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Oct 21, 2021 · Comma is the smallest punctuation mark that has the biggest effect. Here are 50 example sentences with commas in them.
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- What Is A Comma?
- When to Use Commas
- Commas with Lists
- Serial Comma
- Commas with But
- Commas with and
- Avoiding Comma Splices
- Commas with Relative Clauses
- Commas with Appositives
- Commas with Introductory Phrases
While a period ends a sentence, a comma indicates a smaller break. Some writers think of a comma as a soft pause—a punctuation mark that separates words, clauses, or ideas within a sentence.
Commas have quite a few uses in English: 1. Separating items in a list of three or more 2. Connecting two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction 3. Setting apart non-restrictive relative clauses 4. Setting apart nonessential appositives 5. Setting apart introductory phrases 6. Setting apart interrupters and parenthetical elements 7. Se...
When you have a list that contains more than two elements, use commas to separate them. (The comma before the andin a list of three or more items is optional. See below, under “Serial comma,” for more information.) Your list might be made up of nouns, as in the example above, but it could also be made up of verbs, adjectives, or clauses. Imagine, f...
As mentioned above, when you are listing three or more items, commas should separate each element of the list. However, the final comma—the one that comes before the and—is optional. This comma is called the serial comma or the Oxford comma. Whether or not you use the serial comma is a style choice. Many newspapers do not use it. Many trade books d...
Use a comma before the coordinating conjunction but if it is joining two independent clauses: If butis not joining two independent clauses, leave the comma out.
When correcting a comma splice by adding and—that is, when joining two independent clauses with and as a coordinating conjunction—put the comma before and. When you have a list that contains only two items, don’t use a comma before the and.
When you want to join two independent clauses, you need a conjunction or a semicolon; a comma alone isn’t strong enough to join them. This kind of mistake is called a comma splice. You can fix a comma splice by adding a conjunction or changing the comma to a semicolon. Or you can simply write the two independent clauses as separate sentences.
A clause that is nonrestrictive offers extra information about something you have mentioned in a sentence, but that information isn’t essential for identifying the thing you’re talking about. Nonrestrictive clauses are usually introduced by which or who and should be set off by commas. The clause “which Chester recommended” is nonrestrictive becaus...
An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that refers to the same thing as another noun in the same sentence. Often, the appositive provides additional information about the noun or helps to distinguish it in some way. If you could remove the appositive without changing the meaning of the sentence, it is said to be nonessential and should be set off w...
A comma normally follows a participialphrase that introduces a sentence: Grabbing her umbrella, Kate raced out of the house. Confused by her sister’s sudden change in mood, Jill stayed quiet. When an adverbial phrasebegins a sentence, it’s often followed by a comma, but it doesn’t have to be, especially if it’s short. As a rule of thumb, if the phr...
- a. Use a comma any time you combine two independent clauses with any of the seven coordinating conjunctions (and, but, so, for, or, nor, yet): I can’t go to the dance, but you should go without me.
- b. In most cases, don’t use a comma between an independent clause and a dependent clause: Correct: I lost my cellphone while I was at the dance. Incorrect: I lost my cellphone, while I was at the dance.
- c. Use a comma when a dependent clause is followed by an independent clause: If you go to the dance, don’t forget to bring your cellphone. When you are walking to the dance, be careful not to break your high heels!
- d. Use a comma when you start a sentence with a word or phrase that introduces it, like this: After the dance, we should go out to a late-night diner. Yesterday afternoon, I went to the mall to buy a dress for the dance.
Commas and periods are the most frequently used punctuation marks. Commas customarily indicate a brief pause; they're not as final as periods. 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.
- Commas to introduce a sentence. If you introduce a sentence with a transition word (e.g., however, hence, indeed, furthermore), follow it with a comma. However the model is not always accurate.
- Dependent vs. independent clauses. A clause is a group of words that contains at least a subject and a verb. Sentences are often made up of several clauses.
- Commas in compound sentences. A compound sentence contains more than one independent clause. The clauses can be joined by a semicolon, a colon, or a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).
- Avoid the comma splice. Two independent clauses should never be joined by a comma alone. This error is called a comma splice. Model 1 was selected, it returns more accurate results.
10 Ways to Use Commas. Use of Commas Explained in Detail. (1) Using a Comma after "Setting the Scene". (2) Using a Comma after a Transitional Phrase (e.g, "However," "As a result") (3) Using a Comma after an Interjection. (4) Using a Comma before a Conjunction. (5) Using Commas for Parentheses.
Use commas to separate three or more words, prepositional phrases, or clauses within a sentence. This use is called a serial comma or Oxford comma and helps avoid confusion when more than one thing is used in a list. See further examples of that here: How to Use Oxford Commas. Words.
