Commas, commas, and more 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 in a date?

Back

A comma is used to separate the day from the year in a date, e.g., May 5, 2020.

Front

How do you use a comma in a greeting of a letter?

Back

A comma is used after the greeting in a letter, e.g., Dear Aidan,

Front

What is the correct way to write an address with commas?

Back

Commas are used to separate the street address, city, and state, e.g., 2821 West Canton Road, Edinburg, TX, 78539.

Front

When should you use commas in a sentence?

Back

Commas are used to separate items in a list, before conjunctions in compound sentences, and to set off non-essential information.

Front

What is an example of a sentence using commas correctly?

Back

Alex, back from his visit to California, showed us some vacation pictures.

Front

What is the rule for using commas in a list?

Back

Use commas to separate three or more items in a list, e.g., apples, oranges, and bananas.

Front

How do you use commas with conjunctions?

Back

Use a comma before a conjunction (like 'and' or 'but') when connecting two independent clauses.

Front

What is a non-essential clause?

Back

A non-essential clause provides extra information but can be removed without changing the main meaning of the sentence, e.g., 'My brother, who lives in New York, is visiting.'

Front

When do you not use a comma?

Back

Do not use a comma between two independent clauses if they are joined by a conjunction that is not coordinating.