COMMA ,

• A comma (pronounced “cah-muh”) is

a punctuation mark that provides pauses in
reading and speaking by separating parts of a
sentence.
Use Commas Before Coordinating Conjunctions

• When you're writing a simple sentence, you're using

only one independent clause, which can stand alone as
a complete sentence. These sentences don't require
commas.
Mark loves cars.
My brothers shopped all day.
The dog barked at me.
• However, when you add another independent clause, separate
them with a comma and a conjunction instead of a period.
• That means that you will use a comma before the
word but if it is the start of an dependent clause (or a
sentence that could stand on its own).
Mark loves cars, so he’s going to buy one.
My brothers shopped all day, and they are so tired.
The dog barked at me, but I kept walking.

Each of these clauses has the same level of importance, and both
are essential to the sentence. Without a comma, your sentence is
a run-on.
• . Use Commas To Separate Items in a Series
• When you’re writing a list of nouns, verbs, or any other part of speech, you’ll need
to include commas to separate them. The same goes for a list of phrases and
clauses.
I need to buy eggs, milk, bread, laundry detergent, and
crackers.
Tanya has visited Turkey, Iraq, Egypt, and Armenia.
Let’s bring Andrew, Mike, and Melissa to the stage.

• The final comma (before the and) in these series is known as the Oxford or serial
comma. Many people consider it correct to include the Oxford comma between
the final two items in a list.
• The choice depends on personal preference and your style guide. However, you
should always use an Oxford comma if it prevents confusion.
• Use Commas After Introductory Clauses and
Phrases
• Introductory clauses and phrases are groups of
words that come before an independent clause in a
sentence.
• When you start a sentence with a dependent clause,
you follow it with a comma (just like that sentence!).

Because Naomi loves cats, she’s fostering kittens.

After we played basketball, we were too tired to go out.
Even though our team lost, the game was still really fun.
• Commas also follow introductory phrases, which can
include prepositional phrases, infinitive phrases, and participial
phrases.
• Like everyone in her family, Naomi loves cats. (prepositional phrase)
• Having played basketball all day, we were too tired to go out.
(participial phrase)
• To have fun, you can’t care too much about winning. (infinitive
phrase)
• If you add these phrases to the end of the sentence, they don’t
require commas.
• For example, “The dog barked at me to scare me away” doesn’t need
a comma to separate the infinitive phrase from the rest of the
sentence.
• Use Commas After Introductory Adverbs and Mild Interjections
• You also need to add a comma after a conjunctive adverb, such
as anyway, nevertheless, or however.
• Commas also follow yes and no in the same context.
Examples of sentences with introductory conjunctive adverbs
include:
However, we’re still having a staff
meeting.
Anyway, Juan forgot my birthday.
Yes, I know where that restaurant is.
• If you’re starting a sentence with a mild interjection,
you need to include a comma. (For stronger
interjections, use an exclamation point.)

Hey, that’s my seat.
Wow, this sweater is expensive.
Uh oh, I can’t find my wallet.

• Unless you’re starting a sentence with an independent clause,

it’s safe to assume that you need a comma. Otherwise, it’s
difficult to know when your introductory clause or phrase
• Use Commas To Highlight Non-Defining Clauses
• Non-defining clauses add more details about a noun in a
sentence, but they’re not essential. The sentence still makes
sense when you remove them.
• Use commas to separate non-defining relative clauses from
the rest of your sentence.

Jill, who goes to school with my cousin, plays lacrosse.

My sisters, whom I told to study, are failing science.
The dog, which looked like a Golden Retriever, licked my
face.
• You need to add commas around appositive phrases,
which function like relative clauses but don’t
include relative pronouns.
Jill, my cousin’s friend, plays lacrosse.
My sisters, Hannah and Rachel, are failing science.
The dog, a Golden Retriever, licked my face.
• If you’re using a person’s name as an appositive (such as in “My cousin’s
friend Jill plays lacrosse”), you don’t always need to add commas.
• However, adding commas around non-defining clauses is a good way to
clarify your meaning (“My cousin’s friend, Jill, plays lacrosse”). It’s a style
choice.
• Use Commas To Separate Coordinate Adjectives
• When two adjectives describe the same noun, they’re known
as coordinate adjectives. You should separate these adjectives using a
comma.

Maya slept on a cozy, comfortable, and roomy bed.

My beautiful, funny, and considerate best friend always supports me.
The adorable, sweet, and loving baby giggled.
• When adjectives describe different attributes of a noun, they’re
known as cumulative adjectives and don’t need commas.
• For example, “Maya slept on a soft pink throw pillow” doesn’t require
commas because each adjective describes a different part of the bed.
• Use Commas To Address Someone Directly

• When you’re talking to someone in person, it’s obvious that you’re

talking to them.
• But in writing, you need to directly address them — and you do so
with a comma.

