{"id":10248,"date":"2015-08-31T14:24:23","date_gmt":"2015-08-31T21:24:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev-crowdcontent.com\/?p=10248"},"modified":"2022-01-17T03:23:47","modified_gmt":"2022-01-17T11:23:47","slug":"commas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crowdcontent.com\/resources\/writer\/university\/punctuation\/commas\/","title":{"rendered":"Commas"},"content":{"rendered":"

Commas<\/h2>\n

The comma is arguably the most versatile punctuation mark. Since its list of uses is so lengthy, let\u2019s get going!<\/span><\/p>\n

Lists<\/h3>\n

If you have a series of three or more things, separate those words with commas.<\/b><\/p>\n

Wrong:<\/strong><\/span> Braeden bought apples bread yoghurt and zucchini at the grocery store.<\/span><\/p>\n

Right:<\/strong><\/span> Breaden bought apples, bread, yoghurt, and zucchini at the grocery store.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the example, I included a comma before the \u201cand\u201d. This comma is called the Oxford or serial comma, and it is not essential. However, it can eliminate confusion.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether or not you use the Oxford comma, it\u2019s important to choose one method and stick with it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adjectives<\/h3>\n

Have you ever noticed that some adjectives had commas between them and others don\u2019t?<\/span><\/p>\n

Commas: I live in a red, white, and black house.<\/span><\/p>\n

No Commas: I live in a genuine 18th-century house.<\/span><\/p>\n

Believe it or not, there actually are rules about when commas go between adjectives and when they don\u2019t. <\/span>Use commas if your adjectives are coordinate, meaning that the adjectives can go in any order and you can put \u201cand\u201d between them.<\/b><\/p>\n

Rearranging the Order: I live in a white, black, and red house.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adding And: I live in a red and white and black house.<\/span><\/p>\n

Both of those sentences make sense.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don’t use commas if your adjectives are cummulative, meaning that you can\u2019t rearrange them or put \u201cand\u201d between them.<\/b><\/p>\n

Rearranging the Order: I live in an 18th-century genuine house.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adding And: I live in a genuine and 18th-century house.<\/span><\/p>\n

Huh? These sentences don\u2019t make sense because \u201cgenuine\u201d is modifying \u201c18th-century\u201d not \u201chouse\u201d. The speaker is saying that his house really is from the 18th-century, not that it\u2019s really a house. <\/span>Grammar Girl<\/span><\/a> has more examples to help you with this tricky concept.<\/span><\/p>\n

Quotes<\/h3>\n

Quotes that occur in the middle of a sentence get lots of introduction. First, there\u2019s <\/span>a comma, then the quotation marks, then the actual quote<\/b>. Like this:<\/span><\/p>\n

After breakfast, Janine said, \u201cI\u2019m stuffed!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve got a <\/span>broken quote<\/span><\/a>, you also need a comma after the first half:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy concern\u201d, said Jackson, \u201cis that I\u2019ll be late for the bus.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Parenthetical Elements<\/h3>\n

A parenthetical element is a phrase or word that is not essential to your sentence and can easily be removed. You <\/span>indicate that this part of the sentence is parenthetical by setting it off with commas.<\/b><\/p>\n

Evangeline\u2019s comma splice, usually an egregious offence, was hardly noticed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Honestly, I rarely go to the movies.<\/span><\/p>\n

Non-restrictive relative clauses<\/span><\/a> are a type of parenthetical element.<\/span><\/p>\n

Places and Dates<\/h3>\n

Separate smaller places from the larger places in which they are located<\/b> (e.g. cities from provinces, states from countries).<\/span><\/p>\n

Victoria, British Columbia<\/span><\/p>\n

Paris, France<\/span><\/p>\n

New Mexico, USA<\/span><\/p>\n

If you write dates in the month, day, year format, place a comma between the day and the year:<\/span><\/p>\n

May 12, 2014<\/span><\/p>\n

If you write dates in the day, month, year format, don\u2019t use any commas:<\/span><\/p>\n

12 May 2014<\/span><\/p>\n

Conjunctions and Dependent Clauses<\/h3>\n

Using commas with coordinating conjunctions and dependent clauses is covered in the <\/span>sentences<\/span><\/a> lesson.<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn More:<\/span><\/p>\n