Commas, Commas, Commas

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

You should use a comma before 'and' in a list when it separates three or more items (Oxford comma). For example: 'I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.'

A comma is used before a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) to separate two independent clauses. Example: 'I wanted to go for a walk, but it started to rain.'

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

A non-essential clause provides additional information but can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence. It is set off by commas. Example: 'My brother, who lives in New York, is visiting.'

Do not use a comma to separate two independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction. Example: 'I like ice cream but I don't like chocolate.'

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

Use commas to separate the name of a person being addressed from the rest of the sentence. Example: 'Can you help me, Sarah?'

Use a comma to separate the day from the year in a full date. Example: 'On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed.'

Use commas to separate the city from the state or country. Example: 'I live in Denver, Colorado.'