Commas provide clarity, particularly in sentences that contain several different elements. It is a piece of punctuation that has many many functions. Here, we offer a brief, basic guide to using commas correctly. Commas must also be used to coordinate adjectives, set off quotations, link dependent clauses to dependent clauses, and separate words in common conventions. Commas before and in a series in american english usage, many writers and editors feel that a comma should precede and with three or more items in a series. Comma rules state that commas must be used to separate items in a series, set off nonessential information or introductory clauses, and link independent clauses to independent clauses. There are lots of rules about comma usage, and often the factors that determine.
Exactly why this particular quirk of comma usage stirs such passions is hard to say. I dont think enough writers use commas, and these in stories and articles are in my eyes the easiest to notice. Use commas to separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses in a series. Use a comma to separate items in a series use a comma between words, phrases, or clauses that appear in a series of three or more. The constitution establishes the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. Be sure to insert a comma before the conjunction that precedes the last item unless your teacher or style manual specifically tells you to exclude them. Seventh grade lesson commas in a series betterlesson. See more ideas about commas in a series, teaching grammar and teaching writing. Always use commas to separate the elements of a series of three or more.
There have been no misplaced commas since april 23, 4034. Here are some clues to help you decide whether the sentence element is essential. My estate goes to my husband, son, daughterinlaw, and nephew. Commas are an exciting and fun type of punctuation. When it comes to using commas, the word series takes on a different meaning. Learn useful comma rules and how to use commas in english with example sentences and esl worksheet.
Use a comma to separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses written in a series. Use a comma to separate two independent clauses connected by a coordinating conjunction. Newspapers and magazines do not generally use this rule as print space is too valuable to use on what might be considered extraneous punctuation. Commas in a series use commas to separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses in a series a conjunction goes between the last two items of the series while some authorities say that the comma before the conjunction is optional, leaving it out may cause confusion, so it is better to include it. How to punctuate a series with commas and semicolons the. If youve ever heard someone arguing about serial commas or oxford commas, this is what they were talking about. Its almost always optional to put a comma before and in a list. Because when you say and, youve already separated the last two items. For example, a list of three countries might be punctuated either as france, italy and spain without the serial comma or france, italy, and. I showed the first sentence that students were to notice from the commas in a series power point screen 2. After she learned the rules for using commas, her grades improved. See more ideas about commas in a series, 2nd grade writing and teaching. Use commas to separate items written in a series such as separate items or words, phrases and subordinate clauses and short independent clauses in a series.
Be sure never to add an extra comma between the final adjective and the noun itself or to use commas with noncoordinate adjectives. Top 4 rules for using commas effectively thoughtco. In numbers more than four digits long, use commas to separate the numbers into groups of three, starting from the right. Sandra belinsky, md, has been appointed to the board. In english you can use series commas when you list items. In other circles, such as journalism and british english, the serial comma is often omitted. In british usage, there is no comma before the conjunction such as and or or before the last item in the series. In these exciting comma games, your students will learn how to use a comma in. A comma, is a punctuation mark used to denote a pause in the sentence shorter than a colon or a semicolon. Commas are important in lists, and a series because it saves lives.
You need commas between each item on the list, with one important exception. Commas before and in a series grammar and punctuation. If you spend just a little bit of time studying these punctuation rules, though, youll get a jump start to stronger grammar skills. Use a pair of commas in the middle of a sentence to set off clauses, phrases, and words that are not essential to the meaning of the sentence. How to use commas in a series of items grammar lessons.
Includes information about items in a series, introductory phrases, and comma splices. Use a comma to separate items in a series three or more things. I wanna show an example of using a comma in a series and its actually a pretty funny internet name that youve maybe seen online before and. A comma is never used as an end mark, and it is read with a shorter pause than an end mark. In this lesson, you will learn 8 important rules for using comma in english. Use commas to separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses written in a series. He hit the ball, dropped the bat, and ran to first base. Of all the punctuation marks in english, this one is perhaps the most abused and misused.
In a simple series, use a comma to separate the elements, but dont put a comma before the conjunction. Use one comma before to indicate the beginning of the pause and one at the end to indicate the end of the pause. You get injected, inspected, detected, infected, neglected, and selected, guthrie 1967. Learn the essentials about commas in english quickly. Since the sentence passes both of these tests, comma away, friend. In academic culture, we still use the serial or oxford comma, so even punctuation rules have a rhetorical context. When the last comma in a series comes before and or or after daughterinlaw in the above example, it is known as the oxford comma. The last two items in a list are usually connected by and. Use a comma following an introductory clause or prepositional phrase of four words or more. The rules for this post apply to sentences containing three or more items in a series. Today paige and i are going to teach you all about your new best friend, the comma. Commas direct us to take a pause when reading, so adding these punctuation marks in the right places can make a huge difference to the flow and clarity of our sentences.
