When should you use a comma

Leaving the comma out before “and” in a list of three or more items seems to join the last two items, at least to me. For example: 1) I have worked in the hardware, appliances, boys and girls departments. 2) I have worked in the hardware, appliances, boys, and girls departments. Example 1 makes it unclear if there is a …These simple guidelines will help you decide whether to include a comma when using "although" or "even though" in a sentence. Place a comma after the first clause if a sentence starts with "although" or "even though". When using "although" or "even though" in mid-sentence, add a comma if there is a strong contrast between the two …Revised on November 29, 2022 by Jack Caulfield. Quotation marks (also known as quotes or inverted commas) are used to indicate direct speech and quotations. In academic writing, you need to use quotation marks when you quote a source. This includes quotes from published works and primary data such as interviews.Brittney, Grammarly’s resident style maven, puts it this way: “Oxford commas are like the Ugg boots of the punctuation world. People either love them or hate them or don’t know what they are.”. Brittney notes that Grammarly is pro-Oxford comma, in part because many long-timers (“the OG Grammarly users”) have voiced fondness for it.3. Use two commas to set off an appositive or an aside in the midst of a sentence. An appositive is a word or phrase that describes a noun it ...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 ...May 21, 2012 ... Whenever you find yourself using a comma before an Identification, Characterization or Explanation, remember that there has to be a comma after ...May 15, 2023 · Comma before and that joins two independent clauses. The word and is a conjunction, and when a conjunction joins two independent clauses, you should use a comma with it. The proper place for the comma is before the conjunction. On Monday we’ll see the Eiffel Tower, and on Tuesday we’ll visit the Louvre. A general rule of thumb for comma before with. A good rule to follow is to ask yourself “Is the phrase after “with” describing the word before “with”. Here, we don’t add the comma because we are describing his friend. It’s his friend who has the broken leg, not Blake. “Blake helped his friend, with a broken leg”. Feb 23, 2022 ... A comma can be used to join two or more independent clauses together. If we use a comma this way, we follow it with a coordinating conjunction ( ...8. Use a comma to separate the elements in a full date (weekday, month and day, and year). Also separate a combination of those elements from the rest of the sentence with commas. Rebecca Aydin ...Like “including,” these phrases may introduce either a restrictive or a nonrestrictive clause. When they introduce an essential description necessary to the meaning of the sentence, the writer should not set the description apart with commas. On the other hand, if these phrases begin an inessential description, commas must be used.When you are explaining a particular word or phrase by using quotations around it, or identifying the name of a book, song or movie, you will not necessarily need to use a comma before the item. In these cases, the quotations are used to support the primary meaning of …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 ...Mar 21, 2023 · You should follow this rule if you’re writing in US English. It has the added bonus of removing the confusion about when to add a comma: if you only use “which” nonrestrictively, you’ll always add a comma before a “which” clause. The historical period which fascinates me the most is the Renaissance. Modifiers that are essential do not require commas. Example: Tell the students who failed the exam that they will have to retake the course. (Only the students ...For up-to-date guidance, see the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook. Unless a place name is at the end of a sentence and followed by sentence-ending punctuation, whenever you list a city and a state or a city and a country, place commas around the state or the country. The rule applies even when the country or state name is abbreviated.3. Use two commas to set off an appositive or an aside in the midst of a sentence. An appositive is a word or phrase that describes a noun it ... This is an indication that the sentence is over. However, a comma will indicate that you should take a smaller break. And, might also be referred to as a soft pause. It can separate ideas within a sentence, clauses, and words. There are a few rules about how to use a comma and a few factors that can help you choose if you should use one or not. Leaving the comma out before “and” in a list of three or more items seems to join the last two items, at least to me. For example: 1) I have worked in the hardware, appliances, boys and girls departments. 