Ø Use a Comma to Separate Items in a Series (Three Or More)
Commas
Ø Use a comma to separate items in a series (three or more).
Example: We are learning about the jewelry makeup and hairstyles of ancient Egyptians.
We look in books search the Internet and read the information we find.
He ran across the street into the neighbor’s yard and through their bushes.
Ø Use a comma to separate two or more adjectives that precede and modify the same noun.
Example: We studied the ornate mysterious mummy case.
* He wore a black baseball cap.
Exercise A – Insert commas into the following sentences where they are needed.
1. The names Howard Carter and Henry run in my family.
2. Howard Carter was a famous British archeologist.
3. Parents often supply their children with money encouragement and other support.
4. Tutankhamen was a young wealthy king of Egypt.
5. Others said there were no tombs left to be found but Carter never gave up digging searching
and hoping.
6. The discovery of a step buried in the sand mystified thrilled and stunned workers.
7. Soon, they discovered a tomb door with a seal a passageway filled with rubble and another
door engraved with hieroglyphics.
8. Through the first door down the passageway and through the second door they went.
9. They worked with trembling hands beating hearts and alert minds.
10. Among many other things, they found statues chariots and furniture.
11. Scale-model boats ornate chests and game boards greeted their eyes.
12. This splendid rich treasure trove would amaze the world.
Exercise B – Proofread the following paragraph by adding commas.
Sequoyah, whose name is also spelled Sequoya, Sikwayi and Sequoia, was a Cherokee trader silversmith and leader. Because his tribe had no written language, Sequoyah set about creating one unified system of writing. He began this work in 1809. At first, he tried using pictographs similar to the ones used by the ancient Egyptians. In fact, the Maya Aztec Delaware and Chippewa all created hieroglyphic writing systems. Then he began adapting letters from English Greek and Hebrew. By 1821, he had created the first Cherokee alphabet. It had more than eighty characters, which represented the syllables of the Cherokee language. Sequoyah’s new imaginative writing system spread rapidly. Soon the Cherokee were writing letters newspapers and books in their own language.
Commas cont.
Ø Use a comma before the coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so) that joins two independent clauses.
Example: Planets orbit the sun but moons orbit the planets.
What are Jupiter’s moons and when were they discovered.
Ø Use a comma after an introductory or infinitive element.
Example: Amazed we viewed the Andromeda galaxy.
Amazed by what we saw we looked at the massive galaxy.
Because Galileo discovered Jupiter’s four largest moons they are called
Galilean moons.
Beneath a cloudy atmosphere we find the planet Jupiter.
Beneath a cloudy atmosphere with fierce storms and lightning bolts we
find Jupiter.
To see some planets and stars you need a powerful telescope.
Ø Use a comma to prevent misreading.
Example: Soon after we left the observatory.
If you want to join us next time.
Exercise C – Add commas to the following sentences where necessary.
1. If you live north of Cairo or Miami you can see the Big Dipper all year long.
2. Unlike most constellations the Big Dipper never disappears below the horizon.
3. Circumpolar constellations can be seen all year long and the Big Dipper is an example of one.
4. When you know what you’re looking for you can use the Big Dipper to find other constellations.
5. Surprisingly Cepheus, the King, and Cassiopeia can be found near the Big and Little Dippers.
Exercise D – Insert commas into the following paragraph to make it correct.
What are asteroids and where are they found? In some ways asteroids are miniplanets. Some are no wider than a few kilometers but the largest, Ceres, has a diameter of about 600 miles. Although most asteroids are found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter some are on their own.
When an asteroid plunges into Earth’s atmosphere it becomes a meteor. Speeding through the atmosphere these space particles begin to glow with heat. Think about the shooting stars you have seen and recall the brief but exciting flash of light they produce. Many of these meteors burn up in space but a few reach Earth. When they do they are called meteorites.
At times asteroids cross the orbit of planets. To guess what happens in that case you don’t need much imagination. Think about a relatively small object meeting up with a very large one and visualize the result. Of course such crashes are rare.
Commas cont.
Interrupters are words, phrases, or clauses that interrupt the main part of a sentence.
Ø Use commas to set off a noun of direct address—the name of a person being spoken to.
Example: Linda do you know who invented the first computer?
Do you know who invented the first computer Linda?
