Transcript Commas

Commas
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Compound sentences
• Use a comma before the conjunction to
separate the two independent clauses that
make up the compound sentence.
• Examples:
My mom will pack my lunch, and my dad will
take me to school.
The dog will chase the cat, and the cat will claw
the dog.
More than two items in a list
• The list may be nouns or verbs, but if there are
more than two items, separate each item with
a comma.
• Examples:
On our summer vacation, we swam, biked, and
hiked.
At the store, we bought milk, eggs, and cheese.
Separate the appositive
• An appositive gives information about
something in the sentence and can be
removed from the sentence. Separate it with
a comma.
• Examples:
I am your teacher, Mrs. Gerben.
My horse, Angel, is really an angel!
Dialogue
• Commas separate the quotation from the
attribution when a question mark or
exclamation point are not appropriate.
• Examples:
“Two wrongs don’t make a right,” she said
pompously.
She whined, “Why do I have to do the dishes?”
Separate adjectives
• When the adjective is not part of the noun’s
nomenclature (like jet plane), separate the
adjectives describing the same noun with
commas.
• Examples:
The big, lazy horse trotted through the field.
The hysterical, happy puppy licked its owner’s
face.
Introductory phrases
(including Interjections)
• When a phrase begins a sentence, separate it
from the rest of the sentence with a comma.
• Examples:
Finally, it was Christmas break.
Wow, it took a long time to get through that
line.
Parenthetical expressions
• A parenthetical expression contains relevant,
yet not vital information. Separate with
commas.
• Examples
He frequently missed class; consequently, he
had a low grade.
After running the marathon, he, of course, was
tired.
Direct address
• When a person is addressed directly in a
sentence, separate the name from the
sentence with a comma.
• Examples
“Listen here, young lady.”
“Elizabeth Frankalena Roethlisberger, you better
clean your room!”
Dependent clauses
• With dependent clauses, use commas only
when the clause is at the beginning or in the
middle of a sentence.
• Example:
Although she was hungry, liver and onions did
not appeal to her.
Dates, Locations
• Between the day and year:
November 11, 2013
• Between the city and state:
Fort Huachcua, AZ
, too
• Use a comma when “too” means also:
• Examples
We went to the store and the movies, too.
We took the cat – and the dogs, too – to the vet.
Letters
• When writing a letter, use commas after the
greeting and closing:
Dear Friend,
Sincerely,
Summary: Use commas
• Compound sentences
• More than two items in
a list
• Separate appositives
• Dialogue
• Introductory phrases
• Interjections
• When “too” means
“also”
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Letters
Dates
Locations
Dependent clauses
Separate adjectives
Parenthetical
expressions
• Direct address