Literature and Arts:
Writing
Learning Assignment: Six
Comma Rules 1.
Comma between items in series- Use commas to separate items in a series
of three or more.
He hit the ball, dropped
the bat, and ran to first base.
Bald eagles, ospreys,
herons, falcons, and hawks are native to this area.
The receptionist will
admit you, the radiologist will x-ray you, the nurse will prepare you
for surgery, and the surgeon will operate.
Note: commas can be used
to separate two descriptive words only if inserting the word and
sounds natural
Tom always wears baggy,
threadbare clothes.
2. Comma after introductory material- Anything that goes before the
subject is introductory. Introductory expressions are followed by a
comma if
- they are long, or
- they have a verb form
Before those people moved next door, everything was fine.
In the first year of the marriage, everything was fine.
When I was young, I lived next to an apple orchard.
3. Comma around words
interrupting the flow of thought- use comma before and after words that
interrupt the flow of thought.
My sister, a soccer
fanatic, has over 300 autographs of professional soccer players.
On Saturday, my day off, I
went to get a haircut.
Many people forget that
Abraham Lincoln, one of our most beloved presidents, was also a lawyer.
4. Comma between complete
thoughts- use a comma between two complete thoughts joined by a
coordinating conjunction (fanboys- for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)
The class started at 8:30,
but several students showed up at 8:50.
Bill is going to save his
money, and then he is going to buy a new car.
We wanted to go to the
movie, yet the idea of a quiet afternoon at home was also appealing.
5. Comma with direct
quotations- Use a comma to set off direct quotations from the rest of
the sentence.
“Our economy will be
better in 2005,” said Alan Greenspan.
“Can anybody tell me,”
said the teacher, “how many comma rules there are?”
The man yelled, “I have
been waiting for over two hours!”
6. Comma with everyday
material- Use commas in the following situations
Direct address-
Howard, I am very proud of
your accomplishments.
Do you know where my shoes
are, Cathy?
Dates-
March 17, 1964, is my
cousin’s birthday.
Paul graduated from
college on June 19, 2004.
Addresses-
Tony lives at 2112 Aspen
Street, Salem, OR 97301.
Numbers-
My car has 52,874 miles on
it.
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