COMMAS

• Use commas between two or more adjectives of equal rank that modify the same noun.

• Kristen applied a blue, shiny glaze to the vase.

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• Use a comma after every item in the series except the last one.

• Woody Allen is a writer, an actor, and a director of popular movies. (words in a series)

• We searched under the beds, inside drawers, and in closets for the lost ring. (phrases in a series)

• The doctor explained how the blood test is done, what it reveals, and why it is necessary. (clauses in a series)

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•Use commas after words like first, second, and third when they introduce a series.

• There are four steps to any painting job: first, scraping; second, sanding; third, priming; and fourth, painting.

Add necessary commas to the following sentences. One sentence is correct

already.

• 1) Throughout history there have always been fads in music clothing hairstyles and diets.

• 2) Fads catch on for a number of reasons: first they are fun; and second they make people feel as if they belong to the popular culture.

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• 3) Some of the most enjoyable fads include dances toys games and jewelry.

• 4) However, fads such as diets skateboards and freestyle bicycles can be dangerous.

• 5) On the other hand, the brightly colored hula hoops of the 1960’s provided good exercise.

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• Use a comma after introductory words or mild interjections such as oh, yes, no, and well.

• No, we didn’t see any snakes while we were hiking in the mountains.

• Use a comma after two or more prepositional phrases at the beginning of a sentence.

• After four rounds with the champ, Diaz was ready to call it a day.

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• Use commas to set off one or more words that interrupt the flow of thought in a sentence. (however, therefore, for example, I suppose, moreover, I believe, by the way, in fact, after all, of course, furthermore, nevertheless)

• The judge, after long deliberation, sentenced the prisoners.

• William, moreover, made the all-state hockey team.

• The tire has a slow leak, by the way.• Tim, however, decided not to attend.

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• Use commas to set off nouns of direct address.

• Marcia, call a timeout!• In the hallway, Mark, is a package for

you.

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Use commas to set off appositives. An appositive is a word or phrase that explains or identifies another word. Usually, the appositive comes directly after the word it explains. There are two types of appositives: essential and nonessential.

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• Most appositives are nonessential and must be set off by commas for that reason.

• Timmy, the largest of the boys, was teasing my sister.

• The Count of Monte Cristo, written by Alexandre Dumas, is a fascinating book.

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• Essential appositives are needed to make the meaning of the sentence clear, so they do not get set off by commas.

• The author Ernest Hemingway is known for his simple, unadorned writing style.

Add necessary commas to the following sentences.

• 1) Alice Walker the famous writer was born in Georgia.

• 2) At the age of twelve she lost the sight in one eye in a shooting accident.

• 3) This young girl nevertheless did not let her partial loss of sight hold her back.

• 4) That book her first was titled Once.• 5) In 1982 her eighth book The Color

Purple was published.