Commas, Commas, Commas

Front

What is a comma?

Back

A comma is a punctuation mark (,) used to indicate a pause between parts of a sentence or to separate items in a list.

Front

When should you use a comma before 'and'?

Back

You should use a comma before 'and' when it connects two independent clauses in a compound sentence.

Front

What is an independent clause?

Back

An independent clause is a group of words that can stand alone as a sentence because it has a subject and a verb.

Front

What is a dependent clause?

Back

A dependent clause is a group of words that cannot stand alone as a sentence and usually begins with a subordinating conjunction.

Front

How do you use commas in a list?

Back

Use commas to separate items in a list of three or more. For example: 'I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.'

Front

What is a compound sentence?

Back

A compound sentence is a sentence that contains at least two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction.

Front

When should you use a comma after an introductory phrase?

Back

Use a comma after an introductory phrase to separate it from the main clause. For example: 'After dinner, we went for a walk.'

Front

What is the Oxford comma?

Back

The Oxford comma is the final comma in a list of items, placed before 'and' or 'or.' It is used for clarity.

Front

How do you use commas with adjectives?

Back

Use commas to separate two or more adjectives that equally describe a noun. For example: 'It was a long, tiring journey.'

Front

When should you not use a comma?

Back

Do not use a comma to separate a subject from its verb or a verb from its object.