Comma Rules

  1. A comma may be used between two independent clauses which are joined by coordinating conjunctions such as these: but, or, nor, for, yet, and, so.

    Ex: My friend smokes constantly, but still condemns industry for its pollution.
  2. Note: Do not confuse a sentence with a compound verb for a compound sentence.

    Ex: My friend smokes but still condemns industry for its pollution. (This is a simple sentence with a compound verb; use no comma.)
  3. Commas are used to separate individual words, phrases, or clauses in a series. (A series contains at least three items.)

    Ex: I used a rapalla, a silver spoon, a nightcrawler harness, and a Swedish pimple.

    The bait I used included kernels of corn, minnows, bacon rind, larva, and spawn sacks.
  4. Note: Do not use commas when the words in a series are connected with or, nor, or and.

    Ex: I plan to catch bass or trout or sunfish.
  5. Commas are used to enclose an explanatory word or phrase inserted in a sentence.

    Spawn, or fish eggs, are tremendous bait.
  6. An appositive, a specific kind of explanatory word or phrase, identifies or renames a preceding noun or pronoun. (Do not use commas with restrictive appositives. See the Third example below.)

    Ex: (a) My father, an expert angler, uses spawn to catch brook trout.

    (b) The objective, to hook fish, is easier to accomplish with spawn

    (c) The word angleworm applies to an earthworm used for fishing.
  7. Commas are used to separate coordinate adjectives, adjectives that equally modify the same noun.

    Ex: Trout gobble up small, soft, round eggs.
  8. Notice in the example above that no comma separates the last adjective from the noun.

    Ex: Most small panfish also eat spawn.
  9. In the example above, most and small are not separated by a comma because the two adjectives do not equally modify panfish. To determine whether adjectives modify equally, use these two tests: 1? Shift the order of the adjectives; if the sentence is clear, the adjectives modify equally. (If most and small were shifted in the example above, the sentence would be unclear.) @) Insert and between the adjectives; if the sentence reads well, use a comma when and is omitted.
  10. Note: If the first adjective modifies the second adjective and the noun, use a comma.

    Ex: He sat down on the soft, velvet cushion.
  11. Commas are used to separate contrasted elements from the rest of the sentence and are often used to show word omission in certain grammatical constructions.

    Ex: (a) we need strong minds, not strong emotions, to solve our problems.

    (b) Wise people learn from the mistakes of others; fools, from their own.
  12. A comma should separate an adverb clause or a long modifying phrase from the independent clause that follows it.

    Ex: "If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance."

    -George Bernard Shaw

  13. NOTE: A comma is usually omitted if the phrase or adverb clause follows the independent clause.

Ex: "This will never be a civilized country until we expend more money for books than we do for chewing gum."

-Elbert Hubbard