Punctuation:The Comma

Section 42.8

The Comma

0 Is extremely important!0 It can save lives!

0No really, look:0 Let’s eat Grampa!0 Let’s eat, Grampa!

0 In the first one you ate Grampa for dinner0 In the second one you ate dinner with Grampa

0 Told you commas saved lives

The Comma

0Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction to join two independent clauses0 You already know this, but repetition is the mother of all

teaching0 Example

0Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.0 See, it helps understanding

The Comma

0Use a single comma to indicate that a word or words have been omitted, or to avoid a possible misreading0 Use single commas to separate three or more items in a

series0Like so,

0 Fruit, nut, and vegetables are just a few of the crops grown in Florida. (words in series)

0 At the reunion people were sitting in the yard, on the porch, and in the house. (phrases in a series)

0 He sang, he preached, and he showed his slides. (very short clauses in a series)

The Comma

0Use single commas to separate two or more coordinate adjectives preceding a noun0 Coordinate adjectives are two or more adjectives that

are in the same category0The categories are:

0 Number 0 General discription0 Age0 Color0 Material0 Origin

The comma

0For example,0 Laura seems to be a kind, considerate person.

0Kind and considerate are coordinating adjectives because they are both general descriptors, so a comma is needed because the adjectives aren’t joined by and

0 The crane moved the heavy steel girders into place.0Heavy and steel aren’t coordinate adjectives, so no comma

is necessary

The Comma

0Use a single comma any time to avoid misreading0 Like some of the examples at the beginning

0Before eating my grandfather would always drink a large glass of water.0 Where does the comma go?

0Before eating, my grandfather would always drink a large glass of water.0 Yes, good job!

The Comma

0Use a pair of commas to indicate a nonessential element in a sentence0 Here’s the requisite example

0Robert E. Lee, who commanded the Confederate Army, was a great general.0 The clause isn’t necessary to identify the word it modifies, so you put a

pair of commas around it

0The man who commanded the Confederate Army was a great general.0 This clause is necessary to identify the word it modifies, so no commas

are necessary

The Comma

0Use commas to set off nonessential appositives 0 Mississippi, the Magnolia State, has a wide variety of

plant life.0Use commas to set off nonessential participial phrases,

nonessential adjective clauses, and nonessential adverb clauses0 Jacob, grinning mischievously, poked his head in to the

room.0 Mrs. Butler, who is an interior designer, likes bold colors.0 They always attend church, even if they are on vacation.

The Comma

0Sometimes an element may be interpreted as essential or as nonessential0 The writer must punctuate the sentence so it conveys

the intended meaning0 Example:

0Direct any questions about writing style to our secretary who is an expert in such matters.0 What does this mean?

0Direct any questions about writing style to our secretary, who is an expert in such matters.0 What does this mean?

The Comma

0Use commas to set off words used in direct address0Use commas to set off well, yes, no and other

interjections at the beginning of a sentence0Use commas to set off parenthetical expressions: in

fact, for example, of course, indeed, however, etc.0Use commas to set off introductory modifying phrases

or clauses0 In Nazareth, Christ faced scorn and ridicule.0 When the day begins with prayer, it is bound to end well.

The Comma

0Use commas to separate the parts of dates and addresses within sentences. Use a comma after the last part if it does not end the sentence.0 DO NOT use a comma between the month and the day or

between the state and the ZIP code0Use a comma after the salutation of a friendly letter.

Use a comma after the closing of all letters