The SIX Basic Comma Rules

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The SIX Basic Comma Rules

• Thanks to a great book
• The LEAST You Should Know about English

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Comma Rule 1

• The SerialComma, not Killer?
• Place a comma between items in a series as in
  the example below.
• I have my laptop, my pens, my pencils, and my MP3
  Player in my backpack.

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Comma Rule 2

• The Coordinating Conjunction Comma... Place a
  comma before a coordinating conjunction that
  joins two independent clauses. The coordinating
  conjunctions are and, but, for, nor, or, so, and
  yet.
• For Example The best place to take a vacation
  is Chicago, but the best place to take a
  honeymoon is Hawaii.

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Comma Rule 3

• The Introductory Word or Phrase comma
• Always place a comma after an introductory word
  or phrase. See below.
• John, what are you doing to my car? OR
• As I walked down the street, I ran into a friend
  I hadnt seen in years.

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Comma Rule 4

• The Interrupting Word/Phrase Comma
• Always place a comma before and after any word
  or phrase that can be removed from the sentence
  and still make sense.
• For Example John, the teacher, wrote his name
  on the board. OR
• I ran down the street, though I didnt have to,
  and fell down and hurt my crown.

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Comma Rule 5

• The Concluding Word/Phrase Comma
• Always place a comma before any word or phrase
  that is just tagged on at the end of the
  sentence. See below.
• Is that you in the corner, John? OR
• I hadnt seen John in years, though that didnt
  make much difference in our friendship.

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Comma Rule 6

• The Catch-all Commause it
• to separate numbers more than four digits long
  (1,000,000),
• to separate city from state, (Paris, Texas),
• to separate month year (August 15, 1980),
• before and after titles (James Smith, M.D., is no
  longer working here.),
• or to prevent confusion (To err is human to
  forgive, divine.)

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Heres the book
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Brought to you by

• Tim McGinn
• The NWACC
• Writing Center