Where to put commas.

Updated on May 15, 2023 Grammar. Whether or not you put a comma before and depends on how you’re using and. There’s no single rule that applies to all situations. You usually put a comma before and when it’s connecting two independent clauses. It’s almost always optional to put a comma before and in a list. Give your writing extra polish.

Where to put commas. Things To Know About Where to put commas.

Commas provide clarity, particularly in sentences that contain several different elements. Always use commas to separate the elements of a series of three or more things, particularly the last two. “She saddled her horse, hopped on, and rode off into the sunset.”. You may have learned that it’s not necessary to use a comma before “and ... Example: Thank you is all I have to say. In this sentence, “thank you” is used as a noun, and it’s not followed by an addressee. So, you shouldn’t include a comma after the phrase. It might seem odd that “thank you” is a noun in this case, especially since you’re probably used to seeing it as a phrase. But it’s the same ... Learn how to use commas correctly in different situations, such as simple series, adjectives, clauses, appositives, and dates. See examples of comma rules and avoid common mistakes. Find out the difference between the Oxford comma and the serial comma. Be careful, since it can get tricky with direct speech. A comma that ends a quotation goes inside quotation marks, but one that simply separates the speaker from the speech goes outside. Examples. ‘I think we still have a chance,’ she said. The comma marks the end of the quotation and goes inside quotes. but.The correct way to fully write out dates using commas, according to the American format, is to write the weekday separate from the month and date, which in turn will be separated from the year using a comma—for example, Friday, April 29, 1993. This is one of the most popular and common formats for writing dates, but there are still some ...

To check commas, never use it before or after your series. When the items are linked by ‘or, nor or and,’ do not use a comma. Use it when denoting the use of at least two adjectives, which modify a noun independently. For instance, “She is a flamboyant, charming lady in Paris.”. You may use it before writing a conjunction …

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 …

In American English, you should always place a comma or period inside the quotation marks. That means the comma should always come right before the closing quotation mark, even if it’s not part of the quoted material. For example, you would write: “I’m going to the store,” said my sister. In British English, you can …Comma After Question Mark. In English, we typically use a comma to separate a quotation from an attributive tag—a tag that tells the reader who is speaking or acting (e.g., “he thought” or “said he”)—even if the quote would usually end in a period. However, if the quote is a question, a question mark needs to be used to show the ... We'll get to semicolons later. Colons (:) introduce clauses or phrases that serve to describe, amplify, or restate what precedes them. Often they are used to introduce a quote or a list that satisfies the previous statement. For example, this summary could be written as "Colons can introduce many things: descriptors, quotes, lists, and more." Place a comma between day and year in dates written in the American date format (month-day-year). No comma is needed in the British date format (day-month-year). American: The highest temperature ever recorded on Earth was on July 10, 1913, at Furnace Creek, California. British: The warmest day in …

One common grammar mistake is incorrectly using commas around the common phrase “such as.”. This mistake is understandable, because “such as” sometimes needs a comma and sometimes doesn’t. For example, look at the two uses of the phrase in the above paragraph—one is correctly using commas, and one is …

Commas to Separate a City and State. Rule – Use a comma to separate the city from the state, and always put one after the state, also. Example: I lived in Denver, Colorado, for 20 years. NOTE: The U.S. Postal Service’s two-letter capitalized abbreviations (e.g., CO for Colorado, IL for Illinois) are not recommended in …

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 ...Comma After Question Mark. In English, we typically use a comma to separate a quotation from an attributive tag—a tag that tells the reader who is speaking or acting (e.g., “he thought” or “said he”)—even if the quote would usually end in a period. However, if the quote is a question, a question mark needs to be used to show the ...So far we’ve dealt exclusively with the use of commas in dates at the end of sentences. When the date appears at the beginning of a sentence, you apply the same rules but include a comma after the year: Correct: April 15, 2018, marks our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. Incorrect: April 15, 2018 marks our twenty-fifth …Now let’s use the secret trick with your commas. Three common situations in which commas should or should not be used: 1. Use a comma between two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction such as and, or, nor, for, so, yet, and but. Billy threw the ball, and the dog ran.Apr 9, 2020 · 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. It’s much more common to see commas placed before “especially,” though there isn’t one specific rule that means we always have to include commas with the word. Sometimes, we can avoid commas completely. Generally, if “especially” comes before a verb or adjective, we can use it as a modifier. In this case, we don’t need …A comma is advised if the where -clause can be removed without altering the meaning of the main clause. For example: A comma is not advised if the where -clause cannot be removed. For example: They also live in Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador, where they reside mainly on estuaries, lagoons, mud flats and salt lakes.

