When should you use a comma.

As a general rule, you don’t need a comma after and. Even if you start a sentence with an introductory “and,” you should not place a comma after it. …Comma before whose. As with who, use a comma before whose when it begins a nonrestrictive clause (providing an optional description), but omit the comma when whose begins a restrictive clause (presenting information essential to meaning). Restrictive: Passengers whose flights are delayed have been given …To Begin a New Clause. When please begins a new clause after a dependent clause, DO place a comma before it. A comma is not required after please, but if you want to emphasize it further, you may add a comma. For example: If you call, please make sure to ring after 10 o’clock. If you call, please, make sure to ring after 10 …Aug 12, 2022 · 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 important to note that a comma should always be used if ...

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.Use a comma to separate two adjectives when the word and can be inserted between them. Examples: He is a strong, healthy man. We stayed at an expensive summer ...

Mar 5, 2023 ... When to use a comma before “or” ... You can recognize that the conjunction “or” is connecting two independent clauses (and thus needs to be ...

Commas can often be forgotten when using conjunctions. Learn more about comma placements and when to use them with conjunctions.Use a comma to separate the elements in a full date (weekday, month and day, year) Example: Friday, June 8, 2018, was a great day to go to the beach. Don’t forget to also add a comma after the ...You are correct that, at least traditionally, a comma is used with Jr. In fact, if Jr. appears in the middle of a sentence, a comma is used before and after it: “The abbreviations etc. and jr. are always preceded by a comma, and except at the end of a sentence, followed by one.” (Strunk and White, The Elements of Style) . To answer your …Adjectives are words that modify a noun like "old", "red", "greasy". They should really be called "adnouns" to be consistent with "adverbs." Sadly, they're not, but that's a good way to think of them. You should use a comma between two adjectives when they are coordinate adjectives. Coordinate adjectives are two or more adjectives that describe 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 …

What is a comma? At the end of a sentence, you will find a full stop. 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 …

The first thing to know is that there are generally only two correct options: two commas, one before and one after the name/title, or no commas at all. While a comma after the title may be correct on rare occasions (which don’t concern us here), a comma only before a name or title is wrong. If you learned in school that you should always put ...

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 ...Comma Before Because | Rules & Examples. Published on March 7, 2023 by Jack Caulfield.Revised on September 11, 2023. You normally shouldn’t use a comma before “because” when the reason that “because” introduces is essential to your meaning.For example, the point of the sentence below is to give a reason for …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 …Jun 6, 2016 ... Usually, when you're trying to make a separation within a sentence, you use a comma. So Paige, so what are some things that commas can't do? - [ ...Here, the conjunction ( and) joins verbs ( scratched and added) in a compound predicate. Placing commas in this type of sentence is straightforward: Do not place a comma before the conjunction in a compound predicate. Always use commas around phrases (such as fretting over the punctuation) that intervene in a compound …And, never use a comma with any other subordinating conjunction other than because. When since is being used to replace the word because, only place a comma before it if the preceding clause is negated by the new clause. Since is a very versatile word that can be used in many ways. However, only some of its uses require a comma.

@P.Vovk: Omitting the comma makes the condition ("if you need me") essential. The comma induces a slight separation of the condition, which softens it. To see this more clearly, consider stronger punctuation: "You can call me—if you need me".The government will either increase the interest rate or keep it as is. The important rule to remember when it comes to correlative conjunctions is that you want to maintain parallelism between what comes after “either” and what comes after “or.”. In other words, if “either” is followed by a verb phrase, then “or” should also be ...Aug 12, 2022 · 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 important to note that a comma should always be used if ... 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 ...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 …A quick trick for deciding if you need a comma before “so”. If you are unsure if you should place a comma before so in the middle of your sentence, try replacing so with “therefore” or “so that.”. If your sentence seems to work with a replacement of “therefore” without changing the meaning of the sentence, then so is a ...If you use a conjunction and a semicolon to link main clauses, it is technically incorrect. You need one or the other, not both. My aunt makes the best ...

