Comma Rules

1
Comma Rules
2
1. Use commas to separate 3 or more items in a
series.

• Use commas to separate words in a series.
• We have read poems by Longfellow, Teasdale, and
  Dickinson this week.
• NOTE Suzie, Zack and I are going riding.
• Suzie, Zack, and I are going riding.
• Use commas to separate phrases in a series.
• We found seaweed in the water, on the sand, under
  the rocks, and even in our shoes.

3
1. Use commas to separate 3 or more items in a
series.

• Use commas to separate subordinate clauses and
  short independent clauses in a series.
• We worked, we played, and we rested.
• If all items in a series are joined by and or or,
  do not use commas to separate them.
• Have you read Huck Finn or Tom Sawyer or A
  Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court?

4
Practice

• Carolos and Anna and Frankie ran across the park
  climbed over the fence and hurried to the bus
  stop.
• The three states that have produced the most U.S.
  Presidents are Virginia Ohio and New York.
• The school band includes clarinets saxophones
  trumpets tubas flutes and drums.

5
2. Use a comma to separate two or more
adjectives preceding a noun.

• An Arabian horse is a fast, beautiful animal.
• NOTE When the final adjective is so closely
  connected to the noun that the words seem to form
  one expression, do not use a comma before the
  adjective.
• Training a frisky colt to become a gentle,
  dependable riding horse takes great patience.

6
2. Use a comma to separate two or more
adjectives preceding a noun.

• A comma should never be used between an adjective
  and the noun immediately following it.
• Incorrect Mary wrote a tender, suspenseful,
  story.
• Correct Mary wrote a tender, suspenseful
  story.

7
Practice

1. They made a clubhouse in the empty unused storage
   shed.
2. This book describes the harsh isolated lives of
   pioneer women in Kansas.
3. What a lovely haunting melody that tune has!
4. A group of proud smiling parents watched the
   nervous young musicians take their places on the
   stage.

8
3. Use a comma before and, but, or, nor, for,
and yet when they join independent clauses.

• The musical comedy originated in America, and it
  has retained a distinctly American flavor.
• Compound Sentence
• Margo likes golf, but she doesnt enjoy archery.
• Simple Sentence with Compound Verb
• Margo likes golf but doesnt enjoy archery.

9
Practice

• Human beings must study to become architects yet
  some animals build amazing structures by
  instinct.
• One kind of male gardener bird builds a complex
  structure and he decorates it carefully to
  attract a mate.
• This bird constructs a dome-shaped garden in a
  small tree and underneath the tree he lays a
  carpet of moss covered with brilliant tropical
  flowers.

10
4. Use commas to set off an expression that
interrupts a sentence

1. Non-essential participial phrases and subordinate
   (dependent) clauses.
2. Nonessential appositives are set off by commas.
3. Words used in direct address are set off by
   commas.
4. Parenthetical expressions are set off by commas.

11
Nonessential clauses and phrases

• Use commas to set off nonessential phrases and
  clauses.
• My aunt, having been in school for five years, is
  now an architect. nonessential phrase
• Those years that she spent in school have
  prepared her well. essential phrase

12
Use commas to set off participial phrases and
adjective clauses that are not essential to the
basic meaning of the sentence.

• Participlea verb form that can be used as an
  adjective
• Two kinds of participles
• 1. Present participlesend in ing
• 2. Past participlesend in ed, -d, or t
• The horses trotting past were not frightened by
  the crowd. Trotting (a form of the verb trot)
  modifies the noun horsestrotting horses.

13
Participles continued

• Buried by pirates, the treasure lay undiscovered
  for centuries. Buried (form of the very bury)
  modifies the noun treasureburied treasure.
• Records, cracked and warped, were in the old
  trunk.
• Shouting loudly, Becky warned the pedestrian to
  look out for the car.
• Cheering and clapping, the spectators greeted
  their team.
• The children, fidgeting noisily, waited eagerly
  for recess.

14
Participial Phrase

• A group of related words that contains a
  participle.
• Seeing itself in the mirror, the duck seemed
  bewildered.
• Waiting for the bus in the rain, we played in the
  puddle.
• Standing in line, we waited twenty minutes for
  the tickets.

