Common Commas

Common Commas

Proper use of commas can be one of the most difficult skills to learn when it comes to punctuation.

If you are able to utilize these common comma rules, your writing will improve immensely.

I lived in Atlanta, Georgia, for two years. She went to Los Angeles, California, during her

vacation. “The City of Lights” is a nickname for Paris, France. Invercargill, New Zealand, is one of the southernmost

cities in the world.

Use a comma after the name of the city when writing a city and state or a city

and country.

Use another comma after the state or country if it is within a

sentence.

Melbourne, Florida London, England

On July 4, 1776, our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

December 25, 2001, was the best Christmas I’ve ever had.

Use a comma when writing the date.

Use another comma after the year if it is within a sentence.

February 18, 1969 January 16, 2006

Use a comma when writing a name and a title or a name and

a suffix. Dr. John Smith, Professor

Dr. Susan Jones, PhD

Stuart Sullivan, Jr.

Edward Stratton, III

Laura Billings, LMHC

Use a comma when writing the numbers one thousand and

above. I won $32,980 in the lottery.

The singer sold 50,000,000 copies of his latest CD.

It seemed like 5,000 people were waiting to get through security when I went to the airport the other day.

1,000,000 people voted in the last gubernatorial election.

Next Set

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Click on the correct sentence in each set.(Click on “Next Set” for the next grouping to appear.)

Will you be going to Sydney Australia this summer?

His birthday was August, 11, 1991.

Stephen Smith, Jr. came to visit me today.

December, 7, 1941, is called Pearl Harbor Day.

Will you be going to Sydney, Australia this summer?

Will you be going to Sydney, Australia, this summer?

His birthday was August 11 1991.

His birthday was August 11, 1991.

December 7, 1941, is called Pearl Harbor Day.

December 7 1941, is called Pearl Harbor Day.

Stephen Smith Jr., came to visit me today.Stephen Smith Jr. came to visit me today.

Click on the correct sentence in each set.(Click on “Next Set” for the next grouping to appear.)

He kept 50,00,0 bees in the orchard in his backyard.

Her new therapist was Taylor Jones, LMHC.

NASA is in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

She spent $20,00 on new shoes when she went to Milan.

He kept 5,00,00 bees in the orchard in his backyard.

He kept 50,000 bees in the orchard in his backyard.

Her new therapist, was Taylor Jones LMHC.

Her new therapist was Taylor, Jones, LMHC.

She spent $2,000 on new shoes when she went to Milan.

She spent $2000, on new shoes when she went to Milan.

NASA is in Cape, Canaveral, Florida.

NASA is in Cape Canaveral Florida.

Next Set

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After jumping, he decided sky diving wasn’t for him.

Therefore, she never ate chicken again.

Whenever the phone rang, he quacked like a duck.

In fact, studies have shown that waterskiing can be harmful to your wrists.

On the other hand, I just made up that fact.

Between you and me, I thought that the movie was boring.

Use a comma after an introductory word or phrase, including

prepositional phrases. (However, In, On, With, Until, As, Before, Generally,

etc.)

Steve, my ex-boyfriend, doesn’t take showers.

My sister, Kelly, likes to water ski.

My favorite animal, the giraffe, is the tallest mammal in the world.

My grandmother, who is hard of hearing, sometimes says the funniest things when we ask her questions.

Use a comma to separate words that give additional information.

These are also called interrupters because they

interrupt the sentence.

Use a Comma before a conjunction (and, but, or, nor, so, yet, for) when

writing a compound sentence. Do not use a comma before the word

“because”. Sue wanted to ride her bike, but it had a flat tire.

Elmira bought a dog, and then she bought a cat.

He grew his hair longer because he was too lazy to get it cut.

Beatrice didn’t get the job she wanted, yet she continued to search with an upbeat attitude.

He didn’t want to go to the zoo, nor did he want to go to the library.

If you do not have two complete thoughts, do not use a comma before

the conjunction.

Sue wanted to ride her bike but did not want to ride in the rain.

Elmira bought a dog and then a cat.

We bought the house at the end of the street and painted it blue and white.

The babies crawled to the window and looked at the dogs.

He wrote the letter yet forgot to put a stamp on the envelope.

Be careful!Be careful of using commas between two

complete and separate thoughts without using a conjunction. This is called comma splicing.

