Note that the introductory phrase in the last example, although short, would lead to a misunderstanding if the comma were omitted.Ī participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence is always followed by a comma. Unlike many performances of the symphony, this one was spirited and lively.īefore eating, Cameron always runs two miles on the beach. Always use a comma if there is any possibility of misunderstanding the sentence without one.īy taking the initiative to seek out story leads, a reporter will make a good impression on the editor.Īt the beginning of the visiting professor's lecture, most of the students were wide awake. If an introductory phrase is more than a few words, it's a good idea to follow it with a comma. Remember that, unlike a clause, a phrase is a group of words without a subject and a verb. When we are cooking, the children cannot come into the kitchen. When we are cooking the children cannot come into the kitchen. Sometimes omitting a comma will cause confusion or amusement, as in the following example. You may omit the comma if the subordinate clause is short and if there is no possibility for miscommunication.Īfter I turned sixteen I was allowed to stay out until midnight. If you receive inappropriate material, acknowledge it by explaining to the correspondent why the material won't see print. With a lengthy clause, the comma is essential.Īfter she walked into the room, we stopped gossiping. It is customary to use a comma after an introductory adverbial clause. NOT It had been a tumultuous year that had taken everybody by surprise, it left the revolutionaries worse off than they had been before. It had been a tumultuous year that had taken everybody by surprise, and it left the revolutionaries worse off than they had been before. When you insert a comma between independent clauses, it must be accompanied by one of the coordinating conjunctions. NOT The night was cold, and the sky was clear. OR It was an admirable scheme, and it would work.The night was cold and the sky was clear. It was an admirable scheme and it would work. If the two independent clauses are short and closely related, you may use a comma or omit it, depending on whether or not you want to indicate a pause. The novel lacks fully developed characters, and the plot is filled with unlikely coincidences. Ryan never answered these charges, but he was later forced to give up part of the money. Generally, when you join independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction, insert a comma before the conjunction. Most situations, however, aren't this clear. In the first sentence, the pair of commas indicates that Dr. Hodges, I pulled the car over to the side of the road. Hodges, I pulled the car over to the side of the road.īecause I wanted to help Dr. Sometimes a comma is absolutely necessary to ensure the meaning of a sentence, as in the following examples.īecause I wanted to help, Dr. You're likely to read one book in which commas abound, while in another text, they are scarce. One reason is that different editors have different opinions about when a comma is needed.

Commas are the most frequently used internal punctuation in sentences, and people have more questions about them than about any other punctuation mark. Commas should never be used around restrictive clauses, to separate a subject and verb, or to separate a verb and its direct object.Īs you learn about commas, first, recognize that they signal a pause second, know which rules can be bent without misleading your reader. For example, use commas with quotations, dates, addresses, locations, and numbers with four or more digits.

There are special situations in which commas should also be used.

Commas can also join independent clauses as long as the comma is followed by a coordinating conjunction ( for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).

What Are Idioms, Clichés, Jargon, Slang, and EuphemismsĬommas are used after introductory clauses and phrases, to set off interruptions within the sentence, with nonrestrictive phrases and clauses, and between items or modifiers in a series.

Idioms, Clichés, Jargon, Slang, Euphemisms, and Wordiness.

Dashes, Parentheses, and Quotation Marks.

What Are Commas, Semicolons, and Colons.Periods, Question Marks, and Exclamation Marks.Quiz: Placement of Modifiers in a Sentence.Quiz: Subject-Predicate (Verb) Agreement.What Are Phrases, Clauses, and Sentences.

Define comma splice