Commas, commas, and more commas!

Front

What is a comma?

Back

A comma is 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 in a greeting of a letter?

Back

You should use a comma after the greeting in a letter, for example: 'Dear Jason,'.

Front

How do you use commas in a list?

Back

Use commas to separate items in a list. For example: 'I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.'

Front

What is the rule for using commas with introductory phrases?

Back

Use a comma after an introductory phrase. For example: 'After dinner, we went for a walk.'

Front

When should you use commas with direct address?

Back

Use commas to separate the name of the person being addressed. For example: 'Can you help me, Sarah?'

Front

How do you use commas with coordinating conjunctions?

Back

Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) when connecting two independent clauses. For example: 'I wanted to go, but it was raining.'

Front

What is a non-essential clause?

Back

A non-essential clause provides extra information but can be removed without changing the sentence's meaning. Use commas to set it off. For example: 'My brother, who lives in New York, is visiting.'

Front

How do you use commas with dates?

Back

Use commas to separate the day from the year in a date. For example: 'July 4, 1776, is an important date in history.'

Front

What is the rule for using commas with adjectives?

Back

Use commas to separate two or more adjectives that equally describe a noun. For example: 'It was a long, tiring day.'

Front

When should you use a comma before 'and' in a series?

Back

Use a comma before 'and' in a series if it helps clarify the list. For example: 'I want to thank my parents, Oprah Winfrey, and God.'