Commas

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

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

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

Commas are used to separate items in a list, placing a comma before the conjunction in a series (e.g., apples, oranges, and bananas).

A non-restrictive clause adds extra information to a sentence but is not essential to its meaning and is usually set off by commas.

I bought milk, eggs, bread, and cheese.

Use commas to separate two or more adjectives that equally modify a noun (e.g., It was a long, tiring day).

Do not use a comma before 'and' when it connects two items in a simple list (e.g., I like apples and oranges).

The Oxford comma is the final comma in a list of items, placed before 'and' or 'or' (e.g., I like apples, oranges, and bananas).

Use commas to set off the name or title of a person being addressed (e.g., Let's eat, Grandma!).