Say your sentence in the abovereferenced imaginary document includes a series that lists multiple elements in a way that includes and or or within one of those elements. This means that when three or more items are being listed in a sentence, a. However, i find the following nine 9 commas rules usually cover most situations when writing a sentence. In british english, it is quite unusual to use a comma with and. Imagine that you text a shopping list to your roommate charlie, whos at the store shopping for your birthday party. A list needs to be separated, if it is not separated, it could cause confusion from the reader. Use commas to separate words and word groups in a simple series of three or more items. Use a comma to separate the elements in a series three or more things, including the last two. How to use commas in associated press style pen and the pad. Please see rules 5 and 6 of commas, as well as our post commas with appositives for a complete explanation. If a title follows a name, separate the title from the rest of the sentence with a pair of commas.
Comma rules, when to use commas in english 7 e s l. Commas can be a particularly tricky punctuation mark. In american english usage, many writers and editors feel that a comma should precede and with three or more items in a series. Use commas to separate two or more coordinate adjectives that describe the same noun. There are lots of rules about comma usage, and often the factors that determine whether you should use one are quite subtle. The serial comma, or oxford comma, is the comma that sometimes goes between the final two items in a series. I use a comma, i use a comma, i use a comma, i use a comma, i use a comma, i use a comma, i use a comma, i use one. This commas activity product includes everything you need to teach your students about every comma rule out there. Use commas to set off phrases that express contrast. But if you want to throw an extra comma there, youre welcome to do so. Most newspapers and magazines drop the oxford comma in a. Blazer fresh is here to eliminate the comma blues son. One use of the comma is to separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses in a list or series.
Commas are used to separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses in a series. Never put a comma in front of the first item on the list. If the series includes internal commas that necessitate semicolons or uses a conjunction such as and, include the comma. If it covers more than one of these rules, i go with my gut on which rule takes higher precedence. Commas are used to separate a sentences elements, to connect independent clauses, to avoid confusion, and much more. Theres no single rule that applies to all situations. Comma activities commas task cards commas in a series. The mountains, the lakes, the meadows and the wildlife should be protected in this area. Her grades improved after she learned to use commas correctly. This means that when three or more items are being listed in a sentence, a comma goes between each item in the. Commas dont just signify pauses in a sentence precise rules govern when to use this.
A comma separates elements in a sentence, such as items in a list or series, but it also shows that those elements are connected to each other within the same sentence. The candidate promised to lower taxes, protect the environment, reduce crime. The most important rules for using commas without looking. A conjunction goes between the last two items of the series. The comma is an extremely powerful piece of punctuation, can do a whole bunch of stuff. We use commas to separate items in a series or list. By the way, this rule only applies to lists of three or more items. A lot of people have strong feelings about putting a comma before and in a list. Use commas after all elements of a series when one element includes and or or so, turns out rule 1 has an exception. David, john, and joshua had the opportunity to play golf over the long weekend. A comma is used to show the difference between two separate ideas or elements within a sentence.
Whether or not you put a comma before and depends on how youre using and. I would like to order a salad, a sandwich, and dessert. You should not use a comma before and if youre only mentioning two qualities. Use commas between words, or groups of words in a series. In ap style, omit the comma before the last item in a simple series, such as joe, john and steve. In english language punctuation, a serial comma, or series comma also called an oxford comma or harvard comma, is a comma placed immediately before the coordinating conjunction usually and or or in a series of three or more terms. The most important rules for using commas without looking dumb.
This mini unit features mini lessons on commas in a series, words of direct address, direct quotations, introductory material, plus four more comma rules and two semicolon rules. While there are no simple rules regarding the placement of comma with conjunctions, the following guidelines should help. Most newspapers and magazines drop the oxford comma in a simple series, apparently feeling its unnecessary. There are some cases where you know you should use a comma such as when separating items in a list but there are other times when you might be unsure whether or not a comma is needed while theres some degree of flexibility in how commas are used, its important to have a clear grasp of the rules. In some circles, such as business communications and book publishing, the serial comma is generally used. This anchor chart covers the 5th grade common core comma rules. You should even place a comma between the last two, although some writing style guidelines now omit this comma. The comma separates the structural elements of a sentence into manageable segments. You usually put a comma before and when its connecting two independent clauses.
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