Do You Need a Comma Before and After and Again

Lesson 13: Commas

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What is a comma?

A comma is a punctuation marker that can be used in many different ways. Mainly, it's used to split things—for case, two thoughts in a judgement, multiple adjectives, or items in a list.

At that place are many rules that tell u.s. how commas should be used, but don't let it scare you. With a petty practice, it'll start to experience like 2nd nature. Some rules are ready in stone. They work the same way every time, so y'all don't have to call up nigh them too much. Other rules are more complicated. In these cases, you have to understand the meaning of the judgement to know when and where to employ the comma.

Using commas

The basic rules for using commas are pretty foolproof. In other words, they're like shooting fish in a barrel to use to your writing considering they e'er work the same mode. You don't accept to worry about any special exceptions or wonder where the comma is supposed to get. Each rule tells you exactly what to practice.

Joining two sentences

You already know how to join ii sentences using conjunctions like and, or, but, and so. We exercise it all the time in regular conversation, if non in writing.

Equally you tin meet, the comma goes between the 2 sentences, right before the conjunction. Information technology tells you lot where one thought ends and another begins. Placing the comma later the conjunction would be incorrect because the conjunction is part of the second thought.

Listing items in a sentence

Commas tin can also be used to divide three or more items in a listing. Only place a comma between each item (and an advisable punctuation mark at the terminate). The last item is normally joined past a conjunction like and, or, or nor. Like the rule for joining sentences, the comma goes right before the conjunction.

Place names and dates

At that place are certain types of place names (for example, urban center/state and country/land) that are always separated by a comma when you lot write them out. Yous can see this dominion in activity on any mailing envelope.

Phoenix is a place inside Arizona—that's why there's a comma between the city and land. This dominion applies whenever you refer to a place in a like way, whether it'southward MTV Studios , Times Square (which isn't even a city, state, or state) or England , Great britain.

Dates work near the same style. For instance, when you write the full date, it should look something similar this: January one, 2014. Information technology's almost every bit if the day and the month are inside the year—which is true, in a way. Nosotros're talking about January one in the year 2014. That's why there's a comma between the date and year.

Quotations

Quotations are usually fabricated up of two things: a quote (what the person said) and a tag (the person who said information technology). Commas play an important role too—they dissever the quote from the tag, so we can tell they're divide only continued.

So where does the comma go? It depends on the layout of the sentence. Hither are three examples.

• Before the quote: Vanessa asked, "Is anyone else hungry?"
• After the quote (inside the quotation mark): "I could go for some pizza," said Elizabeth.
• Both ways (in the middle of a quote): "I desire pizza," said Rick, "but not with anchovies!"

To acquire more, have a look at our lesson on Quotation Marks.

There are two commas missing from the example beneath. Can you tell where they're supposed go? Click the dots to encounter if you're correct!

Nope!

That's non quite right, but y'all're close. Remember: when joining ii sentences, the comma always goes before the conjunction.

That'due south correct!

This is where the get-go comma should go—correct before the conjunction . It tells you where 1 thought ends ( I heard a sound in the attic ) and another one begins ( I went to see what information technology was ).

Endeavor once again!

This should be a flow , not a comma. You can tell because the adjacent sentence is a consummate judgement (and there's no conjunction joining them together).

Correct!

This is a adept example of a quote that comes after a tag. In a case similar this, the comma always goes earlier the quote (outside the quotation marks).

More commas

To use commas in more complicated sentences, y'all'll have to use your judgment. This ways you'll need to think about each sentence (and make sure you really understand what makes information technology work) before y'all tin can employ the comma.

Don't let this scare y'all. As always, it's non the end of the world if you make a error. If you get stuck on a dominion, try looking closely at the instance—sometimes it helps to see the rule in activity. If you're not a native English language speaker, these rules can exist especially hard to grasp. You may want to ask someone you know for help, such as a friend, coworker, or teacher.

Adjectives

Another time you use commas is when you have 2 or more adjectives in a sentence. Just place the comma betwixt them—this separates them and makes the sentence easier to read.

This dominion is pretty universal, but it isn't always true. You should just utilize a comma if the adjectives are interchangeable.

Interchangeable means you can list the adjectives in any order and it won't change the pregnant of the judgement. To find out if two adjectives are interchangeable, try reversing them—then see if the sentence still makes sense.

Here's the same example with a dissimilar pair of adjectives: delicious and frozen. This time, the adjectives aren't interchangeable. (If you reverse them, you can probably see why.) This means they shouldn't be separated with a comma.

The truth is, frozen yogurt is more than just an describing word followed by a noun. It'south type of thing, like a miniature poodle, striped shirt, or fifty-fifty hot chocolate. All of these examples are made upwards of 2 words, but they represent a single thing. If you separate them with a comma—or write them in a dissimilar lodge—the words lose their meaning.

