When should you use a comma

Waterfowl such as geese swim as well as fly. In all these contexts, you may optionally add a comma before “as well as.”. If the phrase following “as well as” is not the end of the sentence, you should also add a comma after it. By default, a phrase that comes after “as well as” has less emphasis on it than the phrase that comes before.

Nevertheless, there are specific rules for when you should and shouldn't use commas. Building our grammar checker we've identified 26 places where you might ...The Penguin Writer’s Manual (British) shows both i.e. and e.g. without a following comma. “whether a comma follows [e.g.] or not is indifferent, or rather is decided by the punctuation-pitch of the writer of the passage. The Chicago Manual of Style states that i.e. and e.g. should be “confined to parentheses and notes and followed by a ...When using a comma before “unfortunately,” you must always include a comma after. This turns it into something called a parenthetical element (using parentheses just like this). Sometimes, you might not include the comma directly after “unfortunately.”. In these cases, it’s because there’s more to add to the …When you don’t need a comma with “where”. In contrast, if the information in the relative clause that follows “where” is absolutely essential to the sentence, you should not place a comma in front of it. Examples: “I went to the library where I borrowed a book.”. “The astronaut landed on the moon of Saturn where she had parked ...A comma signals a pause between parts of a sentence. When writing a list of three or more, the use of an Oxford comma before and is optional, but often recommended. They visited Portugal, Spain, and France. They visited Portugal, Spain and France. When and connects two independent clauses, a comma should be placed before it. You only use commas around a name or title if they are being used as nonessential details within the sentence. You can check your understanding of this by removing the name or title and seeing if the sentence still makes sense. Never include commas if the name or title is required for the understanding of the sentence. Waterfowl such as geese swim as well as fly. In all these contexts, you may optionally add a comma before “as well as.”. If the phrase following “as well as” is not the end of the sentence, you should also add a comma after it. By default, a phrase that comes after “as well as” has less emphasis on it than the phrase that comes before.Updated on August 12, 2022 Grammar. Use a comma before which when it introduces a nonrestrictive phrase. Don’t use a comma before which when it’s part of a prepositional phrase, such as “in which.”. Don’t use a comma before which when it introduces an indirect question. Commas can be tricky, but they don’t …

You should use a comma after that when it closes a parenthetical phrase. A parenthetical element adds additional information and color to a sentence, but isn’t essential to the overall meaning. For example: Georgina, that girl …It depends. When a slash signifies alternatives between only two words, don’t use spaces before or after. When using slashes to signify alternatives between phrases or multi-word terms or compounds, a space before and after the slash makes text easier to read. Another time it’s acceptable to use a space after a slash is when breaking up ...The Oxford comma is a punctuation mark whose use is hotly debated among certain English language writers, reporters, teachers, and academics. The use, or lack thereof, of the Oxford comma may cause confusion, depending on ... Personally, I think you should always use it to avoid confusion before it becomes …To ensure the proper use of commas in a list, you need to decide if the Oxford comma is for you or if you want to avoid it altogether. Since its absence can create confusion, you may prefer to use it to prevent comical or even embarrassing misrepresentations. Its use makes a list clearer to read. The list of elements commas separate includes ...4. My friend John is a good painter. Both these sentences are correct and convey the same thing. The rule is – either have the commas both before and after a name, or don’t add it at all. This is because the sentence is talking about a particular person John. The addition of commas gives extra emphasis to the name."Rule 1. Use commas to separate words and word groups in a simple series of three or more items. Example: My estate goes to my husband, son, daughter-in-law, and nephew. Note: When the last comma in a series comes before and or or (after daughter-in-law in the above example), it is known as the Oxford comma.Most …With a simple sentence, however, the general rule is to omit the comma. Rule: Do not use a comma before a coordinating conjunction if the sentence contains only ...With a simple sentence, however, the general rule is to omit the comma. Rule: Do not use a comma before a coordinating conjunction if the sentence contains only ...

Sep 2, 2007 · Our Rule 11 of Commas says, “If something or someone is sufficiently identified, the description following it is considered nonessential and should be surrounded by commas.” In your first sentence, the term best friend is a precise identifier and the name Mike is nonessential, therefore you are correct to use a comma. This is an indication that the sentence is over. However, a comma will indicate that you should take a smaller break. And, might also be referred to as a soft pause. It can separate ideas within a sentence, clauses, and words. There are a few rules about how to use a comma and a few factors that can help you choose if you should use one or not. You only use commas around a name or title if they are being used as nonessential details within the sentence. You can check your understanding of this by removing the name or title and seeing if the sentence still makes sense. Never include commas if the name or title is required for the understanding of the sentence.The following rules cover most uses of the comma. Rule 1. Use commas to separate words and word groups in a simple series of three or more items. Example ...A general rule of thumb for comma before with. A good rule to follow is to ask yourself “Is the phrase after “with” describing the word before “with”. Here, we don’t add the comma because we are describing his friend. It’s his friend who has the broken leg, not Blake. “Blake helped his friend, with a broken leg”.