2) I have worked in the hardware, appliances, boys, and girls departments. Example 1 makes it unclear if there is a …Add a comma after thus when it works as a coordinating conjunction or at the beginning of a sentence. Add a comma before thus when introducing a gerund or a gerund phrase. Add a comma on either side of thus when it interrupts an independent clause as a strong break or when thus comes between a helping and … The semicolon is the colon's quirkier sibling. While the colon is simply two dots stacked : the semicolon is a dot hovering over a comma ; The semicolon does jobs that are also done by other punctuation marks, but puts its own spin on the task. Like a comma, it can separate elements in a series. Like a period or colon, it often marks the end of ... Jul 17, 2023 · The states do not require or mandate the use of a comma between the title of your business and the corporation or LLC designation when naming your business. That said, many business owners prefer to use the comma to set apart their business name and to meet state requirements for the designation. For example, if, you, as a business owner, name ... Rule 1. Use commas to separate words and word groups in a simple series of three or more items. Example: My estate goes to my husband, son, daughter-in-law, …Apr 19, 2023 · The Oxford (or serial) comma is the final comma in a list of things. Please bring me a pencil, eraser, and notebook. The Oxford comma is the one right after eraser. The use of the Oxford comma is a matter of style, meaning that some publishing styles stipulate its use while others don’t. In other words, it’s not incorrect to use the Oxford ... KEY TAKEAWAYS. “Including” rarely requires a comma. You should only include a comma before “including” when it is the first word of a non-essential clause, e.g. “this, including that, is correct.”. Here are a few more examples to demonstrate how this works: Matt’s friends, including Billy, decided playing a few pranks on him would ... Use a comma after an introductory phrase or an adverbial clause that begins a sentence. For example, this sentence needed a comma. Once upon a time, there ...In these circumstances it should have a comma before it. If you can replace while with as, then it shouldn't have a comma before it. It is just a normal subordinating conjunction. The man left the restaurant while it was raining. If you can replace while with whereas then you should use a comma before it because it is being used as an adverb of ...The Basic Rule on Commas Before Conjunctions. If you’re looking for a general guideline, we recommend using a comma before coordinating conjunctions such as and, or, and but when they join two independent clauses. An independent clause is a group of words that include a subject and a verb and can stand alone as a complete thought.Write the recipient’s name on the first line. Write the street address or post office (P.O.) box number on the second line. Write the city, state, and ZIP code on the third. To put this into use, let’s use an example of two characters communicating with addresses and dates in their writing. Jill is from Mars.A period, or “full stop,” is a punctuation mark in English that expresses the end of a sentence and sometimes abbreviations. It is one of the most used punctuation marks and the most common way to conclude a sentence. Period usage may seem easy enough, but there are a few rules that can get confusing, such as where to put periods in ... In some circumstances, you may use a comma before a conjunction such as "and" when it starts a dependent clause. This is when you are using the comma as an Oxford comma (sometimes known as a serial comma). The conjunction must split the third item of a list. e.g. I ate, slept, and dreamed of England. A good way to remember how to properly use like or such as in a sentence is to remember that like is used in similes; it’s always used to compare something to something else. Such as can also be another way of saying including, since both can be used to list specific examples. At the end of the day, however, this is one writing rule that … When using a comma before “unfortunately,” you must always include a comma after. This turns it into something called a parenthetical element (using parentheses just like this). Sometimes, you might not include the comma directly after “unfortunately.”. In these cases, it’s because there’s more to add to the parenthetical element ... In algebra, the roster method defines sets by clearly listing each of the individual elements of the set. The elements of the set are enclosed in curled brackets and each of these ...Apr 10, 2023 · Don’t use a comma before “and” if it’s not connecting two independent clauses. It goes without saying that a single word can’t be a clause, let alone an independent clause. That means if “and” connects two single words, you can’t insert a comma in front of it. Examples. “My favorite animals are llamas and sheep.”. Insert a comma before contrast clauses. These clauses imply contrast and begin with words like although, though, whereas, while, and even if. (The slight pause lent by the comma emphasizes the contrast.) Examples. She speaks our language, although she is Martian. Maya likes tea, while Tumkin prefers coffee.When “which” introduces sentence-final, nonrestrictive information. The nonrestrictive clause may also come at the end of the sentence, and likewise, a pre-comma should be placed before “which” in this structure. The keys are in the blue purse inside my bag, which is on the countertop. The which-clause provides further information about ...For example, the Associated Press says not to use a comma before designations such as “Jr.” and “ Sr.” and specifically does not include a comma in the name “Martin Luther King Jr. Day.”