Commas FandC

Front

What is the purpose of a comma in a sentence?

Back

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

Front

When should you use a comma before 'and' in a list?

Back

A comma should be used before 'and' in a list of three or more items (Oxford comma), e.g., 'I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.'

Front

How do you punctuate direct quotes?

Back

When writing direct quotes, use a comma before the quote if it follows a statement, e.g., He said, "Hello.".

Front

What is an example of a sentence that uses commas correctly?

Back

"My favorite fruits are apples, bananas, and cherries."

Front

What is a non-restrictive clause?

Back

A non-restrictive clause adds extra information to a sentence but is not essential to its meaning and is set off by commas, 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 two independent clauses without a conjunction, e.g., "I went to the store I bought milk" (should be 'I went to the store, and I bought milk.').

Front

What is the rule for using commas with adjectives?

Back

Use commas to separate two or more coordinate adjectives that describe the same noun, e.g., "It was a long, tiring journey."

Front

How do you use commas in dates?

Back

In dates, use a comma to separate the day from the year, e.g., "July 4, 1776."

Front

What is the correct way to write a city and state?

Back

When writing a city and state, use a comma to separate them, e.g., "I live in Denver, Colorado."

Front

What is an example of a sentence that is incorrect due to comma misuse?

Back

"I like to read, and write." (should be 'I like to read and write.').