Commas, Commas, Commas

Front

What is the purpose of a comma in a sentence?

Back

Commas are used to indicate a pause between parts of a sentence, separate items in a list, and clarify meaning.

Front

When should you use a comma before a conjunction?

Back

A comma should be used before a conjunction (like 'and', 'but', 'or') when it connects two independent clauses.

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

Provide an example of a correctly punctuated sentence with a conjunction.

Back

I wanted to go for a walk, but it started to rain.

Front

What is a list comma?

Back

A list comma is used to separate items in a series, such as in 'apples, oranges, and bananas'.

Front

When do you use a comma after an introductory phrase?

Back

A comma is used after an introductory phrase to separate it from the main clause, e.g., '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', e.g., 'I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.'

Front

How do you punctuate a sentence with a direct address?

Back

Use commas to set off the name of the person being addressed, e.g., 'Can you help me, Sarah?'.

Front

What is a non-essential clause?

Back

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

Front

When should you not use a comma?

Back

Do not use a comma to separate a subject from its verb or to separate two items that are closely related.