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Jul 1, 2023 · But fear not! Below, you’ll find guidance for the trickiest comma questions. What is a comma? While a period ends a sentence, a comma indicates a smaller break. Some writers think of a comma as a soft pause—a punctuation mark that separates words, clauses, or ideas within a sentence.
Learn how to use commas correctly in English with this comprehensive guide. Find out when to use commas in series, adjectives, clauses, appositives, dates, addresses, and more.
- Commas to introduce a sentence. If you introduce a sentence with a transition word (e.g., however, hence, indeed, furthermore), follow it with a comma. However the model is not always accurate.
- Dependent vs. independent clauses. A clause is a group of words that contains at least a subject and a verb. Sentences are often made up of several clauses.
- Commas in compound sentences. A compound sentence contains more than one independent clause. The clauses can be joined by a semicolon, a colon, or a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).
- Avoid the comma splice. Two independent clauses should never be joined by a comma alone. This error is called a comma splice. Model 1 was selected, it returns more accurate results.
Learn about the comma, a punctuation mark that separates sentence elements, such as lists, dates, and clauses. Watch the video, read the transcript, and join the conversation with other learners' questions and tips.
- 4 min
- It's okay to use a comma before the word "and" when you're writing a list, and it's also okay *not* to use a comma! Different people have different...
- A quick and vague way to check for comma need is "do I naturally pause here when I read aloud slowly." Otherwise, there are quite a few rules you w...
- Using the comma can be very helpful to create effective writing.
- You may use commas to separate a sentence in dialogue from the addendum outside of the quotation marks, like your example. However, I wouldn't call...
- Dear Brian, That ^ is actually what is called a salutation, and since _Dear (Name)_ doesn't contain both a subject and verb it technically isn't a...
- Your first sentence is a run-on sentence (incorrect) because it has two independent clauses that aren't adequately joined. You can, as your second...
- A comma is too weak to serve as the ending of a sentence. A comma says, "pause a little". The other three marks say, "stop here."
- Your use of the comma is entirely correct. Read your example aloud and you'll hear the pause you make naturally. The comma there is a visible indic...
Learn how to use commas correctly in different situations, such as lists, dates, numbers, geographic references, and more. See examples of conventional, mechanical, and stylistic uses of the comma and avoid common errors.
Learn how to use commas to separate and punctuate different elements of sentences. Find examples, detailed rules, and exceptions for various types of commas.
Learn the rules and examples of using commas in 10 different situations. Commas are used to divide long texts into shorter, single-function sections and to show the boundaries of words, phrases, and clauses.