. The Chicago Manual of Style says the comma is not required before “Jr.,” and also writes the holiday name without it. It’s still a …Do you know what the Oxford comma is? Discover what this somewhat controversial punctuation mark is and how it’s used within the English … Also on that wiki page you can find lots of links to certain style guides. Comma use is something of a grey area though, and everyone has his own style. Pick what reduces ambiguity. Language log has an interesting article on how reading comprehension can be improved with comma use, including this type. 4. My friend John is a good painter. Both these sentences are correct and convey the same thing. The rule is – either have the commas both before and after a name, or don’t add it at all. This is because the sentence is talking about a particular person John. The addition of commas gives extra emphasis to the name." Commas should be used when three or more items in a series are listed. A comma should be placed between each of the three items (it is also acceptable to ...Examples of When NOT to Use a Comma Before Which. Example 1: “This is the prison cell in which a famous monarch spent the last days before her execution.”. The word “which” is part of the prepositional phrase “in which.”. You never need to use a comma before “which” if it’s part of a prepositional phrase. Example 2: “I don ...Aug 12, 2022 · Updated on August 12, 2022 Grammar. Use a comma before which when it introduces a nonrestrictive phrase. Don’t use a comma before which when it’s part of a prepositional phrase, such as “in which.”. Don’t use a comma before which when it introduces an indirect question. Commas can be tricky, but they don’t have to trip you up. The number one million consists of six zeros. This figure doesn’t contain decimal points. One million is also referred to as one thousand thousand, and a comma is used to separate ...The symbol “、” is called [読点] {とうてん}. It is used to denote a semantic separation or a pause. Compared to comma in English, the usage of 読点 in Japanese is less governed by the grammatical rules. In other words, in Japanese, the author is free to use or not to use 読点 in any place where a separation makes sense.Rule 1. Use commas to separate words and word groups in a simple series of three or more items. Example: My estate goes to my husband, son, daughter-in-law, and nephew. Note: When the last comma in a series comes before and or or (after daughter-in-law in the above example), it is known as the Oxford comma.Most …The Oxford comma (also known as the serial comma or Harvard comma) is the use of a comma before the conjunction in a list of three or more …Dec 9, 2018 ... This video reviews some of the situations in English writing in which a comma must be used. Note that this is merely an overview and there ...Confused on how to use commas? You're not alone. Read about 10 completely wrong ways to use commas at HowStuffWorks. Advertisement Some say proper grammar is on its way out. Rapid-...Too in the middle of a sentence. The only time commas with too are a grammatical requirement is when it is inserted in the middle of a sentence; it needs to be set off by a pair of commas so that readers don’t trip on it. In this way, the word follows the same rule as adverbial phrases; when it interrupts the logical flow of the sentence, you ...Use commas to separate independent clauses when they are joined by any of these seven coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet. Use commas ...Using Commas With Dates. When a date includes two or more parts, use a comma after each item. An exception to this rule is when you use a month followed by a day or a year. For Example: The assignment was due on Monday, April 26, and had to be turned in online. The class trip to Greece departs on November 16, 2023.The number one million consists of six zeros. This figure doesn’t contain decimal points. One million is also referred to as one thousand thousand, and a comma is used to separate ...Revised on November 29, 2022 by Jack Caulfield. Quotation marks (also known as quotes or inverted commas) are used to indicate direct speech and quotations. In academic writing, you need to use quotation marks when you quote a source. This includes quotes from published works and primary data such as interviews.You only use commas around a name or title if they are being used as nonessential details within the sentence. You can check your understanding of this by removing the name or title and seeing if the sentence still makes sense. Never include commas if the name or title is required for the understanding of the sentence.If the question refers to commas in a list of things, the answer is no. Some people put the comma before the "and" while others leave it out, but it definitely ...For example, the Associated Press says not to use a comma before designations such as “Jr.” and “ Sr.” and specifically does not include a comma in the name “Martin Luther King Jr. Day.”