Comma Rules

Comma Rules

Let's learn a few.

There are only two ways to join two sentences.

• with a semicolon I baked the brownies; they were horrible. 

• with a comma and conjunction I baked the brownies, and they were horrible.

Use a comma and conjunction to join two sentences. Remember the conjunctions with the acronym FANBOYS.

for

and

nor

but

or

yet

so

Look at these sample sentences.

• Every day was a happy day, and every night was peaceful. ( -E.B. White, Charlotte's Web)

• Celia says you're in shock, but I think you're just lazy. (-Nancy Farmer The House of the Scorpion)

• You can pick your friends, but you're stuck with family. (-Jeff Foxworthy)

Multiple Choice

I loved the way the snowflake felt as it softly landed on my tongue so I stood with my face upward and mouth open.

Does this sentence need a comma? Be ready to tell where if the answer is yes or why not if the answer is no.

• yes

• no

Use a comma after an introductory element.

When a sentence begins with a phrase or clause, you most likely will need a comma after it.

While I watched television, I devoured a gigantic bowl of cereal.

Beside the dog's bowl, there is a cat wondering where its food is.

Use a comma after an introductory element. a phrase or a clause.

While I shopped for hours, my kids hid in the clothes racks.

Under the hanging sweaters, Nelly sat, spying on others.

Look at these sample sentences, and notice the commas.

• When I saw the girl, I immediately knew that she was in trouble.

• Looking back on it now, I doubt I could have changed a thing.

• Inside the mind of a child, imagination is magic.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following sentences needs a comma?

• When I saw the girl I immedately knew that she was in trouble.

• I immediately knew the girl was in trouble as soon as I saw her.

Open Ended

Let's imitate an author's sentence. The following sentence comes from the book Flipped. After reading the sentence, write your own.

If there was an Olympic contest for talking, Shelly Stalls would sweep the event.

Craft your sentence like the following:

If there __________, _______ would weep the event.

 Be nice! Do NOT use the name of anyone that you know!

The Comma Splice

While you can join two sentences with a comma and conjunction, you can never join two sentences with just a comma. This is known as a comma splice, and it is a grammatical horror for English teachers!

Example: Samaria stormed out of the room, she didn't say anything.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following sentences has a comma splice?

• He was exhausted from the ride and wanted a break.

• I was extremely sunburned, but I went to the waterpark anyway.

• A few kids groaned, one even rolled her eyes.

• I sat dreaming in the corner, wondering if the day would ever end.

Use a comma to set off nonrestrictive elements in a sentence.

When a word or a group of words interrupts a sentence, it needs to have commas on both sides. Use two commas to set off nonessential information.

With a milkbone in hand, I coaxed Rufus, my four-legged bestie, into the shower for a bath.

Look at the following sentences, and notice the commas used to set off nonrestrictive elements.

• Only Anne, who was always paranoid that someone was after her, seemed unable to relax.

• Nobody wanted to sit next to Dexter, the tattle-tale, in class.

• Mama's Cafe, recommended by my friend, has the best cornbread muffins.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following sentences has a mistake with commas?

• I was walking down the street, my thoughts going wild, thinking about how I would break the news.

• Brendon a real funny guy, always makes me laugh.

• My grandmother, whom I adore, has the sweetest demeanor.

If a phrase or clause is essential to the sentence, you will NOT use commas.

It is essential, if it tells who or what the sentence is about.

The woman who always sits in the front talks too much.

The underlined clause is essential because it tells us which woman. If the clause were removed, we would not know which woman talks too much.

Look at these sentences that have essential phrases or clauses, and notice that there are no commas used.

• The hotel in New York City is beautiful.

• The teenager who left her license on the table is coming back.

• The day that I left was the turning point.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following sentences NEEDS commas because it has a nonrestrictive element that needs to be set off with commas?

• The girl who never made mistakes finally made a huge one!

• The episode where Aunt Freda was bit by a dog was hilarious.

• My grandpa who loves watching cartoons has a great sense of humor.

Use commas to set off participles or participial phrases that come at the beginning or at the end of sentences.

Participles mostly end in -ing or -ed and work as adjectives.

Wishing she hadn't said what she said, she walked home, sulking.

Look at these sentences that have participles and participial phrases. Notice the commas.

• Picking up all of the toys off of the floor, she teared up knowing one day she would miss this.

• The bus motor idles, putting out a long tornado of blue smoke.

• Her eyes shone brightly, glistening like a star.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following sentences needs a comma to set off a participial phrase?

• He stood alone in the silence staring at the nothingness before him.

• She was wondering what she would do for the rest of her life.

• He came sliding into her life out of nowhere.

Commas to set off additions at the end of a sentence.

Use a comma to set off additional information if it's after an independent clause and the additions modify or describe the elements of the clause.

All of the kids watched their teacher in amazement, her high-heeled toe tapping to the rhythm of her anger.

Look at these sentences that add information at the end. Notice the commas in them.

• Ellen plops down in the middle of the floor, her body angled toward me.

• "Listen closely," she stated, her eyes more serious than ever.

• I sit by the door, my ear closely cupped to it.

Multiple Choice

Choose the sentence that needs a comma because there is added information to the end of it.

• I found him lying on the grass arms outstretched and eyes closed.

• I found him across the room with his head buried in his hands.

• It was surprising to find him asleep when I thought he would stay awake all night.

Open Ended

Craft your own sentence with information added to the end.

First try adding a participial phrase ending in -ing or -ed. Make sure you set it off with a comma.

Example: The car raced down the road, screeching tires echoing through the night.

You can begin with this independent clause:

She argued fiercely

Open Ended

Craft your own sentence adding an adjective to the end of a sentence. Here is an example: She waited in line the next day, hair greasy and clothes a mess.

You can begin your sentence with the following independent clause:

In the room there was another deputy

Open Ended

Craft your own sentence adding on a noun + a preposition at the end. Make sure you use a comma to set off the added information at the end.

Example: The witch stood, broom in hand.

You can begin your sentence with the following independent clause:

Mr. Meanie spoke