1 / 5

Use Commas to separate three or more items in a series.

Use Commas to separate three or more items in a series. Readers see the commas between items in a series (words, phrases, or clauses) and realize “this is a list.” If you said the sentence aloud, you would pause the items; when writing, you use commas to separate them.

nessa
Download Presentation

Use Commas to separate three or more items in a series.

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. Use Commas to separate three or more items in a series. • Readers see the commas between items in a series (words, phrases, or clauses) and realize “this is a list.” • If you said the sentence aloud, you would pause the items; when writing, you use commas to separate them. Ex: Searching through the drawer, the detective found a key, a stamp, three coins, and a photograph.

  2. Use commas to separate certain (coordinate) adjectives. • Adjectives are coordinate when their order can be reversed and the word and can be inserted between them without any change in the meaning. Ex: Buyers like to deal with energetic, efficient, and polite salespeople. • Do not, however, put a comma between the final adjective of a series and the noun it modifies. Ex: Energetic, efficient, and polite salespeople are in demand. • Note that no comma is necessary to separate adjectives that are cumulative, modifying the whole noun phrase that follows. Ex: Entering the little old stone house brought back memories of her childhood.

  3. Use a comma between a direct quotation and the preceding or following clause. • The independent clause may come either before or after the quotation. Ex: When asked what she wanted to be later in life, she replied, “An Olympic swimmer.” Ex: “I want to be an Olympic swimmer,” she announced. [The comma is inside the quotations marks.] • However, omit the comma if the quotation is a question or exclamation. Ex: “Do you want to be an Olympic swimmer?” she asked. • In addition, do not insert a comma before a quotation that is integrated into your sentence. Ex: The advertisers are promoting “a healthier lifestyle”

  4. Special uses of commas. • To prevent misreading: Use a comma to separate elements in a sentence that may otherwise be confusing. Ex: He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches. • With an absolute phrase: Use a comma to set off a phrase that modifies the whole sentence Ex: [The audience looking on in amusement], the valedictorian blew kisses to all her favorite instructors. • With a date: Use a comma to separate the day from the year in a date Ex: On May 14, 1998, the legendary singer Frank Sinatra died. • With numbers: Use a comma (never a period) to divide numbers into thousands. Ex: 1,200 515,00 34,000,00 • With Titles: Use commas around a person’s title or degree when it follows the name. Ex: Stephen L. Carter, PhD, gave the commencement speech. • With Parts of an address. Ex: Alice Walker was born in Eatonton, Georgia, in 1944.

  5. Works Cited • Raimes, A., & Jerskey, M. (2011). Keys for Writers. Boston: Wadsworth.

More Related