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 an example of an introductory phrase?

Back

"After dinner," is an introductory phrase in the sentence: "After dinner, we went for a walk."

Front

How do you punctuate non-essential clauses?

Back

Non-essential clauses should be set off by commas because they provide additional information that can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence.

Front

What is a non-essential clause?

Back

A clause that adds information to a sentence but is not necessary for the sentence to make sense.

Front

When should you use commas in a series?

Back

Use commas to separate three or more items in a list or series.

Front

What is an example of a series?

Back

In the sentence "I bought apples, oranges, and bananas," the items in the series are separated by commas.