Commas with phrases/clauses

Front

What is a comma?

Back

A punctuation mark used to indicate a pause between parts of a sentence or to separate items in a list.

Front

When should you use a comma before a coordinating conjunction?

Back

Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) when it connects two independent clauses.

Front

What is an independent clause?

Back

A group of words that contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought.

Front

What is a dependent clause?

Back

A group of words that contains a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought.

Front

When should you use a comma after an introductory phrase?

Back

Use a comma after an introductory phrase to separate it from the main clause.

Front

What is a non-restrictive clause?

Back

A clause that adds extra information to a sentence but is not essential to its meaning, usually set off by commas.

Front

What is a restrictive clause?

Back

A clause that is essential to the meaning of a sentence and is not set off by commas.

Front

How do you punctuate a sentence with a series of items?

Back

Use commas to separate items in a series, and place 'and' before the last item.

Front

What is the Oxford comma?

Back

The final comma in a list of three or more items, placed before 'and' or 'or'.

Front

When should you use commas with adjectives?

Back

Use commas to separate two or more coordinate adjectives that describe the same noun.