COMMA RULES
REVIEW – Junior English
#1 - Commas in a series
3 OR MORE only


Words:
I have a dog, a bird, and a cat.
I went to the store, gas station, and dry cleaner.
Phrases:


I like to eat macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and
jelly, and grilled cheese for lunch.
Clauses:
The coach told the players that they should get a lot of
sleep, that they should not eat too much, and that they
should do some warm-up exercises before the game.
#2 - Commas separate adjectives

Use commas to separate two or more
adjectives that modify the same noun.
◦ She is a young, dynamic student.
◦ RULE: If you can switch the order of the
adjectives and it does NOT affect the
sentence clarity, use a comma. Do not use a
comma if you can’t switch the order.
 For example: He wore green tennis shoes. NO
COMMA
#3 - FANBOYS

When you use a coordinator (for, and, nor,
but, or, yet, so) to join two independent
clauses, ALWAYS use a comma BEFORE the
coordinator.

I love dogs, and I love cats. (2 main clauses)
I love dogs and cats. (NO COMMA – one
clause)
I hate wasting time, but I still love watching
reality TV.
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#4 - Set off introductory elements
ABBI SAW A WUWU!
•
•
•
•
•
While I was eating, the cat scratched at
the door.
Because her alarm clock was broken,
she was late for class.
If you are ill, you ought to see a doctor.
When the snow stops falling, we'll shovel
the driveway.
HINT: After ABBI SAW A WUWU
– As, because, before, if, since, after, when,
although, whenever, until, while, unless
More introductory elements…

Words like well, yes, no, why:
◦ Well, I guess I’ll join you for dinner.
◦ Yes, I do like grape jam.

After introductory verb phrases:
◦ Reading late into the night, I enjoyed the
peace and quiet.

After a longer prepositional phrase:
◦ From the beginning of our relationship, Jamie
and I have felt a strong connection.
#5 - Set off nonessential clauses
(Parenthetical Words)

Nonessentials add information that is not
CRUCIAL to the sentence. (Interrupters)
◦ The average world temperature, however, has
continued to rise significantly. (nonessential
word)
◦ My great uncle, who is eighty years old, walks
three miles every day. (nonessential clause)

Essential: The woman who interviewed
you is my sister. (clause)
Set off participle phrases
(nonessentials)

(Participle phrases) The president,
knowing the need for dramatic action,
declared the entire state a disaster area.
#6 - With DIRECT quotations

Separate direct quotes from your own
writing.
◦ “Hockey,” explained Hera, “is my favorite
sport.”
#7 – Dates, Cities, and Numbers
December 1, 2011
 2,346,190
 1, 245
 New York, New York
 Chicago, IL