I know you’re sixteen, Lileth, but you’re not ready to drive

alone.
Katie and Marie, you both need to help around the house.
Stop annoying me, June!
• Separating a name out with a comma shows the reader that you’re
speaking directly to that person.
• Use Commas When Indicating Negation
• Commas are important when you’re adding a negative point
to a complete sentence.

Isaac owns a Jeep, not a truck.

We moved to Idaho, not Utah.
The parrot, not my sister, spoke rudely to me.
• You can also use commas when the addition isn’t necessarily
negative, but different.
For example, “Isaac owns a Jeep, and maybe a truck.”
should still include a comma.
• Other Times To Use a Comma
• Commas can also break up information, not just
parts of a sentence. You need a comma:
• in letter and email salutations (Dear Aunt Carol,)
• in letter and email closings (Sincerely,)
• between cities and states (Portland, Oregon)
• when writing out dates (May 13, 2009)
• in numbers over 999 (97,452)
 A comma belongs before the quotation marks when placed after
an introductory expression.
• An introductory expression is a phrase or clause that acts as a
qualifying or clarifying statement about the rest of the
sentence. This expression is followed by a comma which is
placed before the beginning quotation mark.

• e.g.
The instructor made the directions about the exam time
very clear when he stated, “the exam begins at three
o’clock on the dot, and at five after three, the doors will be
shut and locked.” He also suggested we be there 15
A comma belongs before closing quotation marks if
followed by a concluding statement.
• When your quote is followed by a concluding statement
of any sort, you place the comma after the quote but
before the closing quotation mark. This helps create a
break between the quote and the narrative that
follows.

• e.g.
“I was wondering if there was any way you might
reconsider,” my boss stated; it wasn’t a question he was
• When an expression interrupts a quote, place a comma
before closing quotation marks and before the beginning
quotation marks of the conclusion quote.
Remember that a comma follows a quote and is placed before
the end quotation marks whenever text follows, and a comma
goes before the next set of opening quotation marks.

• e.g.
“I’m not a fan of the extended say learning opportunities,” was
the reply, “I prefer to let my students act like kids at the end of
the day.”
• In a dialogue, comma placement is dictated by speaker attribution
and is placed before quotation marks.
• Most written dialogue is attributed to a speaker using what is called a
dialogue tag. These tags allow the reader to know who is saying what
– an important detail when back-and-forth dialogue is in use.
• Dialog tags provide credit to the speaker and follow the same rules of
comma placement as the rules explained above.
• When the dialogue tag is before the dialogue, the comma is placed
before the first quotation mark.

• e.g.
He looked her up and down, exclaiming, “You’re crazy if you think I’m
driving that far.”
• When the dialogue tag comes after the dialogue,
you place the comma after the quotes, but before
the quotation marks

• e.g.
“I’ll be back before dinner,” Harriet yelled up the
stairs to her mother.
• When the dialogue tag is used to interrupt dialog, the
comma is placed before the closing quotation marks
and before the start of the opening quotation marks.

• e.g.

• “I don’t understand this assignment,” Jerri rolled her

eyes in frustration at the substitute, “and I don’t
understand why we have to do it when the teacher isn’t
here to explain it to us.”
Activity:
Choose a partner and on a 1/2
sheet of paper (crosswise) copy the
10 sentences and put the needed
commas to make each sentence
syntactically correct.
1. It’s raining so let’s grab
our umbrellas.

2. I want to go home but I

have to finish soccer
practice first.
3. I love playing hockey;
however I need to study this
weekend.

4. Oh no the concert was

canceled.
5. This class which Howie
didn’t even want to
take is really hard.

6. When the cat meows

like that it means he’s
hungry.
7. We toured
Stanford UCLA and Cal
Berkeley on our college
trip.

8. Bill’s cool friendly cousin

is in town.
9. “Let’s climb higher” said
Jacob.

10.What do you
mean Melissa?
11.My neighbor Mr. Patel
borrowed our lawnmower.
1. It’s raining, so let’s grab
our umbrellas.

2. I want to go home, but

I have to finish soccer
practice first.
3. I love playing hockey;
however, I need to study
this weekend.

4. Oh no, the concert was

canceled.
5. This class, which Howie
didn’t even want to
take, is really hard.

6. When the cat meows

like that, it means he’s
hungry.
7. We toured
Stanford, UCLA, and Cal
Berkeley on our college
trip.

8. Bill’s cool, friendly cousin

is in town.
9. “Let’s climb higher,”
said Jacob.

10.What do you
mean, Melissa?