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As long as you include a name after “thank you,” you need a comma: Thank you, Mary. Thank you so much, Marcus. You can place the comma after “thank you” or when you’ve completed the entire appreciative phrase (i.e. “thank you so much”). You should place a comma after “thank you” with the direct address portion when you are ... It depends. When a slash signifies alternatives between only two words, don’t use spaces before or after. When using slashes to signify alternatives between phrases or multi-word terms or compounds, a space before and after the slash makes text easier to read. Another time it’s acceptable to use a space after a slash is when breaking up ...With interrupters or parenthetical elements. Interrupters are thoughts injected in the middle of a sentence to …Nevertheless, there are specific rules for when you should and shouldn't use commas. Building our grammar checker we've identified 26 places where you might ... Commas vs. Semicolons in Compound Sentences. For more information on semicolons, please see the "90-Second Semicolon" vidcast series on the Purdue OWL YouTube Channel. A group of words containing a subject and a verb and expressing a complete thought is called a sentence or an independent clause. Sometimes, an independent clause stands alone as ...

Write with Grammarly. There are several types of introductory phrases, including prepositional phrases and appositive phrases. Sometimes a comma is necessary after an introductory phrase. Other times, the comma is optional, and there are also times when a comma should not be used. It is …Common uses of colons. 1. To announce, introduce, or direct attention to a list, a noun or noun phrase, a quotation, or an example/explanation. You can use a colon to draw attention to many things in your writing. The categories listed below often overlap, so don’t worry too much about whether your intended use of the colon …Confused on how to use commas? You're not alone. Read about 10 completely wrong ways to use commas at HowStuffWorks. Advertisement Some say proper grammar is on its way out. Rapid-...Don’t use a comma before while when you mean “during the same time.”; Do use a comma before while when you mean “whereas” or “although.”; When while is used as a conjunction, it has two meanings. One meaning is related to time. In the temporal sense, while describes something that is happening at the same time as something else. The …The above are standard if/then clauses. "If" is a subordinating conjunction introducing a subordinate clause, so it is separated from the main clause, the "then" clause, by an ensuing comma. Now I know that if you leave the "then" implied, that you still use a comma. Examples: If you lie, you're out. If you do it right, you can have a cookie.Dec 9, 2018 ... This video reviews some of the situations in English writing in which a comma must be used. Note that this is merely an overview and there ...4. My friend John is a good painter. Both these sentences are correct and convey the same thing. The rule is – either have the commas both before and after a name, or don’t add it at all. This is because the sentence is talking about a particular person John. The addition of commas gives extra emphasis to the name."Sorted by: 1. When you use the phrase 'of course' you have to use a comma. It doesn't matter whether it is in the middle or at the beginning of a sentence. I'm completely sure that the first two sentences are right, but the last one seems wrong to me. Share. Improve this answer. Follow. answered Sep 15, 2016 at 18:28.Adverbs are words that modify verbs or even whole sentences. They often end in "-ly". Examples include quickly, frequently, slowly.You can see that they add some information to a verb or the sentence that they are modifying. Some adverbs don't end "-ly", e.g. sometimes or often. When an adverb modifies an entire sentence …Brittney, Grammarly’s resident style maven, puts it this way: “Oxford commas are like the Ugg boots of the punctuation world. People either love them or hate them or don’t know what they are.”. Brittney notes that Grammarly is pro-Oxford comma, in part because many long-timers (“the OG Grammarly users”) have voiced fondness for it.Commas have quite a few uses in English: 1. Separating items in a list of three or more 2. Connecting two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction 3. Setting apart non-restrictive relative clauses 4. Setting apart nonessential appositives 5. Setting apart introductory phrases 6. Setting … See moreThe Oxford comma (also known as the serial comma or Harvard comma) is the use of a comma before the conjunction in a list of three or more …

Mar 21, 2023 · You should follow this rule if you’re writing in US English. It has the added bonus of removing the confusion about when to add a comma: if you only use “which” nonrestrictively, you’ll always add a comma before a “which” clause. The historical period which fascinates me the most is the Renaissance.

