Things You'll Need:
- a computer with a word processor, or a pen/pencil and paper
- attention to detail
- a desire to be understood
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Step 1
Separate words in a list - Some may argue that the last comma before the conjunction (in this case "and") is not necessary. This depends on which reference you use (See the tip at the end of this article.) Example: I bought hats, streamers, lights, and candy for the Halloween party.
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Step 2
Separate phrases in a list - Example: Laura wanted to play the clarinet, write poetry, paint nature scenes, and create little ceramic statues of Abe Lincoln.
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Step 3
Set off whole quotations - Don't forget that any punctuation finishing the quote (in American English) is placed inside the quotation marks. Example 1: "My friend will have the Chicken," I told the waiter. Example 2: Gina ran inside and shouted, "They've already started the fireworks!"
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Step 4
Set off split quotations - Example: "I went to the lobby," said Paul, "but she was already gone."
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Step 5
Use commas with conjunctions that connect words or independent phrases - The three most popular conjunctions are "and," "but," and "or," plus the more rarely used "so," "for," "nor," and "yet." Example 1: Changing occupations is difficult, yet I'm doing it to make myself happy. Example 2: The line was moving pretty fast, so I did not wait long. Example 3: We can go shopping, or we can go see a movie.
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Step 6
Do not use commas with conjunctions that connect dependent phrases - Look at Example 3 above. If we take out one of the subjects (in this case, the second "we"), the clause will no longer be independent. Therefore, the conjunction will not need a comma: We can go shopping or see a movie.
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Step 7
Set off introductory words, phrases, or clauses - Sometimes you may want to expand on your idea, but you do not want to explain it with another full sentence. Introductory words or phrases, also used with commas, can be set apart from the rest of the sentence and are perfect for this scenario. Example 1: If you build it, they will come. Example 2: After my Las Vegas trip, I came home with a thinner wallet.
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Step 8
Set off non-essential words, phrases, or clauses, which appear in the middle of a sentence - As the name implies, the sentence would have the same meaning if the phrase were not there. Non-essential phrases always have commas at both ends. Example 1: Terrence, who was always looking for treasure, loved to go to the beach. Example 2: The snowfall, which lasted for three days, completely covered my car!
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Step 9
Set off concluding words, phrases, or clauses - Example 1: That's a dangerous situation, if you think about it. Example 2: I saw Jerry Seinfeld at the Kennedy Center, a beautiful venue for Washington's performing arts.
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Step 10
Use with coordinate adjectives - Depending on your priorities, you may want to give equal importance to multiple adjectives (usually two) that describe the same noun. These are called coordinate adjectives, and they always have a comma after each, except the last one. Example 1: Some people insist that ferrets make funny, cute pets. Example 2: Dressing a fussy child is like wrestling with an obstinate, angry octopus.
Comments
Alisiane said
on 9/23/2008 Isn't it funny how we learn this, get tested on it, and have it down pat in grammar school, and by the time we reach adulthood a huge percentage of us can't differentiate between "then" and "than" (something that drives me NUTS! lol) let alone remember when and how to use punctuation.