COMMAS

COMMA DEFINITION• Comma

• com·ma [ˈkɒmə]

• Noun.

• A punctuation mark (,) indicating a pause between parts of a sentence. It is also used to separate items in a list and to mark the place...

WHAT DOES A COMMA DO? WHEN I CAN USE A COMMA?• A comma does nothing but make easy a thing that if

you like it enough is easy enough without the comma.

• A comma in writing is like a pause inside a sentence when speaking. We use commas inside sentences. Commas separate parts of a sentence into logical elements. Commas have no meaning, but they help us to see the structure and therefore the meaning of the sentence.

xxx, xxx correct

xxx ,xxxincorrect

xxx , xxx

SHOULD I USE A COMMA BEFORE “AND” OR “OR”?

• When a coordinating conjunction is used to connect two independent clauses, a comma is always used. Examples:

• Con·junc·tion:Noun The part of speech that serves to connect words, phrases, clauses, or sentences.

• I hit my brother with a stick, and he cried.

• The rain stopped, and the sun came out again.

• Should I eat dinner, or should I play a game?

• When a coordinating conjunction is used to connect a dependent clause, a comma is never used. This includes both of your given examples. Other examples:

• The boy ran to his room and cried.

• Frank is a healthy and active child.

• Should I eat dinner or play a game?

• When a coordinating conjunction is used to connect three or more items or clauses, a comma is optional (though I personally prefer to use one). Examples:

• I bought cheese, crackers, and drinks at the store.

• Should I eat dinner, play a game, or go to the store?

RULES FOR USING COMMAS

Rule 1

• To avoid confusion, use commas to separate words and word groups with a series of three or more.

• Example:My $10 million estate is to be split among my husband, daughter, son, and nephew.

Rule 2

• Use a comma to separate two adjectives when the word and can be inserted between them.

• Examples:He is a strong, healthy man.

• Rule 3

• Use a comma when an -ly adjective is used with other adjectives.

• NOTE: To test whether an -ly word is an adjective, see if it can be used alone with the noun. If it can, use the comma.

• Examples:Felix was a lonely, young boy.I get headaches in brightly lit rooms. Brightly is not an adjective because it cannot be used alone with rooms; therefore, no comma is used between brightly and lit.

RULES FOR USING COMMAS

• Rule 4

• Use commas before or surrounding the name or title of a person directly addressed.

• Examples:Will you, Aisha, do that assignment for me? Yes, Doctor, I will.

• Rule 5b

• If any part of the date is omitted, leave out the comma.

• Example:They met in December 2003 in Mill Valley.

• Rule 6

• Use a comma to separate the city from the state and after the state in a document. If you use the two-letter capitalized form of a state in a document, you do not need a comma after the state.

• Examples:I lived in San Francisco, California, for 20 years.I lived in San Francisco, CA for 20 years.

RULES FOR USING COMMAS

• Rule 7

• Use commas to surround degrees or titles used with names. Commas are no longer required around Jr. and Sr. Commas never set off II, III, and so forth.

• Example:Al Mooney, M.D., knew Sam Sunny Jr. and Charles Starr III.

QUESTIONS TRUE OR FALSE?

.

• I may consider your plan, or I may disregard it.

• The female applicant must be able to tell jokes, sing, and dance.

• PLC provided the material, and we built the road.

• We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

• I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.

• Created by

Hao Tian Zhu and

Juan Canela Moronta