Commas
Always use a comma when:
• Your quotation ends, and you need to attribute it to the person who said the words. Example:– “I love cheese,” Wendy said.– “Cheese is so good; it’s my favorite thing
ever,” Wendy said.– “I could make up sentences about cheese
all day,” Wendy said.
Always use a comma:
• Before and after the abbreviation for a state following a city.
• Before and after a year following the month and date.– Example: Wendy was born in Scottsbluff, Neb., on
Feb. 22, 1977, which means she’s 32.– Example: When you go to Chicago, Ill., it’s
important to catch a baseball game. On July 4, 2007, the Cubs played the Braves.
Always use a comma:
• After words in a simple series. Example:– This weekend at the grocery store, Wendy
bought gouda, jarlsberg and edam.
• Before the word etc. at the end of a series. Example:– Yummy cheeses include brie, feta,
cheddar, gouda, etc.
Always use a comma:
• Before a conjunction that separates two independent clauses. (I,cI) Examples:– Cheese is good, but Wendy knows it’s not
the only thing in the world.– Wendy nevers dreams about cheese, and
she would be weirded out if she did.– Sometimes it’s hard to come up with
creative sentences about cheese, so this one is about something else.
Always use a comma:
• Between clauses when a dependent clause comes before an independent clause. (D, I) Examples:– When she writes about cheese, Wendy’s students
think she’s a dork.– After writing so many cheesy sentences, Wendy is
exhausted.– Because cheese was the subject of so many
examples, Wendy hopes you’ll remember them.
Always use a comma:
• After an introductory participle phrase that is followed by an independent clause. Examples:– Eating her cheese, Wendy was satisfied.– Taking her time, Wendy chewed the cheese
slowly and savored the flavor.– Feeling stupid, Wendy wrote another
sentence about cheese.
Always use a comma:
• To bracket nonessential words, phrases and clauses. Example:– Wendy’s youngest brother, Owen, called
today, and they did not talk about cheese.– Wendy’s favorite cheeses, which are
always in her refrigerator, make her happy.– Stilton, a greenish cheese, which grosses
out her partner, Charlie, is not Wendy’s favorite.