ctivnan
12/23/07, 11:18 AM
A comma (,) is one of the most popular punctuation marks in the English language. Commas separate ideas in sentences.
ADJECTIVES
- If you have a few adjectives in a row, you should SEPARATE them with commas.
e.g. Annie longed for flowing, curly, golden locks.
- If the adjectives and the noun they describe add up to one basic idea, you DON'T NEED A COMMA.
e.g. Annie hated her boring brown hair.
DATES
- If you're naming the month, the day, and the year, inset commas AROUND the year.
e.g. Erin's parents married on April 14, 1985, in a small chapel in Zurich.
DESCRIPTIVE PHRASES
- If you've named a noun and want to describe it further, SURROUND the further description with commas.
e.g. Ms. Binchy, the famous writer, gave a special talk in our conference.
ETC.
- if you are using etc., or phrases like it (and so on, and so forth), SURROUND it with commas.
e.g. The speaker blathered on about love, heartbreak, loss, etc., until the audience was fast asleep.
- always put a comma before etc.
e.g. PJ likes apples, strawberries, peaches, bananas, etc.
FOR EXAMPLE
- If you are using the phrase for example (or similar phrases like that is, namely, and so on), you should insert a comma hard on its heels.
e.g. Wedding cakes can be outrageously expensive; Helena, for example, spent over a thousand dollars for hers.
Source: Chastain, E. (2005). How to write: A concise guide to grammar, usage & style. New York: Spark Publishing
ADJECTIVES
- If you have a few adjectives in a row, you should SEPARATE them with commas.
e.g. Annie longed for flowing, curly, golden locks.
- If the adjectives and the noun they describe add up to one basic idea, you DON'T NEED A COMMA.
e.g. Annie hated her boring brown hair.
DATES
- If you're naming the month, the day, and the year, inset commas AROUND the year.
e.g. Erin's parents married on April 14, 1985, in a small chapel in Zurich.
DESCRIPTIVE PHRASES
- If you've named a noun and want to describe it further, SURROUND the further description with commas.
e.g. Ms. Binchy, the famous writer, gave a special talk in our conference.
ETC.
- if you are using etc., or phrases like it (and so on, and so forth), SURROUND it with commas.
e.g. The speaker blathered on about love, heartbreak, loss, etc., until the audience was fast asleep.
- always put a comma before etc.
e.g. PJ likes apples, strawberries, peaches, bananas, etc.
FOR EXAMPLE
- If you are using the phrase for example (or similar phrases like that is, namely, and so on), you should insert a comma hard on its heels.
e.g. Wedding cakes can be outrageously expensive; Helena, for example, spent over a thousand dollars for hers.
Source: Chastain, E. (2005). How to write: A concise guide to grammar, usage & style. New York: Spark Publishing