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Comma- rific

Commas, their uses, and you. Comma- rific. Commas. QA Compact, chapter 24, has all the comma rules. They are all very straightforward except for one or two crazy exceptions. And yes, there are grammatically-based comma rules.

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Comma- rific

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  1. Commas, their uses, and you Comma-rific

  2. Commas • QA Compact, chapter 24, has all the comma rules. They are all very straightforward except for one or two crazy exceptions. • And yes, there are grammatically-based comma rules. • “Put a comma when you want the reader to take a breath” is NOT a comma rule. • The more common sense rule is “put a comma when you want to avoid confusion.”

  3. Coordinating Conjunctions • Use a comma before coordinating conjunctions linking two independent ideas. • To show addition: and • To show choice: or, nor • To show consequences: so • To show contrast: but, yet • To show cause: for • If the ideas are not independent, then NO comma – independence requires the verb AND the subject.

  4. Coordinating Conjunctions • I have many imaginary friends and enemies • I have many imaginary friends, and they like me. • I have many imaginary friends who like me and think I am special. • I have many imaginary friends, and I have many imaginary enemies. • I have many imaginary friends and have many imaginary enemies.

  5. Commas after introductory elements • Any word, phrase, or clause that proceeds the main clause of a sentence is followed by a comma This includes: • Subordinating conjunction inversions. • Although that party was crazy, I still found my way home last night. • Prepositional, participial and absolute phrase inversions • Under the moonlight, I stumbled down Evans. • Correlating adverbs (conjunctive adverbs) • However, I fell asleep on the dining room floor. • Crazy exception #1 – if the introductory element is short AND does not affect meaning some will omit the comma. However, you will NEVER be wrong if you use the comma.

  6. Restrictive/non-restrictive elements • Restrictive elements contain information essential for the meaning of the sentence, so DON’T use commas: • DU students who transferred to DU from another university do not have to take a First-Year Seminar. • Some students at DU go to all the hockey games • Non-restrictive elements contain non-essential information. • DU students, who are exceptionally smart, have to pass WRIT 1133. • Jenny, who is a huge hockey fan, goes to all the hockey games. • To recognize, take out the phrase you are wondering about

  7. Crazy exception number 2 • Subordinating phrases do not get a comma before them when they appear after the main clause: • You will like DU if you like to ski. • But use the comma if inverting: If you like to ski, then you will like DU. • I like DU because it has a great campus culture. • Some grammarians have suggested that a comma is appropriate when a subordinator shows contrast. But this is OPTIONAL • I like DU, although I don’t like to ski. • I went to a private university, rather than a state university.

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