Jul 26, 2020 ... If the text is short and clear enough and refers to a person by both relationship and name (such as with “John's brother Bill was there”), the ...The seaweed, however, was another story. If you use it as an aside at the end of a sentence, put a comma before however and a period after it. For example: I’ll be attending the holiday party. My partner will not, however. The driving test will be easy. You will have to practice, however.Learn how to use commas to separate and punctuate different elements of sentences. Find examples, detailed rules, and exceptions for various types of clauses, phrases, and …Place a comma between day and year in dates written in the American date format (month-day-year). No comma is needed in the British date format (day-month-year). American: The highest temperature ever recorded on Earth was on July 10, 1913, at Furnace Creek, California. British: The warmest day in …But using commas for 1000 and larger (except years) is not considered bad style. However, you should be consistent. For year numbers, commas should never be inserted, except possibly for years in the extremely distant future or past. This can be a useful tool for removing ambiguity: "2016 coins" versus "2,016 coins".Sometimes, you might include the day of the week. In this case, use a comma after the day of the week and before the month. Tuesday, June 19, 1990. Tuesday, June 19. We use the same rules if we place a date within a sentence. You will also place a comma after the year in a sentence if there is a day of the week …

1. Writing a list. When you're writing a list, use commas between each item in your list. Use and between the last two items, instead of a comma. For example: Today I need to buy …

Commas provide clarity, particularly in sentences that contain several different elements. Always use commas to separate the elements of a series of three or more things, particularly the last two. “She saddled her horse, hopped on, and rode off into the sunset.”. You may have learned that it’s not necessary to use a comma before “and ... Quotation Marks with Commas, Periods, and Other Punctuation. As in the example above, a comma is used before quotation marks to introduce a direct quote. If the description of the quote’s speaker is placed after the quotation, a comma is always placed within the quotation marks.Connecting nouns: no comma. My favorite food is not only lobster but also scallops and shrimp. Connecting clauses: use a comma. Not only will I eat lobster every chance I get, but I will also eat scallops and shrimp as often as I can. ### How to Fix Comma Mistakes. Save yourself a headache with the ProWritingAid browser …Sometimes, “so” is just an adverb meaning “very” or “also.”. And‌ you don’t put commas before or after adverbs unless another rule comes into play. Example: “He’s so, you know, awkward.”. In the above example, the comma comes after “so” only because it comes right before a parenthetical expression.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.Apr 15, 2019 · Instructions. Use each of the four sentences below as the model for a new sentence of your own. Your new sentence should follow the guidelines in parenthesis and use the same number of commas as in the original. Example: The younger children spent the afternoon at Chuck E. Cheese, and the others went to the ball game. Let me give you a hint: the placement of the comma changes the meaning of the word including. In the first sentence, the lack of a comma indicates that I like cookies that include chocolate in them. In the second sentence, the comma indicates that I like all cookies, including chocolate cookies. See the difference now?

If it is part of a non-restrictive or unessential clause or phrase, you need a comma. On the other hand, if “including” is the start of a phrase that is essential to your sentence’s meaning, you should not add a comma. Although this rule is simple, it can be a bit tricky as the word “including” is ambiguous. One way …

February 18, 2007, at 3:43 pm. Our Rule 1 of Spacing with Punctuation states, “With a computer, use only one space following periods, commas, semicolons, colons, exclamation points, question marks, and quotation marks. The space needed after these punctuation marks is proportioned automatically.”.

