If you are referencing a day of the week and a date, use a comma: When you are referencing only a month and year, you don’t need a comma. Rules for dates: In dates, the year is set off from the rest of the sentence with a pair of commas. Learn English idioms with …. (To remember this easily, memorize the mnemonic device, “fanboys.”) Example: I wanted to come to the party, but I had to work late. Today is Thursday, April 18, 1943. A: Use a comma to separate two sentences joined by for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. 1. This resource also includes sections with more detailed rules and examples. Use commas between words, or groups of words in a series. Example: The bearded man, Ron Swanson, stores bacon in various parts of his office. Today is a national holiday. English Grammar: The Gender of Nouns in English, TOO and ENOUGH: How to Use Too and Enough in English, English Tenses: Present Perfect Simple vs. commas (eight basic uses) use a comma to separate independent clauses. 2. Spell. 4. Commas are placed between items in lists, as in They own a cat, a dog, two rabbits, and seven mice. 8. Most people have no clue there are eight comma rules. Tom went to the movies, Jan and Jasmine went to play pool, and I went to bed. In 1994, 3 of Madonna's songs reached the top ten in the music charts. When writing dates, we use the listing comma according to the following rules: 1. use a comma between all items in a series. I too like bananas. Nancy waved enthusiastically at the docking ship, laughing joyously. 8 Comma Rules (Practice Quiz) Directions: Add commas to the following sentences where needed. John said without emotion, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”. PLAY. Rachel B. Flashcards. 6. I need to call Sally Tom Brad and Kelly about the party. A dependent clause provides additional information about the independent clause and establishes the relationship of this information to the independent clause. NOTE: Do not use a comma if the order is reversed (the independent clause comes before the dependent clause), except for cases of extreme contrast. Laughing joyously, Lisa waved at Nancy. Gravity. e.g. They can be prepositional phrases. A Parenthetical Element is a word or string of words which contains relevant yet non-essential information. 8. 8. USE A COMMA AFTER AN INTRODUCTORY CLAUSE OR PHRASE. Use a comma with those bad boys. The 8 Comma Rules. In this case, however, you seem to have over-exerted yourself. Present Perfect Continuous, DURING and WHILE: What’s the Difference Between During vs While, English Grammar: The Future Continuous Tense, Using the Present Continuous Tense in English, Prefixes and Suffixes – Definition and Examples …, 250+ Frequently Used Collocations List in English, Top 70+ Most Popular Contractions in English …, Commonly Confused Words: 7 English Word Pairs …, English Idioms: Learn English Idioms with Topics, Visual Dictionary: Vocabulary with Pictures, Commonly Confused Words: 7 English Word Pairs that Confuse Absolutely Everyone, Infinitives: List of 50+ Verbs Followed by Infinitives in English, SO and SUCH: Difference Between So and Such (with Useful Examples), English Grammar: ANOTHER vs OTHER vs OTHERS vs THE OTHER, Suffixes: Words Ending with Suffixes “-ent/-ence” and “-ant/-ance”, Opposites: List of 100 Common Opposites in English, Verb Forms: List of Regular and Irregular Verbs in English, Learn English Grammar with Pictures: 15+ Grammar Topics, Prefixes: List of 50+ Common Prefixes in English. Such phrases are free modifiers that can be placed anywhere in the sentence without causing confusion. Comma Rules! 1. Conjunctions connect two independent clauses. A comma simply adds emphasis. use a comma to set off appositives. (If the placement of the modifier causes confusion, then it is not "free" and must remain "bound" to the word it modifies.) Consequently, most stores are closed. … Use commas after introductory a) clauses, b) phrases, or c) words that come before the main clause.More items… How many commas should be in a sentence? For more information, see page 1378, line 30. Or to separate days of the week and the date. Put a comma to separate quotes. You might care about this, you might not. Would love your thoughts, please comment. (extreme contrast). Rule 8: Use commas to set off phrases at the end of the sentence that refer back to the beginning or middle of the sentence. 8. A Final Thought… Sometimes, even after you apply all these rules, you still find yourself with a tangled sentence that needs some commas to straighten itself out. Section 1 : Lists of three or more. B: Use a comma to separate items in a list. And no, one does not involve putting a comma in when you naturally pause. A more independent one that owns its own apartment and smokes imported cigars over glasses of straight brandy. The rules provided here are those found in traditional handbooks; however, in certain rhetorical contexts and for specific purposes, these rules may be broken. Use a pair of commas in the middle of a sentence to set off transition words and phrases as well as clauses that are not essential to the meaning of the sentence. ColonelSanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, first owned this house. You have the option of putting a comma after an introductory element. He was, however, very successful in his math classes. The following is a short guide to get you started using commas. Use commas to separate words and word groups in a simple series of three or more items. I love commas. It can also get confusing when you’re writing sentences that have multiple elements in them that would constitute a comma. I just like to keep it simple. They might be missing a verb or a subject. I think of punctuation as a way to help a reader to group words so that they convey the writer’s meaning—just as mathmatical symbols show how to group and deal with numbers to get the right answer. USE COMMAS TO SET OFF NONRESTRICTIVE CLAUSES. Using them and remembering them is harder. To George, Harrison had been a sort of idol. These ones are typically a bit more challenging because with them comes that annoying party girl that “whoos” loudly when they’ve had too much to drink. Pause ; they 're not as final as periods Go up two flights of stairs, right... 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