Comma Rules



Comma Rules

1. Use commas to separate items in a series.

Examples:

The teacher entered the class, wrote on the board, and sat down at her desk.

The nice, kind, and beautiful teacher assigned no homework for the weekend.

He sat down quickly, quietly, and with great dignity.

She sat with him, her, and them.

Exception: Do not use commas to separate nouns that are considered single units.

Example:

I like different types of soups: ham and bean, chicken noodle, and vegetable beef.

2. Use commas between two or more adjectives that precede a noun unless one of the adjectives expresses a single idea with a noun (jet plane) or the last adjective tells color (green, etc.) or age (old, young).

Comma needed: The cute, fuzzy dog barked at me.

Comma omitted: The cute brown dog ran away.

The noisy jet plane flew overhead. (“Jet plane” is one idea. The adjective is really part of the noun.)

The ugly young dog wolfed down its food. (age adjective)

The general “rule of thumb” in this comma rule is to use a comma if it sounds right to use the word “and” instead of a comma.

The floppy-eared lazy Doberman slept all day. (Here you use a comma because it makes sense to say “The floppy-eared and lazy Doberman slept all day.”)

3. Use commas to separate the simple sentences included in a compound sentence.

Example: Mrs. Sprinkle teaches English and Mrs. Edmiston teaches math.

4. Use commas after words, phrases, and clauses that come at the beginning of sentences. “No” and “yes” are included here. They always are followed by a comma.

Examples: No you may not go home early.

Yes you may smile at me.

Wow the students all made an “A” on their tests.

If a subordinate clause is at the beginning of a sentence, you have to put a comma after it.

Suddenly the teacher yelled.

Well she said that she would be here early.

5. Use commas to separate interrupters such as parenthetical expressions, direct addresses, and unnecessary appositives in a sentence.

Examples: Parenthetical expression ----

The big dog of course was a wimp.

Direct address ----

You know parents it is important for your son to have a curfew.

Unnecessary appositive ----

My cat Spot likes to sit on my lap as I write. (I have only one cat; therefore, his name is not necessary for the meaning of the sentence to be clear.)

My dog Tyson has floppy ears. (No commas are needed because I have two dogs, and I need to identify to which dog I refer.)

6. Use commas to separate the month and the day from the year.

Example: September 15 1999

7. Use commas between the city and the state and after the state as well if the address is within the sentence.

Example: The animal lover lives in Gainsville Florida and teaches Spanish at a middle school.

8. Use commas after the greeting in friendly letters and after the closing in both friendly and business letters.

Example: Dear Jane Sincerely yours

9. Use commas with quotation marks to set off what is being said out loud.

Examples: “Get off my foot,” she whimpered.

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