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, … Use a semicolon to separate units of a series when one or more of the units contain commas. Incorrect: The conference has people who have come from Moscow, Idaho, Springfield, California, Alamo, Tennessee, and other places as well. Note that with only commas, that sentence is hopeless. Because. : How to Make Your Meaning Clear. Determining when to insert a comma before a phrase or clause that begins with because requires thoughtful analysis. In this post, I’ll walk you through two kinds of examples: sentences with positive verbs and sentences with negative verbs. The …1. Do not use a comma just because your sentence is long. This is a common mistake; sometimes, people will see a long sentence and put in commas to “break it up” even if the sentence is grammatical without them. The length of your sentence has nothing to do with whether or not it needs commas.February 18, 2007, at 3:43 pm. Our Rule 1 of Spacing with Punctuation states, “With a computer, use only one space following periods, commas, semicolons, colons, exclamation points, question marks, and quotation marks. The space needed after these punctuation marks is proportioned automatically.”.Learn how to use commas to separate clauses, phrases, words, and adjectives in sentences. Find out when to use commas with coordinating conjunctions, introductory …In certain cases, you can skip the comma when introducing a quotation. First, skip the comma if the quotation is introduced by a conjunction like “that,” “whether,” or “if.”. Following that guidance, I might write sentences like this: Eddard Stark is constantly reminding people that “winter is coming.”.1. For each of the following, choose the sentence with the correct comma placement. A) I took Angie, the one with the freckles to the movie last night. B) I took Angie, the one with the freckles, to the movie last night. C) I took Angie the …The word “which” has a few different use cases in the English language. It’s often used to identify one thing amongst a larger set. The word can be used as part of a nonrestrictive phrase, restrictive phrase, or prepositional phrase, and it can be used as an interrogative word. Of those four uses, you’ll only need to use a comma before ...Comma Rule #1: A comma belongs before the quotation marks when placed after an introductory expression. An introductory expression is a phrase or clause that acts as a qualifying or clarifying statement about the rest of the sentence. This expression is followed by a comma which is placed before the beginning quotation mark. For example:

An ASCII rose can most easily be created using regular keyboard keys by typing “@}-,-‘–.” This rose can be varied by typing additional commas and apostrophes or by using more dashe...An ASCII rose can most easily be created using regular keyboard keys by typing “@}-,-‘–.” This rose can be varied by typing additional commas and apostrophes or by using more dashe...However meaning “no matter how”. When it’s not being used as a conjunctive adverb, “however” can instead be used to mean “no matter how,” “in whatever way,” or “to whatever extent.”. In this use, it’s not followed by a comma. If the “however” clause comes first, it’s separated from the following clause with a comma.Instagram:https://instagram. website to sell stuffwater tank for housegames prime gamingmt woodson trail Because. : How to Make Your Meaning Clear. Determining when to insert a comma before a phrase or clause that begins with because requires thoughtful analysis. In this post, I’ll walk you through two kinds of examples: sentences with positive verbs and sentences with negative verbs. The …Save to My BitesizeRemove from My Bitesize. Full stops and commas are punctuation marks. A full stop ends a sentence. A comma shows a pause, breaks up a list or separates part of a sentence. Play ... mens face careprius prime solar roof Never include commas if the name or title is required for the understanding of the sentence. Grammarist is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. When you buy via the links on our site ...2. Comma After Therefore. Now we’ll use “therefore” at the beginning of a sentence, but this time with a comma coming after it. You must intend to start the sentence with “therefore” again. I went to bed. Include “therefore” in the sentence structure. “Therefore I went to bed.”. rdx vs mdx To put a comma after “humorousness” can feel like putting a comma between subject and verb, which seems wrong. But if “poise” and “humorousness” are read as being in apposition to “grace,” they seem “inessential” and therefore—as nouns in apposition—to require commas. Thank you (and apologies for dull …Feb 15, 2013 ... Here's an easy example to help you remember the difference between restrictive and nonrestrictive appositives. If I have one sister, and I write ...