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 …10 Ways to Use Commas Mastering commas is an essential part of becoming a competent writer. There is no generic rule that covers how to use commas. In other words, you cannot learn a simple rule like "a comma is used for a slight break." There are, in fact, 10 ways to use commas. (1) After setting the scene at the start of a sentence. For example:

Comma Before Because | Rules & Examples. Published on March 7, 2023 by Jack Caulfield.Revised on September 11, 2023. You normally shouldn’t use a comma before “because” when the reason that “because” introduces is essential to your meaning.For example, the point of the sentence below is to give a reason for …Use commas to separate three or more items in a list. Keep in mind that items can be nouns, verbs, or adjectives. o I need to buy kiwis, coconuts, ...Rule #10: Don’t Separate a Compound Subject or Compound Object With Commas. If you have a compound subject or a compound object in a sentence that consists …With figures of four or more digits, use commas. Count three spaces to the left to place the first comma. Continue placing commas after every three digits. Important: Do not include decimal points when doing the counting. Examples: 1,054 people $2,417,592.21. Note: Some choose not to use commas with four-digit numbers, but this practice is not ...Use commas after introductory a) clauses, b) phrases, or c) words that come before the main clause. Use a pair of commas in the middle of a sentence to set off …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 ...When the day of the week is provided before the month, the day of the week should be followed by a comma. When the date appears in the middle of a sentence, … When an adverb modifies an entire sentence (or independent clause that follows it), then you should use a comma after it. Example 1: Correct: Sadly, they didn't understand me. Incorrect: Sadly they didn't understand me. Example 2: Correct: Strangely, the book hasn't arrived. Incorrect: Strangely the book hasn't arrived. As the MLA Handbook (sec. 1.5) explains, when writing dates, you should “be consistent in your use of either the day-month-year style ( 12 January 2014) or the month-day-year style ( January 12, 2014 ). In the latter style, the comma before the year has to be balanced by one after if there is no other punctuation after the year.”. The ...

The distinction probably emerges from their different meanings in Latin, which grants them different usages in writing. E.g. (exempli gratia in Latin, meaning “for example”) should be generally followed by a list of examples. Thus, adhering to proper English style usually requires commas to follow e.g. to delimit the beginning of that list.. I.e. (id est in …

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-...

10 Ways to Use Commas Mastering commas is an essential part of becoming a competent writer. There is no generic rule that covers how to use commas. In other words, you cannot learn a simple rule like "a comma is used for a slight break." There are, in fact, 10 ways to use commas. (1) After setting the scene at the start of a sentence. For example: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 … 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". 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 …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.Sep 16, 2015 ... If removing the phrase would change the meaning of the sentence, then it is restrictive and a comma should not be used. On the other hand, if ...When the day of the week is provided before the month, the day of the week should be followed by a comma. When the date appears in the middle of a sentence, …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 ...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. 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.

Jun 20, 2023 · The general answer is no. A semicolon should be followed by a capitalized word only if the word is a proper noun or an acronym. We can go to the museum to do some research; Mondays are pretty quiet there. Remember, semicolons are not interchangeable with commas or periods. Instead, they’re somewhere in between: stronger than a comma but not ... 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.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 ...Rule #1: ALWAYS use a comma before which when it introduces a nonrestrictive clause. A nonrestrictive phrase adds detail to a sentence, but it is considered non-essential information and unnecessary for the overall understanding of the sentence. When a nonrestrictive phrase begins with the word which, comma usage is necessary to indicate the ...Instagram:https://instagram. learn how to speak spanishhow to buy wholesalebest cities.to see in francesonic bag ice 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 ...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 … how much is a tall at starbucksbest keyword analysis tool Aug 3, 2022 ... When to use commas: 5 rules and examples · 1. Use a comma to separate anything before an independent clause · 2. Use a comma to separate ...Commas can often be forgotten when using conjunctions. Learn more about comma placements and when to use them with conjunctions. order of planets in solar system 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 …Here, the conjunction ( and) joins verbs ( scratched and added) in a compound predicate. Placing commas in this type of sentence is straightforward: Do not place a comma before the conjunction in a compound predicate. Always use commas around phrases (such as fretting over the punctuation) that intervene in a compound …