Lesson 3:

Comma
The comma is a punctuation
mark that indicates a slight
break, pause, or transition.
 .
 Use comma before a
coordinating
conjunction that
separates independent
clause.
 Coordinating conjunctions are conjunctions, or
joining words, that are placed between words and
phrases of equal importance. Used with
coordinating conjunctions, commas allow writers to
express how their complete thoughts relate to one
another. They also help avoid the choppy, flat style
that arises when every thought stands as a separate
sentence.
When joining two independent clauses, or clauses
that could stand on their own as full sentences,
place a comma before the conjunction. If the
second independent clause is very short, or if it is
an imperative, the comma can be omitted.
EXAMPLE:
He was looking forward to the dance, but he
was not sure what he would wear.

Both clauses are independent and could stand

on their own as complete sentences. When
they are joined in the same sentence,
however, they must be connected with a
comma and a coordinating conjunction.
 Use comma to
separate items in a
series
Use commas to separate words and
word groups in a simple series of
three or more items.
Example: My estate goes to my
husband, son, daughter-in-law, and
nephew. Note: When the last
comma in a series comes before and
or or (after daughter-in-law in the
above example.
 Use a comma to
separate coordinate
adjectives
 Coordinate adjectives are
adjectives in a row that each
separately modify the noun that
follows (1), as in “heavy, bulky
box.” Both “heavy” and “bulky”
modify “box.” You can even
rearrange the adjectives and say,
“bulky, heavy box.”
Use comma after
an introductory
element
 Introductory elements often require a
comma, but not always. Use a comma in the
following cases:
After an introductory clause.
After a long introductory prepositional phrase
or more than one introductory prepositional
phrase.
After introductory verbal phrases, some
appositive phrases, or absolute phrases.
If there is a distinct pause.
To avoid confusion.
Use comma to set
off interrupting
expressions
 When they interrupt a sentence,
they are usually enclosed in
commas.
A name or expression used in direct
address is always followed by a
comma, or enclosed in commas
when it interrupts the sentence.
Other interrupters may also require
commas.
Use commas to
set off absolute
construction
 absolute construction is a
grammatical construction
standing apart from a normal
or usual syntactical relation
with other words or sentence
elements.
Use comma to set
off direct
quotation
 Commas are used to set
off the "he said/she said"
clause. The comma always
goes before the quotation
marks.
Use comma when
appropriate for dates and
addresses , names and
titles, informal
salutations, large number
and statistics.
 Dates and addresses--When a month, day,
and year are listed, place a comma between
the day and year: July 22, 2018.
If the month, day, and year come in the
middle of a sentence, place another comma
after the year: I will celebrate July 22, 2018,
as my birthday.
In an address, place a comma after the street
and between the city and state:
1714 North Harvey Street, Griffith, IN 46300.
 Names and titles--Traditionally, if a person's name is
followed by Sr. or Jr., a comma follows the last name: Martin
Luther King, Jr. This comma is no longer considered
mandatory. However, if a comma does precede Sr. or Jr.,
another comma must follow the entire name when it
appears midsentence.

Correct: Al Mooney Sr. is here.

Correct: Al Mooney, Sr., is here.

Similarly, use commas to enclose degrees or titles used with

names.
Example: Al Mooney, M.D., is here.

Informal salutations--When you're using

"Dear" as your salutation, put a comma or
colon after the person's name:

Dear Ms. Brown:

Dear Ms. Brown,
Dear Sarah:
Dear Sarah,
 The comma is a more informal choice and
should be reserved for email. As mentioned
above, "Dear" may read as being slightly
old-fashioned, especially in ongoing email
correspondence. While it works well for a
first point of contact email, it may be best
to switch to other options (such as “Hi
again,”) in subsequent emails.
 Largenumber and statistics--Use of periods
and commas in numbers ... are placed
incorrectly as delimiters in numbers