1 / 15

Rules for Commas

Rules for Commas. By: Stacey Sigwarth Info from: OWL at Purdue And www.grammarbook.com. What is a Comma?. A comma is a punctuation mark that indicates a pause is needed in the sentence Commas help to clarify meaning for the reader. To Avoid Confusion.

lacy
Download Presentation

Rules for Commas

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Rules for Commas By: Stacey Sigwarth Info from: OWL at Purdue And www.grammarbook.com

  2. What is a Comma? • A comma is a punctuation mark that indicates a pause is needed in the sentence • Commas help to clarify meaning for the reader

  3. To Avoid Confusion • The $10 million is to be split between my mother, father, brother, and sister. • She went to the store to buy milk, bread, cheese, and eggs. • Use commas to separate words and word groups with a series of three or more.

  4. To Separate Adjectives • Use a comma between adjectives where an “and” can replace the comma • Needed: He is a hungry, growing boy. • Not Needed: She is going to a winter ski resort.

  5. Direct Address • Use commas when directly addressing a person • Joe, did you do your homework? • Will you, Alicia, do my chores for me? • Did you talk to her, Kyle?

  6. Dates • Use a comma to separate the day of the month and the year • If any part of a date is left out, do not add a comma. • He met her on August 7, 1985. • She went to Hawaii in January 2006.

  7. Cities and States • Use a comma to separate the city and state • If using the abbreviated state name, do not use the comma. • He lives in San Francisco, California. • She has lived in San Francisco, CA for 3 years.

  8. Additional Clauses and Introductory Words • Use a comma when a weak or additional clause is added to the beginning or middle of a sentence. Also use them when using an introductory word. • I am, as you can see, very nervous. • If you are unsure, let me know now. • Well, I never thought she would do that.

  9. Non-essential Information • Commas surround non-essential information in a sentence that still may be needed to identify the subject • Freddy, who has a limp, was in a car accident. • Sheila, who is wearing yellow, is over there.

  10. Conjunctions • Use a comma when using any of the conjunction words with two strong clauses • I have painted the entire house, but he is still sanding the doors.

  11. Quotations • Use commas when introducing or interrupt a quote that is less that three lines long • The teacher said, “Sit down!” • “Why,” she asked, “is lunch so late?”

  12. Separate Parts of a Sentence • Use commas to separate statements from questions • Also use commas when separating contrasting parts of sentences. • I can go, can’t I? • This is mine, not yours.

  13. Interrupters • Use a comma to surround interrupters in your sentences • I would, however, like to hear your feedback. • She would, therefore, volunteer for the blood drive.

  14. Comma Splices • A comma splice is an error in which two independent clauses are joined by a comma • To correct them, add a conjunction, start a new sentence or use a semicolon. • Comma Splice: Time flies when we are having fun, we are always having fun. • Correct: Time flies when we are having fun, and we are always having fun.

  15. Works Cited • Straus, Jane. "Commas." Grammar and Punctuation. N.p., 2012. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. <http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/commas .asp>. • "Purdue OWL." Purdue OWL. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/>.

More Related