commas

An introductory element can be
◦ a word, phrase or clause that tells
◦ When, where, how or why the main action of the
sentence occurs



Slowly, Stacy recognized the dangers of her
situation.
In Hawthorne’s novel, the imagery is
symbolic.
Sporting a new pair of running shoes, Logan
prepared for the race.



Exception: if the introductory element is
followed by inverted word order (verb
preceding subject), do not use a comma
unless misreading may occur.
Example: From directly behind my seat came
huge clouds of smoke.
Exception: If the introductory element is
short, you may omit the comma.




Remember FANBOYS: Coordinating
conjunctions are for, and, nor, but, or, yet,
so.
Examples:
The title may sound important, but the
administrative clerk’s job was merely
photocopying.
The show started at last, and the crowd grew
quiet.
EXCEPTION: with very short clauses, writers
sometimes omit the comma before and & or.
USE NO COMMA if one of the clauses is NOT
independent:
 The student wrote the essay and submitted it
to Turnitin.com.
 The student wrote the essay, and he
submitted it to Turnitin.com.



Nonrestrictive elements can be clauses,
phrases and words.
They are nonrestrictive because they do not
limit, or restrict, the meaning of the words
they modify.

How do you know it’s nonrestrictive?
◦ Mentally delete the element.
◦ Then decide whether the deletion changes the
meaning or makes it unclear.
◦ If it does, then the element is restrictive and should
not be set off with commas.
◦ An adjective clause that begins with that is ALWAYS
restrictive and it is not set off with commas.
◦ An adjective clause beginning with which may be
either restrictive or nonrestrictive.




Restrictive: Drivers who have been convicted
of drunk driving should lose their licenses.
Nonrestrictive: The two drivers involved in the
accident, who have been convicted of drunk
driving, should lose their licenses.
Restrictive: The cat that ate the mouse is a
deadly predator.
Nonrestrictive: The cat which belongs to the
Nora family is a deadly predator.


Adverb clauses begin with when, where,
because, although or before.
Do not set them off with commas unless they
precede the independent clause or begin with
although, even though, while or another
conjunction expressing contrast.



Nonrestrictive: The city renovated Welles
Park, which soon became a popular gathering
place.
Contrast: The park soon became a popular
gathering place, although some nearby
residents complained about the noise.
Restrictive: The claim that men like to play
video games is not a myth.


Prepositional phrases are usually restrictive
but sometimes are not essential to the
meaning of the sentence and are therefore
set off with commas.
Examples of nonrestrictive phrases:
◦ Stephanie, amazed, started at the strange vehicle.
◦ Many Baby Boomers, fearing that Social Security
funds will run out, are saving for retirement
through company investment plans.
◦ The bodyguards, in dark suits and ties, looked quite
intimidating.

Examples of nonrestrictive appositives:
◦ Mrs. Nora, a high school English teacher, enjoys
reading novels.
◦ The cat, a purebred Siamese, attacked the bird.

Examples of restrictive appositives:
◦ The editorial cartoonist Thomas Nash helped
destroy the Tweed ring in New York City.
◦ Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro was
revolutionary.


Exception: When items in a series contain
commas of their own or other punctuation,
separate them with semicolons rather than
commas.
Coordinate adjectives, those that relate
equally to the noun they modify, should be
separated by commas:
◦ The long, twisting, muddy road led to a shack in the
woods.
These are sometimes called interrupters.
Examples:
 Some studies, incidentally, have shown that
chocolate, of all things, helps prevent tooth
decay.
 Roald Dahl’s stories, it turns out, were often
inspired by his own childhood.
 Ceiling fans are, moreover, less expensive
than air conditioners.




Contrasting elements: On official business it
was she, not my father, one would usually
hear on the phone.
Interjections: Holy cats, who wouldn’t want to
win the lottery?
Direct address: My friends, I ask you for your
vote.
Tag questions: The governor did not veto the
crime bill, did she?




Dates: Use a comma between the day of the week
and the month, between the day of the month
and the year, and between the year and the rest
of the sentence, if any.
Addresses and place-names: Use a comma after
each part of an address or place name, including
the state if no zip code is given. Do not use a
comma before a zip code.
Titles: Use commas to set off a title such as M.D.,
Ph.D., Esq. from the name preceding it.
Numbers: In numbers of five digits or more, use
a comma between each group of three digits,
starting from the right.

A commas following a quotation mark goes inside the
closing quotation mark.
◦ “All I know about grammar,” said Joan Didion, “is its infinite
power.”

Do not use a comma after a question mark or an
exclamation point.
◦ “What are you bringing to the party?” asked Jill.
◦ “You’re fired!” said Donald Trump.

Do not use a comma to introduce a quotation with
that.
◦ Ralph Waldo Emerson said that “imitation is suicide.”

Do not use a comma with a quotation when the rest
of the sentence includes more than the words used to
introduce or identify the source of the quotation.
◦ People who say “no problem” instead of “you’re welcome”
irritate me.