Four Times You Must Use a Comma

# 1

Sentence, and/but/for/or/nor sentence.

= BETWEEN TWO MAIN CLAUSES JOINED BY A CONJUNCTION (and-but-for-or-nor-so-yet.)

FANBOYS

We practiced using commas, and we did not jump out of the window.

# 2

SC, MC. = AFTER A SUBORDINATE CLAUSE

Subordinate Clause, MC.

When I moved to Kentucky, I started to elongate my i’s.

MC SC.

I started to elongate my i’s when I moved to Kentucky.

# 3

A, B, and C = BETWEEN ALL ITEMS IN A LIST

I forgot my helmet, my shoulder pads, and my jersey today.

# 4

, extra info, = AROUND EXTRA INFORMATION

(including PHRASES THAT INTERRUPT)

. . . . . . . , non-essential information, . . . . . .

Ms. Landon, who can do 1,000 sit-ups in a row, is my English Teacher.

Three Times NOT to Use a Comma

# 1

S,V or V,O = DO NOT USE A COMMA TO SEPARATE A SUBJECT FROM ITS Verb OR A VERB FROM ITS OBJECT

My dog, ran and ate the neighbors petunias.

# 2

A and B = DO NOT USE A COMMA IN A LIST OF TWO THINGS

I went to the door, and rang the doorbell.

# 3

, A, B, and C. = DO NOT USE A COMMA BEFORE A SIMPLE LIST OF ITEMS

If the statement is NOT COMPLETE, put nothing. Go straight to the list.

The chimpanzee, jumped off the chandelier, threw the lemons, and bellowed obnoxiously.

The chimpanzee jumped off the chandelier, threw the lemons, and bellowed obnoxiously.