. The Chicago Manual of Style says the comma is not required before “Jr.,” and also writes the holiday name without it. It’s still a …Aug 12, 2022 · Updated on August 12, 2022 Grammar. Use a comma before which when it introduces a nonrestrictive phrase. Don’t use a comma before which when it’s part of a prepositional phrase, such as “in which.”. Don’t use a comma before which when it introduces an indirect question. Commas can be tricky, but they don’t have to trip you up. Leaving the comma out before “and” in a list of three or more items seems to join the last two items, at least to me. For example: 1) I have worked in the hardware, appliances, boys and girls departments. 2) I have worked in the hardware, appliances, boys, and girls departments. Example 1 makes it unclear if there is a …Because restrictive clauses provide essential information, you should never add a comma in front of them. That means that if you can’t take the clause beginning with “who” out of your sentence without changing its meaning, you should not add a comma before it. Examples: “Lakshmi preferred the James Bond actor who spoke with an …Revised on November 29, 2022 by Jack Caulfield. Quotation marks (also known as quotes or inverted commas) are used to indicate direct speech and quotations. In academic writing, you need to use quotation marks when you quote a source. This includes quotes from published works and primary data such as interviews.When “which” introduces sentence-final, nonrestrictive information. The nonrestrictive clause may also come at the end of the sentence, and likewise, a pre-comma should be placed before “which” in this structure. The keys are in the blue purse inside my bag, which is on the countertop. The which-clause provides further information about ...Use commas to connect 2 or more principal clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (‘and’, ‘or’, ‘but’, ‘so’). If they have different subjects, use a comma before the coordinating conjunction. Do not use this rule to create a sentence of more than 25 words. Shorter sentences are easier to read. Example.This form of since does not need a comma. We can also use since as a subordinating conjunction to mean because. This is where the comma rule gets tricky. We only use a comma before since if the preceding clause is negated by the new clause. A good rule of thumb is if the preceding clause contains a negative verb, use a comma.Use a comma after an introductory phrase or an adverbial clause that begins a sentence. For example, this sentence needed a comma. Once upon a time, there ...Write the recipient’s name on the first line. Write the street address or post office (P.O.) box number on the second line. Write the city, state, and ZIP code on the third. To put this into use, let’s use an example of two characters communicating with addresses and dates in their writing. Jill is from Mars.Mar 21, 2023 · You should follow this rule if you’re writing in US English. It has the added bonus of removing the confusion about when to add a comma: if you only use “which” nonrestrictively, you’ll always add a comma before a “which” clause. The historical period which fascinates me the most is the Renaissance. When you write a date, you should use a comma to separate the day from the month, and the date from the year, e.g. He was born on October 8, 1977. or …The Penguin Writer’s Manual (British) shows both i.e. and e.g. without a following comma. “whether a comma follows [e.g.] or not is indifferent, or rather is decided by the punctuation-pitch of the writer of the passage. The Chicago Manual of Style states that i.e. and e.g. should be “confined to parentheses and notes and followed by a ...The major styles in which you are supposed to put a comma before “and” are Chicago, MLA, APA and Oxford. The first three are American, and Oxford is British. MLA is an academic style used for topics in the humanities, such as literature. APA is also an academic style, used for education, psychology and science.The word "however" is not a conjunction (like "but"). It is a conjunctive adverb (like "subsequently"). When "however" starts a new idea and provides a bridge to the previous idea, it cannot be preceded by a comma. It can be preceded by a semicolon, but, most often, it should start a new sentence. For example:A few basic rules for comma usage include the use of commas to separate independent clauses in a sentence and the use of commas after introductory clauses or phrases. Another basic... You should place a comma before “if” when it comes as an introductory remark. You can also use a comma after a mid-sentence transitive phrase. Finally, you will see a comma before “if” when it introduces a parenthetical element. Other than those times, a comma is not used. Watch the video: Only 1 percent of our visitors get these 3 ... If the description of the quote’s speaker is