Introductory clauses

You might already know that an incomplete sentence is a fragment. When y'all begin a sentence with a fragment, it'due south chosen an introductory clause. (To acquire more, check out our lesson on Fragments.)

It's perfectly OK to begin a judgement this way, then follow it with a complete thought. You lot just take to split up these thoughts with a comma. This makes the judgement easier to read, and information technology also tells the reader where to pause if needed.

In the case above, the matter before the comma (while y'all were sleeping) is a fragment; the thing subsequently the comma (I gave you a new haircut) is a complete sentence. The comma is necessary merely if the clause introduces the judgement. If the phrases were written in the reverse lodge, you lot wouldn't use a comma.

What well-nigh expressions similar luckily, however, and every bit yous tin see? It's more common to see these at the beginning of a sentence, but they can appear the end also. Unlike introductory clauses, they don't necessarily add anything new to the sentence. Regardless, they should e'er be separated by a comma. For case: I gave you a new haircut, as you tin can see.

Nonessential clauses

You should as well utilize commas to separate nonessential clauses that appear in the middle of a sentence. A nonessential clause is something that adds meaning but that isn't completely necessary. In other words, if you took it out the sentence would all the same mean basically the same thing.

To find out if a clause is nonessential, try removing it from the sentence, then see how information technology sounds. The judgement above would all the same make sense if we removed the item near the ascot. It would be: Steve is very tidy.

If the clause was essential, nosotros wouldn't exist able to remove it. Try this judgement instead: Men who wear ascots are very tidy. If nosotros accept out the detail almost the ascot, nosotros're left something slightly dissimilar: Men are very tidy. This is far too full general to be true—afterwards all, some men are really sloppy. This is how you know the clause is essential to the sentence'south meaning.

Other cases

As you gain more experience with commas, you'll run into cases when your judgment matters more than ever. These cases are more difficult to define, but they build on the rules we just discussed.

For instance, some sentences cease with a blazon of fragment chosen a free modifier. This is just a fancy word for something that clarifies or relates to another function of the sentence. When you use a gratis modifier like this, e'er divide it with a comma.

Other sentences end with a distinct pause, followed by something more cryptic. That final shell could be the name of the person y'all're talking to, a argument of confirmation, or a single word. Whatsoever it is, that beat as well should exist separated by a comma.

Below are ii sentences that include a series of commas—one is correct, and the other is non. Apply what you but learned to decide which one is correct, then click the dots to encounter if yous're correct!

Not quite!

Here, an essential clause has been mistaken for a nonessential clause . The sentence should be written without commas instead:

Those who live in drinking glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

Correct!

The comma in this sentence is used correctly. It separates the introductory clause ( if you keep making that face ) from the residue of the sentence ( information technology'due south going to stay that fashion ).

Common comma mistakes

Joining ii sentences without a conjunction

People oft brand the mistake of using a comma to bring together 2 sentences without a conjunction. For example:

Detect how the first version of the sentence is missing something? It needs a conjunction like and or merely to bring together the two halves properly. Y'all could also utilize a semi-colon to correct it instead: She was a pocket-size-boondocks-daughter; he was a city boy . Or y'all could rewrite the sentence equally two sentences, with a period in between.

Joining a compound subject or predicate

Remember how you're supposed to use a comma to separate iii or more items in a list? Be careful not to get overboard and start separating ii items that belong together (in other words, a compound subject area or predicate).

It might assist to recall of the compound equally a single thought or thought. In the example above, the gym teacher and the principal are both part of Aunt Ruth's dating history—and they're the only things listed. Y'all wouldn't break them upwards unless and the chief was rewritten as a complete sentence. For example: Aunt Ruth used to date the gym teacher, but she dumped him for the master .

When a fragment follows a sentence

It'due south easy to confuse a fragment at the end of a sentence with an introductory clause—they do look similar. We already touched on this rule when nosotros went over introductory clauses, merely it tin can't hurt to review it again.

A fragment just works equally an introductory clause if it's at the beginning of a sentence. If information technology's at the end, you don't need a comma. In this example, the sentence would need a comma only if information technology was written in the contrary society: While my husband went camping ground, I went to Vegas .

Forcing a interruption

Using a comma to force the reader to suspension is a common mistake. Just retrieve: Commas are meant to make things easier to read, not necessarily influence the way they're read.

If you desire the reader to pause, yous'll have to become creative with your formatting. For instance, y'all could use an ellipses (a very common way of indicating a pause), similar in the example above. Or you could write the word yous want to emphasize in all caps or italics. This style, the reader can really experience the weight of it: And THAT is how you deep-fry a turkey .

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Source: https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/grammar/commas/1/

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