COMMA RULES

  1. Items in a series – Place a comma after each item in a series except the last one.

Reading,writing, and practicing comma rules are the students’ usual English assignments.

  1. Compound sentence – Place a comma before the conjunction in a compound sentence. A compound sentence is made up of two independent clauses joined by a conjunction. Conjunctions are and, but, or, nor, for, so, and yet.

Farmer Jones was cruel to the animals, so they revolted.

  1. Similar adjectives – Place a comma between similar adjectives that modify the same noun.

It was a hot, humid day in the small southern town of Maycomb.

  1. Noun in direct address – Set off with a comma or commas the name of the person to whom you are speaking.

Ponyboy,I asked the nurse to give you this book to finish.

  1. Dates and addresses – Place a comma after each item in a date or address. Exception: Do not place a comma between state and zip code.

I was born on July 4, 1976, in Little Rock, Arkansas.

OR

Send your letter to S. E. Hinton,15Outsiders Ave.,Tulsa,OK 74101.

  1. Introductory prepositional phrases – Place a comma after a long prepositional phrase (four or more words) or a series of prepositional phrases at the beginning of a sentence.

At the beginning of the book, Robert helps a cow give birth to twin calves.

  1. Introductory participial phrase – Place a comma after a participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence.

Hiding in an apple barrel, Jim manages to overhear the pirates’ plans.

  1. Introductory adverb clause – Place a comma after an adverb clause at the beginning of a sentence.

When Johnny killed the soc, he and Ponyboy went into hiding.

  1. Introductory infinitive phrase – Place a comma after an infinitive phrase (To + a verb) at the beginning of a sentence.

To try to save the children, the boys enter the burning building.

  1. Parenthetic expression – Set off an expression like however, nevertheless, consequently, etc. with a comma or commas.

Odysseus tries to return home after the war. However,he encounters many obstacles that prevent him.

  1. Contrasting expression – Set off any contradictory expression that includes not or never with a comma or commas

It was Estella, not Biddy, who captured Pip’s attention.

  1. Nonessential participial phrase – Set off a participial phrase that simply gives extra information rather than essential information.

Robert’s pig, failing to produce offspring, had to be butchered.

  1. Nonessential adjective clause – Set off an adjective clause that simply gives extra information rather than essential information.

Long John Silver, who had posed as a ship’s cook, turned out to be the leader of a pirate gang.

  1. Nonessential appositive – Set off an appositive or appositive phrase that simply gives extra information rather than essential information.

Johnny,the only person Dally really cared for, died after rescuing children from a burning building.

  1. Appositive adjectives – Set off adjectives that follow the noun they modify.

The moors, dark and foggy, was a perfect hide-out for the escaped convict.

  1. Interrupting element – Set off any phrase or clause that interrupts the smooth flow of the sentence.

Robert, after he found his father dead, did his chores before informing his mother and aunt.

  1. Echo question – Set off a question that asks for confirmation at the end of a sentence.

The Outsiders is a good book, isn’t it?

  1. Yes, No, Well, Oh, Why - Set these words off at the beginning of a sentence.

Oh, my favorite character is Pip in Great Expectations.

  1. Closing and greeting in a friendly letter – Set these off with a comma.

Dear Ponyboy, Your buddy, Johnny

  1. Titles and degrees – Set off a title or degree when it follows a name.

Peter Van Dann, Jr., was much more sensible than his uncouth parents.

The Participial Phrase

Participle—a verb form that can be used as an adjective.

  1. Present participles consist of the plain form of the verb plus –ing. [Watching, pouring, waiting]
  2. Past participles consist of the plain form of the verb plus –d or –ed. [peeled, sliced] Other past participles are irregularly formed.

Participial Phrase—a phrase that begins with a participle that acts as an adjective.

Switching its tail, the panther paced. [participial phrase modifies/describes panther]

The Adverb Clause

Adverb clause—a subordinate (secondary) clause that modifies a verb, an adjective, or an adverb.

An adverb clause tells how, when, where, why, how much, to what extent or under what condition the action of the main verb takes place.

  • After I revised my paper, I typed it. [The adverb clause After I revised my paper tells when I typed it.]

An adverb clause will have a subject and a verb within the clause.

  • After I revised my paper, I typed it. [The clause contains a subject I and a verb revised.]