My car makes a funny noise, I took it to the repair shop.

You can correct comma splicing with a period, a comma and a conjunction, or a semi-colon.

My car makes a funny noise. I took it to the repair shop. My car makes a funny noise, so I took it to the repair shop. My car makes a funny noise; I took it to the repair shop.

Comma SplicingRemember, a comma splice is when you

use a comma (and nothing else) between two complete and separate thoughts. You can correct this with a period, a comma and a conjunction, or a semi-colon.

Hilda treated herself to new shoes, they cost forty dollars.

Here are three ways to correct this sentence: Hilda treated herself to new shoes. They cost forty

dollars.

Hilda treated herself to new shoes, and they cost forty dollars.

Hilda treated herself to new shoes; they cost forty dollars.

Choose the correct sentence.Whenever the surf is high, we take our surfboards out and ride the waves.

Whenever the surf is high, we take our surfboards out, and ride the waves.

Michael wanted peanut butter ice cream, but he did not want peach.

Michael wanted peanut butter ice cream but he did not want peach.

Feliciano painted a portrait of his girlfriend Fiona, and hung it on the wall.

Feliciano painted a portrait of his girlfriend, Fiona, and hung it on the wall.

Greta went skiing at a resort in Salzburg and at another one in Munich.

Greta went skiing at a resort in Salzburg, and at another one in Munich.

Sylvia locked the door because she was afraid to be in her house alone.

Sylvia locked the door, because she was afraid to be in her house alone.

Next Pair

Next Slide

Choose the correct sentence.

Until tests are outlawed, there will always be prayer in schools.

Until tests, are outlawed there will always be prayer in schools.

George, who normally sleeps late, got up early this morning to go jogging.

George who normally sleeps late, got up early this morning to go jogging.

Stephano wore blue shoes, because his mother told him blue was best.

Stephano wore blue shoes because his mother told him blue was best.

The bear hibernates every winter, and he sleeps in a cave.

The bear hibernates every winter, he sleeps in a cave.

Lloyd walked across the lawn and picked weeds along the way.

Lloyd walked across the lawn, and picked weeds along the way.

Next Pair

Next Slide

Use a comma between two adjectives.

Jack climbed the tall, green beanstalk.

Kiyone dove into the clear, cool stream.

She felt fabulous when she drove her sleek, white sports car.

The gray, furry sloth slid down the branch.

The night grew silent under the pale, silver moon.

We bought tofu, eggs, beans, and rice. Kevin, Paco, Maria, and Kim went home. Giuseppe likes spaghetti, meatballs, and garlic. Lions, tigers, and bears are fierce animals. (OH,

MY!)

Use a comma when making a list.

Note: Don’t use a comma before the first item on the list.

We bought, tofu, eggs, beans, and rice.

We bought tofu, eggs, beans, and rice.

The correct punctuation is:

Use a comma when using a phrase to emphasize contrast.

This is the way the world ends: not with a bang, but a whimper.

The baby bunnies were cute, even though they were bald.

She drove the car, despite not having a license.

The boat sank, although they were bailing water as fast as they could.

He would not guess her age, just in case he was wrong.

Use a comma with a direct quote.

The prince exclaimed, “I have come to save you!”

“Maybe,” she answered, “I don’t want to be saved by you.”

The man said, “We want more cake!”

“Please,” asked the girl earnestly. “Will you buy my Girl Scout Cookies?”

“I will always be there for you,” she promised, “as long as you are there for me.”

Click on the correct sentence in each set.(Click on “Next Set” for the next grouping to appear.)

She slipped, on the yellow, ripe, banana peel.

“This soup, is tasty,” she commented.

She spoke softly, yet powerfully.

She loved roses, tulips, marigolds, and, daisies.

She slipped on the yellow ripe banana peel.

She slipped on the yellow, ripe banana peel.

“This soup is tasty” she commented.

“This soup is tasty,” she commented.

She loved roses, tulips, marigolds, and daisies.

She loved, roses, tulips, marigolds, and daisies.

She spoke softly yet powerfully.

She spoke softly, yet, powerfully.

Next Set

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The more you write, the easier it becomes. When you get papers back from

your instructors, study their comments to help

you avoid common comma errors in the

future.