9 Grammar Commas

1. 9 GrammarCommas Rules for punctuation

2. Commas (12f) • Use commas to separate items in a series – words, phrases, or short clauses • Pears, apples, peaches, and plums grow in this climate. (words) • My favorite breakfast is milk, biscuits and gravy, and fruit. (words) • She ran up the stairs, down the hall, and into her room. (phrases) • Joe cut the grass, I raked it, and Ed hauled it away. (short clauses)

3. Commas (12g) • Use commas to separate two or more adjective modifiers • I arrived at my new school on a sunlit, windy day. • My studious, well-read cousin is a National Merit Scholarship finalist. • Check yourself by imagining the word and between the two adjectives – if it sounds correct, you need the comma.

4. Commas (12g) 2a. N.B. – When an adjective modifies an adjective-noun combination, omit the comma. Check yourself by imagining the word and between the two adjectives – if it doesn’t sound correct, you do not need the comma. • She wore a dark red dressto the prom. • Not – She wore a dark and red dress to the prom. • The red brick house was sold. • Not - The red and brick house was sold.

5. Commas (12h) • Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS) when they join independent clauses • Many students took this course, but few have kept up with the work. • Some people know how to hide their nervous habits, but I do not.

6. Commas (12i) • Use commas to set off nonessential (or nonrestrictive) phrases or clauses • This lamp, which we bought yesterday, is defective. • They snack on trail mix, which is a wholesome blend of nuts, seeds, raisins, and other dried fruits.

7. Commas (12i) 4a. A nonessential phrase or clause adds information that is not needed to understand the main idea in the sentence • Nonessential clause – Langston Hughes, who was a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance, often used the rhythms of jazz in his poetry. • Essential phrase – Actors missing more than two rehearsals will be replaced.

8. Commas (12j) • Use a comma to set off introductory words or phrases such as next, yes, or no, or mild interjections such as by the way, well, wow, or oops • Yes, we can make it to the party. • Well, what will we do now? • By the way, where did you go to school? • Boy, that was a great dinner. • Wow, Gypsy was a great musical!

9. Commas (12j) • Use a comma to separate a dependent clause or phrase that comes before (in the introductory position) an independent clause • Although it looked like rain, we went to the park anyway. • Until he meets Juliet, Romeo is madly in love with Rosaline.

10. Commas (12k) • Use commas to set off appositives or appositive phrases unless the appositive is short and closely connected • Phil Gray, our mailman, is friendly. • My sister Marie was there. • Susan Walsh, the CEO of Wharton Industries, will speak at the conference. *An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that renames another noun right beside it

11. Commas (12k) • Use a comma to set off a word in direct address • I am going to the mall now to pick out a gift for Tom, Carol. • Carol, I am going to the mall now to pick out a gift for Tom. • I am going to the mall now, Carol, to pick out a gift for Tom.

12. Commas (12k) • Use commas to set off a parenthetical expression – including contrasting expressions introduced by words like not or yet • Joshua, fortunately, is nothing like his brother. • Our leading advocate of clean streets, you understand, is the mayor. • Joe, unlike Merton, is musically gifted. • She told a fascinating, but not believable, story. *Parenthetical expressions are side remarks that add minor information or that relate ideas to each other.

13. Commas (12l) • Use comas to separate the parts of a date. When a date is written out within a sentence, also place a comma after the last item in the date if it does not end the sentence. No comma is placed between the month and day. • Saturday, May 25, 1998 • On Saturday, May 25, 1998, Jeff and Jen were married. • In March, 1980, we visited Ireland. • I must know by May 18 if you plan to go on the trip.

14. Commas (12l) • Use commas between parts of an address (number and street name form one part and state and zip code form one part). When an address appears within a sentence, place a comma after the last part of the address if it does not end the sentence. Also, use a comma before the word of preceding an address. • Our house at 1134 Park Lane, Plymouth, Massachusetts, is now for sale. • Ellen Prody, of Langston, Missouri, was elected to the U.S. Senate. • My family moved to 25 Peralta Road, Oakland, CA 94611.

15. Commas (12l) • Use a comma after the salutation of a friendly letter and after the closing of any letter • Dear Mrs. Chen, • Yours truly,

16. Commas (12l) • Use a comma to set off a title or an abbreviation of a title, including after the title, unless it ends the sentence • We attended the final lecture of Susan E. Clark, M.D. • We attended the final lecture of Susan E. Clark, M.D., last week. • Calvin Smith, Jr., is a partner in our law firm.

17. Commas • Use commas to set off a direct quotation • Mother said, “You need to get your homework done or you cannot go out tonight.” • “You need to get your homework done,” Mother said, “or you cannot go out tonight.”

18. Commas • Use commas to set off adjectives out of their natural order • The puppy, wet and muddy, crept under the porch. • A uniformed guard, tall and forbidding, barred our path.

19. Common Errors • The comma splice • When you connect two complete and independent clauses using only a comma, you have a comma splice • Poor – My hamster loved to play, I gave him a hula-hoop.

20. Common Errors • To fix the comma splice • Add FANBOYS • You wore a lovely hat, for it was your only defense from the sun. • Change the comma to a semi-colon • You wore a lovely hat; it was your only defense from the sun. • Make each clause a separate sentence • You wore a lovely hat. It was your only defense from the sun. • Add a subordinator (because, while, although, etc) • You wore a lovely hat because it was your only defense from the sun.