Comma Usage
1. Use a comma to separate items in a series.
ex.
I was angry, worried, and impatient.
ex.
I was dreaming of running in the race, finishing first, and celebrating.
ex.
I was wearing my old, dark green coat.
2. Use a comma to follow introductory words or phrases, or expressions.
ex.
Therefore, I decided not to attend the wedding reception.
ex.
Oh, I thought for sure you would go.
3. Use a comma to separate non-essential or parenthetical element from the
rest of the sentence. (A parenthetical or non-essential element is added to
clarify, add , or emphasize information, but interrupts the sentence.)
ex.
The wedding, of course, was no surprise to those who knew them.
ex.
My brother, who lives on the west side of town, is hosting the party.
4. Use a comma BEFORE a coordinating conjunction joining two independent
clauses. (Remember FANBOYS, your coordinating conjunctions: for, and,
nor, but, or, yet, & so.)
ex.
Factual statistics are important, but they rarely tell the entire story.
ex.
When my wife left me she took the dog, and I miss him.
5. Place a comma after an introductory subordinate clause or long
introductory phrase.
ex.
Although we all know that smoking tobacco is harmful, many people
refuse to quit.
ex.
Although many marriages don’t last, they are still considered necessary by
polite society.
*Commas are optional after brief introductory modifiers.
ex.
After this month, all my bills will be paid. (Correct)
After this month all my bills will be paid. (Also correct)
Remember, sometimes a comma can be used to accent or emphasize a section of the
sentence for dramatic effect. If you want your audience to pause, or to take a breath
while reading a sentence, a comma is probably the way to go. However, don’t go crazy,
you do not want to leave your readers gasping for breath.
Using commas with dates, addresses, titles, & numbers.
Separate the day of the month, from the year with a comma.
July 4, 2009
December 25, 2006
September 12, 1999
The inverted form, 4 July 2009, requires no comma.
Addresses
100 West Rio Grande Street, El Paso, Texas 79902
Titles
Dr. Edward Pell, Ph.D.
Albert Swanson, Jr.
Numbers (Separate numbers into thousands, millions, and so on.)
4, 216
6, 227, 000
4, 218, 727, 418
(See the handout on dialogue punctuation for comma tips with quotes & dialogue.)