How To Use Commas In A Sentence
Never put a comma in front of the first item on the list.
How to use commas in a sentence. When you re describing something with two or more adjectives you can use a comma between them if those adjectives are coordinating. Because is a slightly different animal. Commas customarily indicate a brief pause. Use commas to separate coordinate adjectives. They re also useful if you have several other commas in the sentence to help avoid confusion.
Its job is straightforward it introduces a clause of purpose a clause beginning with because answers the question why there s usually no comma before because. We re going to eat albert. When an adverbial phrase begins a sentence it s often followed by a comma but it doesn t have to be especially if it s short. My estate goes to my husband son daughter in law and nephew. You can also use a comma with a shorter phrase when you want to emphasize it or add a pause for literary effect.
You need commas between each item on the list with one important exception. He hit the ball dropped the bat and ran to first base you may have learned that the comma before the and is unnecessary which is fine if you re in control of things. Adding a comma can change the meaning of a sentence. We use commas while combining multiple phrases in one sentence or writing about different items in a list. Use a comma to separate the elements in a series three or more things including the last two.
In a long sentence you can use commas to separate. Because when you say and you ve already separated the last two items. As a rule of thumb if the phrase is longer than about four words use the comma. Use commas to separate words phrases or clauses that appear in a series of three or more because the storm had knocked out the electricity we spent the evening telling ghost stories on the porch. When to use a comma before or.
They re not as final as periods. But if you want to throw an extra comma there you re welcome to do so. The comma in front of the word and is optional. We re eating with albert.