15
Subordinate Clauses

• Another word for a dependent clause. Dependent
  clauses cannot stand alone in a sentence.
• If a dependent clause is not essential to the
  meaning of the sentence, a comma is needed before
  and after it.
• Example
• Jimmy Carter, whose full name is James Earl
  Carter, prefers to be known as Jimmy.

16
Appositives

• A word that means the same thing as the noun it
  follows. It usually explains or identifies the
  noun.
• Nancy, my best friend, is studying ballet.
• Were out of vanilla ice cream, our most
  popular flavor.

NOTE When the appositive is essential to the
meaning of the sentence, no comma should be
used. White House spokesman Larry Speakes issued
a statement. The blues singer Bessie Smith wrote
the song Backwater Blues.
17
Words Used in Direct Address

• When someone speaks directly to another person,
  using that persons name, commas precede and
  follow the name.
• Examples
• Mrs. Clarkson, I just want to get to the beach.
• Can you tell me, Hazel, when the next bus is due?

18
Parenthetical Expressions

• Words that are not grammatically related to the
  rest of the sentence (like words used in
  PARENTHESES).
• EXAMPLES
• To tell the truth, in my opinion, in fact, for
  example, however, etc.
• What, in her opinion, is the best closing hour?

19
5. Use a comma after certain introductory
elements.

• A.)Word such as well, yes, no, and why when it
  begins a sentence.
• Why, you really should know that!
• Well, I dont.

Note Words such as well, yes, no, and why are
not followed by a comma if they do not interrupt
the sentence that is, if no pause follows
them. Example Why is Rebecca early?
20
Rule 5 ContinuedB.)Use a comma after an
introductory phrase or clause

• 1. Prepositional Phraseuse a comma after a long
  prepositional phrase or if two or more phrases
  appear together at the beginning of a sentence
• In the darkening attic room, the girls searched
  for the box of old photos.
• At night in the desert, the temperature falls
  quickly.

21
Rule 5, Letter B Continued

• 2. VERBAL PHRASESa comma is used after a
  participial phrase or infinitive phrase that
  introduces a sentence.
• 1. PARTICIPIAL PHRASESignaling the referee for
  a timeout, the coach gathered her players for a
  pep talk.
• 2. INFINITIVE PHRASE
• INFINITIVEA VERB FORM THAT CAN BE USED AS A
  NOUN, AN ADJECTIVE, OR AN ADVERB. MOST
  INFINITIVES BEGIN WITH TO
• To keep your bones strong, be sure to get
  regular exercise.

22
Rule 5, Letter B continued

• 3. Adverb Clausewhen an adverb clause begins a
  sentence, the adverb clause is followed with a
  comma.
• An adverb clause tells where, when, how, why,
  to what extent, or under what condition
• Because I had a sore throat, I could not audition
  for the school play.
• When March came, the huge ice pack began to melt
  and break up.

23
Practice

1. When I saw the jewels I thought the kings were
   rich.
2. On the wall of his tomb a picture shows the king
   hunting.
3. Signaling carefully she changed lanes.
4. When the artists painted they followed several
   rules.
5. Hoping to be chosen for the team Andy practiced
   very hard.
6. Determined to succeed in life John set strict
   goals for himself.
7. To ensure that he received a good grade, Shaun
   studied for his science test six days in advance.

24
6. Use a comma in certain conventional
situations.

• Use a comma to separate items in dates and
  addresses.
• The delegates to the Constitutional Convention
  signed the Constitution on September 17, 1787, in
  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• Passover begins on Wednesday, April 14, this
  year.
• My friend has just moved to 6448 Higgins Road,
  Chicago, Illinois.
• NOTE If a preposition is used between items of
  an address, a comma is not necessary.
• He lives at 144 Smith Street in Moline, Illinois.

25
6. Use a comma in certain conventional
situations.

• Use a comma after the salutation of a friendly
  letter and after the closing of any letter.
• Examples
• Dear Aunt Margaret,
• Sincerely yours,
• Yours truly,

26
Practice

1. 11687 Montana Avenue Los Angeles CA 90049
2. Monday December 2 1995
3. Dear Joanne
4. From December 1 1995 to March 15 1996
5. Dresser Road at North First Street in Lynchburg
   Virginia