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 compound sentence?

Back

Use a comma before the coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) that 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, containing a subject and a verb.

Front

How do you use commas in a list?

Back

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

Front

What is the Oxford comma?

Back

The Oxford comma is the final comma in a list of items, placed before 'and' or 'or'. For example: 'I love my parents, Lady Gaga, and Humpty Dumpty.'

Front

When should you place a comma after an introductory phrase?

Back

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

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 with adjectives?

Back

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

Front

What is a run-on sentence?

Back

A run-on sentence occurs when two or more independent clauses are joined without proper punctuation or conjunction.

Front

How do you correct a run-on sentence?

Back

You can correct a run-on sentence by adding a comma and a coordinating conjunction, or by separating the clauses into distinct sentences.