however,willalwaysuseacomma.

    Sincerely,Holly

    Ifyoucanmasterthesetencommarules,yourwritingwillbeneater,clearerandperfectlyacceptabletoEnglishwritingteacherseverywhere,nomatterwheretheystandinthegrayareas.


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