One common issue writers have is how to punctuate parentheses properly, specifically whether to use a comma after parentheses or before. Here’s a tip: Commas can be tricky, but they don’t have to trip you up. Grammarly’s writing assistant can help you make sure your punctuation, spelling, and grammar are tip …Aug 3, 2022 ... When to use commas: 5 rules and examples · 1. Use a comma to separate anything before an independent clause · 2. Use a comma to separate ...In the American style of writing, a comma is inserted before and after i.e. However, in the British style of writing, a comma is inserted before but not after i.e. It seems that the use of comma is found more often in American English, and even there, it is not always required. Nevertheless, even though I prefer the comma and have sources to ...Sep 30, 2022 · The answer depends on how you are using or. Always place a comma before or when it begins an independent clause, but if it begins a dependent clause, don’t. In a series (or list) of three or more items, you can use a comma before or, but this is a preference, not a rule. People often get muddled about whether to place a comma before ... Dec 18, 2018 · But the greeting “Hi” is a form of direct address, which by convention is set off with commas: Hi, Anne, That said, “Hi” marks the correspondence as informal. Thus, you might omit the punctuation: Hi Anne, If you run the body of your correspondence into the greeting line, as in a text message, you might use a period instead of a comma ... When and connects two independent clauses, you should use a comma. In a list of three (or more), the use of a comma before and is optional.Mar 18, 2023 · When it’s used in this way, there should be no comma before “so.”. Again, a good test is to try replacing “so” with “therefore” and “so that” to see which one matches your intended meaning. For example, take the sentence “I ducked so I could pass under the branches.”. Replacing “so” with “therefore” results in a ...

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The first thing to know is that there are generally only two correct options: two commas, one before and one after the name/title, or no commas at all. While a comma after the title may be correct on rare occasions (which don’t concern us here), a comma only before a name or title is wrong. If you learned in school that you should always put ... As long as you include a name after “thank you,” you need a comma: Thank you, Mary. Thank you so much, Marcus. You can place the comma after “thank you” or when you’ve completed the entire appreciative phrase (i.e. “thank you so much”). You should place a comma after “thank you” with the direct address portion when you are ... Use commas after introductory a) clauses, b) phrases, or c) words that come before the main clause. Use a pair of commas in the middle of a sentence to set off …The major styles in which you are supposed to put a comma before “and” are Chicago, MLA, APA and Oxford. The first three are American, and Oxford is British. MLA is an academic style used for topics in the humanities, such as literature. APA is also an academic style, used for education, psychology and science.When Not to Use a Comma. Just as omitting a necessary comma can cause confusion, inserting an unnecessary or poorly placed comma can also cause …In algebra, the roster method defines sets by clearly listing each of the individual elements of the set. The elements of the set are enclosed in curled brackets and each of these ...Modifiers that are essential do not require commas. Example: Tell the students who failed the exam that they will have to retake the course. (Only the students ...Mar 29, 2022 · The answer is simple. You should use a comma if you are joining two independent clauses (separate ideas). Alan is a good singer, but he’s a sensational guitarist. The jury debated for the whole afternoon, and they eventually came to a unanimous verdict. Do not use a comma if you aren’t joining independent clauses. Use commas to separate independent clauses when they are joined by any of these seven coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet. Use commas ...You only use commas around a name or title if they are being used as nonessential details within the sentence. You can check your understanding of this by … ….

You can buy an apple, a pear , or an orange. I can go or stay - which would you prefer? When used in a list, and and or never take a comma when the list has two items; when it has more, it is generally a good idea to use the comma. When used as a conjunction it is generally a good idea to use the comma (unless the phrases are very short).The hottest debate in grammar comes down to a comma—the Oxford comma. Learn more about the Oxford comma and why people are so for or against it.To ensure the proper use of commas in a list, you need to decide if the Oxford comma is for you or if you want to avoid it altogether. Since its absence can create confusion, you may prefer to use it to prevent comical or even embarrassing misrepresentations. Its use makes a list clearer to read. The list of elements commas separate includes ...Are you overusing your commas? Perhaps you may even be underusing them. Learn how to use them correctly with the nine rules of commas.Rule 1. Use commas to separate words and word groups in a simple series of three or more items. Example: My estate goes to my husband, son, daughter-in-law, and nephew. Note: When the last comma in a series comes before and or or (after daughter-in-law in the above example), it is known as the Oxford comma.Most …Updated on August 12, 2022 Grammar. Use a comma before which when it introduces a nonrestrictive phrase. Don’t use a comma before which when it’s …In short, you’ll typically only use commas after the date or year in the American date format, not the British date format. But you should always use a comma after the day of the week, unless you’re using “the” + ordinal number. Commas don’t have to be tricky. Avoid missing and misplaced commas in dates …Usage guide. Don’t use a comma before or after the word that, either as a relative pronoun (when it introduces information essential to meaning) or as a conjunction (when it introduces a relative clause).The word which is also used as a relative pronoun, but it generally presents an optional description, which you should enclose in commas …Jun 6, 2016 ... Usually, when you're trying to make a separation within a sentence, you use a comma. So Paige, so what are some things that commas can't do? - [ ... When should you use a comma, [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1], [text-1-1]