placed after the quotation, a comma is always placed within the quotation marks. Example: “I’m going to be a couple minutes late to class today,” he said. In American English, commas and periods should be placed within the quotation marks as long as they do not change the meaning of the ...Just to try to explain why option (1) is easier to read: The expression 'for example' is very often used postpositively, thus a sentence like. " (3) It is common practice to do recalibration between trials, for example." would be a natural thing to expect. Using the second comma as in option (2) sort of creates a 'garden path sentence', because ...A general rule of thumb for comma before with. A good rule to follow is to ask yourself “Is the phrase after “with” describing the word before “with”. Here, we don’t add the comma because we are describing his friend. It’s his friend who has the broken leg, not Blake. “Blake helped his friend, with a broken leg”. Use commas to separate a series of three or more items, actions, words, or phrases. Oxford Comma (in a Series) Use a comma between coordinating adjectives. Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction when it joins two related independent clauses. Use Commas After Introductory Subordinate Clauses, Dependent Clauses. If you are emulating a style of casual speech, as the others have explained, you could use a comma after so, especially if you hear a significant pause.Such a pause may be caused by indignation, hesitation, etc. So, what do you want to play with next? Traditional style, on the other hand, forbids it.Whether or …You only use commas around a name or title if they are being used as nonessential details within the sentence. You can check your understanding of this by …Use commas to separate independent clauses when they are joined by any of these seven coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet. Use commas ...Sep 30, 2022 · The answer depends on how you are using or. Always place a comma before or when it begins an independent clause, but if it begins a dependent clause, don’t. In a series (or list) of three or more items, you can use a comma before or, but this is a preference, not a rule. People often get muddled about whether to place a comma before ... The word "however" is not a conjunction (like "but"). It is a conjunctive adverb (like "subsequently"). When "however" starts a new idea and provides a bridge to the previous idea, it cannot be preceded by a comma. It can be preceded by a semicolon, but, most often, it should start a new sentence. For example:As a general rule, in British English (BrE), the convention is to place the comma after the closing quotation mark, but the comma comes before it in American English (AmE). That said, a comma after a quotation, be it before or after the closing quotation mark, is only necessary when the quotation is followed by an indirect or nonrestrictive ...You can use either which or that to introduce a restrictive clause—the grounds for your choice should be stylistic—and which to introduce a nonrestrictive clause. Another way of looking at this is that if your clause is bracketed by commas (“the article on grammar, which I started while eating lunch , seemed to never end”) it is likely ...Always place a comma before or when it begins an independent clause, but if it begins a dependent clause, don’t. In a series (or list) of three or …Updated on August 12, 2022 Grammar. Use a comma before which when it introduces a nonrestrictive phrase. Don’t use a comma before which when it’s part of a prepositional phrase, such as “in which.”. Don’t use a comma before which when it introduces an indirect question. Commas can be tricky, but they don’t …Do you use a comma before "and"? Unfortunately, it's not a yes/no question. There are three main rules: (1) Use a comma before "and" if it merges two comple...As long as a pronoun comes after “yet,” a comma should come before it. You may also find the comma comes before “and yet,” which is a variation of the standard “yet” term: I told you not to come here, and yet here you are. Conceptually, the comma works the same. You should place it before “and” rather than “yet” to …With a simple sentence, however, the general rule is to omit the comma. Rule: Do not use a comma before a coordinating conjunction if the sentence contains only ...If the description of the quote’s speaker is placed after the quotation, a comma is always placed within the quotation marks. Example: “I’m going to be a couple minutes late to class today,” he said. In American English, commas and periods should be placed within the quotation marks as long as they do not change the meaning of the ...Use commas to connect 2 or more principal clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (‘and’, ‘or’, ‘but’, ‘so’). If they have different subjects, use a comma …If you are emulating a style of casual speech, as the others have explained, you could use a comma after so, especially if you hear a significant pause.Such a pause may be caused by indignation, hesitation, etc. So, what do you want to play with next? Traditional style, on the other hand, forbids it.Whether or …In most circumstances, "because" is a subordinating conjunction, so when it starts a dependent clause after the main clause, it shouldn't be preceded by a comma. However, there are two exceptions to this rule: when the independent clause that comes before "because" contains a negative verb (e.g. don't, couldn't, wouldn't) when the independent ...When it’s used in this way, there should be no comma before “so.”