Comma Rules

COMMAS AFTER INTRODUCTORY ELEMENTS

Sentences often begin with a little something extra, a word that doesn’t quite flow with the rest of the sentence. Sometimes that word is the name of the person you are talking to. Example:

Cindy, I would like to buy your ferret.

Sometimes it is a word like well, oh, or however. Example:

Well, I guess I’d like to try frog legs.

A few more examples:

Caroline, would you marry me?

Yes, I would love to marry you.

And sometimes the introductory element is longer than just one word. Examples:

In the back of the refrigerator, a moldy jar of mayonnaise sat beside a plate of greenish-looking

pork chops.

After sitting through five classes, Zachary didn’t really want to go with his father to a lecture

called “Fun with Calculus.”

COMMAS WITH INTERRUPTING ELEMENTS

Sometimes sentences are interrupted in the middle with either a word or a group of words. Examples:

My brother thinks that cauliflower, the world’s friendliest vegetable, goes well with chocolate

sauce.

The most important thing the astronauts took to the moon, not counting a ton of freeze dried ice

cream, was a shiny roll of duct tape.

I can tell you, Emma, that your turtle needs antibiotics.

COMMAS WITH ENDING ELEMENTS

A word or group of words may also appear at the end of a sentence. Examples:

I want another cookie, Mom.

I love oatmeal cookies, the kind with raisins.

COMMAS IN A SERIES

Imagine seeing fish ice cream burritos on the school menu. Sounds disgusting doesn’t it? Commas change how we read things. A menu with fish, ice cream, and burritos sounds a little more appetizing. Commas serve as dividers in a list. Examples:

Nellie liked sausage, cereal, and prune tarts for breakfast.

Maria used her babysitting money to buy chapstick, bubble gum, fly spray, and Oreos.

COMMAS IN COMPOUND SENTENCES

A compound sentence means that you have not one but two parts to your sentence. Those parts are called independent clauses. An independent clause can stand alone. Here is a simple sentence with one independent clause:

Alexis ate an enchilada.

Here is another independent clause:

Jose gobbled up four tacos and an order of refried beans.

Now, let’s put the sentences together with the word and.

Alexis ate an enchilada, and Jose gobbled up four tacos and an order of refried beans.

Now we have two complete sentences, or independent clauses, connected with the conjunction and.

In a compound sentence, put a comma before the conjunction (and, but, or, etc.). Another example:

He hated television and music, but he loved doing algebra equations.

COMMAS IN ADDRESSES, DATES, TITLES, AND LETTERS

Numbers can be confusing, especially when there are a whole string of them together. That’s why we often use commas—to help make the numbers easier to read. For example, 520,000 is much easier to read than 520000. The same thing holds true for dates. You need a comma between the day and the year and you also need a comma after the year, to separate the date from the rest of the sentence. Example:

Cheryl was born on February 2, 1965, in a small town.

In addresses, a comma is needed to separate each part except for the state and zip code. Example:

Send your complaints to 141Peewee Drive, Hickory, Arkansas72065.

When a person’s name includes an abbreviated title like M.D., Jr. or Sr., the abbreviations are separated from the rest of the name with a comma. Example:

Melvin Swimmer, M.D., and Lawrence Guttling, Jr., are best friends.

In friendly letters, use a comma after the Dear part of the letter (called the salutation). Also use a comma after the closing. Example:

Dear Phil,

Please write soon. I miss you.

Love,

Betsy

In a business letter, use a comma after the closing. However, use a colon after the salutation. Example:
Dear Dr. Jones:

Thank you for taking such good care of me during my surgery.

Sincerely,

Lenora Martinez

COMMAS WITH COORDINATE ADJECTIVES

When two adjectives occur side by side in a sentence, they are called coordinate adjectives and are separated by a comma. If the word and or or separates two adjectives, no comma is needed. Examples:

Nobody believed his weary, pointless lies.

Carl ate an attractive, steamy bowl of Spam nuggets.