Do you know Linda who invented the first computer?
Ø Use commas to set off nonessential parts of a sentence.
Example: Charles Babbage an Englishman is viewed as the inventor of the
computer.
ENIAC the first all-electronic computer was built in 1945.
Ø Use commas to set off expressions that interrupt a sentence.
Example: ENIAC was by the way no desktop delight.
At fifty feet in length, it was needless to say a bit large.
Ø Use commas to set off nonessential adjective clauses. *Do NOT use commas if the clause is essential.
Example: ENIAC which contained 18,000 vacuum tubes used a great deal of
energy.
People who used it were always replacing the costly tubes.
The transistor which soon replaced the vacuum tube was much smaller.
Microchips that contained transistors were the next step in computer
development.
Microchips which contained transistors were the next step in computer
development.
Exercise E – Add commas to the following sentences where necessary.
1. Boxing an ancient sport has been around for several thousand years.
2. A Greek mural which is dated 1520 BC shows fighters wearing gloves.
3. The year 688 BC marked the introduction of boxing as an Olympic sport.
4. Despite its glorious past, boxing is nevertheless a controversial sport.
5. The American Medical Association which investigated boxing has called for a total and complete ban of the sport.
6. The repeated blows to the head that a fighter endures damage the brain.
7. Did you know Sammy that since 1940 at least three hundred professional boxers have died of injuries from their sport?
8. Laila Ali Muhammad Ali’s youngest daughter stunned many with her decision to become a professional boxer.
9. Her father who suffers from Parkinson’s disease received many injuries in the ring.
10. The debilitating nature of Ali’s illness Parkinson’s disease has stirred debate over the negative effects of a boxing career.
Commas cont.
Ø Use a comma to set off well, yes, no, first, second, and single-word adjectives that begin a sentence.
Example: Yes I have visited our nation’s capital.
Well it’s one of the most beautiful cities I have seen.
First we saw the Washington Monument.
Ø Use commas to separate the date and year but not the month and year or month and day. When a complete date occurs in middle of a sentence, follow the year with a comma.
Example: We arrived on September 1 1999.
We planned to leave September 8.
We plan to visit sometime in September 1999.
He knew that November 22 1963 was the day JFK died.
He knew that November 1963 was when JFK died.
Ø Use commas to separate parts of a play, a person’s name from his title, city and state, and street and city in a full address (not state and zip code).
Example: The climax occurs in Act 3 scene 5.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a courageous man.
We moved to Venice Italy.
My new address will be 123 School Road Jeannette PA 15644.
Ø Use a comma after the greeting and the closing of a friendly letter but not a professional letter.
Example: Yours truly Love
Dear Aunt Edna Sincerely
To Whom It May Concern Best regards
Ø Use a comma to set off a direct quotation, but omit the commas with indirect quotations.
Example: “This is a beautiful city” Molly remarked.
Janey added “There is so much to do and see here.”
“The museums alone” said Mr. Tanaka “are well worth the trip.”
They all said they were glad they came.
Exercise G – Add missing commas where needed to the following sentences.
1. I read as far as Act 2 scene 6 last night.
2. Tania Swerdlow Ph.D addressed our world history class.
3. Their home is in Taos New Mexico.
4. No I have never seen torch ginger plants in a rain forest.
5. The first moon walk occurred July 20 1969.
6. “That is a sweet dog” said Bobby.
7. Well it’s okay.
8. I will celebrate my 21st birthday party July 12 2015.
9. The restaurant is located at 22 North Main Street Minneapolis Minnesota 36565.
10. “As far as I’m concerned” said Julie “that is the worst book ever written.”
Exercise H – Edit for correct comma usage in the following letter.
Dear Evan
Well it’s been a long time since I’ve written. I’m looking back at your letter dated July, 10 and asking myself, how I could have let so much time go by.
One reason was the trip our family took on August 12 to Phoenix Arizona. First we visited my Great-Uncle Nick. Second we traveled north to the Grand Canyon. Yes it is as awesome as everyone says it is! We even crossed over the border to visit Mesa Verde National Park near Durango Colorado. Tired but happy we arrived home on August 22.
Since I’ve been home I’ve been busy getting ready for soccer season. “Practice hard” says Coach Clark and I have been. Hope all is well with you.
Your pal
Eric