. Again, a good test is to try replacing “so” with “therefore” and “so that” to see which one matches your intended meaning. For example, take the sentence “I ducked so I could pass under the branches.”. Replacing “so” with “therefore” results in a ...A general rule of thumb for comma before with. A good rule to follow is to ask yourself “Is the phrase after “with” describing the word before “with”. Here, we don’t add the comma because we are describing his friend. It’s his friend who has the broken leg, not Blake. “Blake helped his friend, with a broken leg”.The Oxford comma is a punctuation mark whose use is hotly debated among certain English language writers, reporters, teachers, and academics. The use, or lack thereof, of the Oxford comma may cause confusion, depending on ... Personally, I think you should always use it to avoid confusion before it becomes …It depends on the style guide you follow. There are lots of guides and they differ on many things. The Chicago Manual of Style says "no". However, if it's your company, do what you want. The style guides don't dictate how you should label your business. Just be consistent.In algebra, the roster method defines sets by clearly listing each of the individual elements of the set. The elements of the set are enclosed in curled brackets and each of these ...You use a comma before but when you connect two independent clauses. This means that each clause has a subject and verb. However, there is no comma before but when you join an independent and dependent clause. In this case, the second clause has no subject or verb. The last rule is that you only need to use a comma after but when it’s ...Aug 12, 2022 · Updated on August 12, 2022 Grammar. Use a comma before which when it introduces a nonrestrictive phrase. Don’t use a comma before which when it’s part of a prepositional phrase, such as “in which.”. Don’t use a comma before which when it introduces an indirect question. Commas can be tricky, but they don’t have to trip you up. You should place a comma before “now” when it’s part of a secondary clause in a sentence. Generally, it starts a new clause, but that clause is still part of the previous sentence, meaning that “now” comes somewhere in the middle of the sentence. As we’ve stated, this isn’t a common occurrence. Most people prefer to place a period ...If the description of the quote’s speaker is placed after the quotation, a comma is always placed within the quotation marks. Example: “I’m going to be a couple minutes late to class today,” he said. In American English, commas and periods should be placed within the quotation marks as long as they do not change the meaning of the ...Write with Grammarly. There are several types of introductory phrases, including prepositional phrases and appositive phrases. Sometimes a comma is necessary after an introductory phrase. Other times, the comma is optional, and there are also times when a comma should not be used. It is …A comma is almost never used after the word “and,” barring a few exceptions, but it is commonly used before when you combine two complete sentences into a compound sentence or when listing more than two items. It is important to use commas properly to avoid overuse and help ensure writing clarity.When you write a date, you should use a comma to separate the day from the month, and the date from the year, e.g. He was born on October 8, 1977. or …Commas can often be forgotten when using conjunctions. Learn more about comma placements and when to use them with conjunctions.Sep 30, 2019 ... 5. A comma is used after certain words that introduce a sentence, such as well, yes, why, hello and hey. Yes, ...You should use a comma after “e.g.” because it means “for example.”. That means that a list of objects will follow “e.g.,” and it is standard practice to include a comma before a list. However, “i.e.” does not need a comma after it, as it presents no list. It may help you to see the two words in action to explain what comes ...Examples of When NOT to Use a Comma Before Which. Example 1: “This is the prison cell in which a famous monarch spent the last days before her execution.”. The word “which” is part of the prepositional phrase “in which.”. You never need to use a comma before “which” if it’s part of a prepositional phrase. Example 2: “I don ...Do we need a comma after “Happy birthday?”. Generally, yes, we do need a comma after writing or typing “Happy birthday” when the message is directly intended for a specific person, a pet, a plant, and so on. This is what we call a “direct address” wherein we talk directly “toward” a person, as opposed to only talking “about ... | Cgabgigldty (article) | Mhchn.