Comma Rules In Writing

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Use a comma if the sentence starts with an address to someone.

Example: Greg, can I talk to you for a second?

Use a comma with salutations in private letters.

Example: Dear Francis,

Don’t use a comma with salutations in business letters. Use a colon in American English and no punctuation mark in British English.

Example:
BE – Dear Mr Jefferson
AE – Dear Mr. Jefferson:

After the greeting, the comma is optional.

Example:
Sincerely,
Sincerely
 

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Commas with Geographic Places
Use a comma to separate parts of geographic places. The final comma is optional.
Example: Hollywood, Ireland(,) is not as famous as Hollywood, California.
Use a comma to separate parts of an address in a sentence.
Example: His address is 46 Baker Street, London, NW2 2LK, Great Britain.
 

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Commas with “please”
Use a comma if “please” is at the end of a request.
Example: Send me a mail, please.
Don’t use a comma if “please” is at the beginning of a request.
Example: Please send me a mail.
 

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Commas with Affirmatives, Negatives and Question Tags
Use a comma after “yes” and “no”.
Example: Yes, I can help you.
Use a comma before question tags.
Example: You are Scottish, aren’t you?
 

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Commas with Adjectives
Use a comma if the adjectives are equally important and give similar kinds of information.
Example: It was a cold, windy morning.
Don’t use a comma if the adjectives are not equally important or give different kinds of information.
Example: He was a clever young man.

Note:

  • To check if adjectives give similar kinds of information or not, put and between the adjectives. (It was a cold and windy morning.)
  • If adjectives give different kinds of information, the and between the adjectives doesn't sound right. (He was a clever and young man.)
 

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Commas with Adverbs
Use a comma after certain adverbs: however, in fact, therefore, nevertheless, moreover, furthermore, still, instead, too (meaning 'also').
Example: Therefore, he didn't say a word.
If these adverbs appear in the middle of a sentence, they are enclosed in commas.
Example: The thief, however, was very clever.
The comma is optional for the following adverbs: then, so, yet.
Example:
So, she entered the house.
So she entered the house.
 

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Commas with Enumerations
Use a comma to separate items in an enumeration.
Example: Old McDonald had a pig, a dog, a cow, a horse.
The comma before “and” is optional. (Choose the option you like best and stick to it.)
Example:
  • Old McDonald had a pig, a dog, a cow and a horse.
  • Old McDonald had a pig, a dog, a cow, and a horse.
Don’t use a comma before “and” if two items are a unit (“Ham and eggs” as a dish is a unit and should therefore not be separated by a comma.)
Example:
  • Old McDonald had soup, ham and eggs and apple pie for dinner.
  • Old McDonald had soup, ham and eggs, and apple pie for dinner.
Don’t use a comma if all items in an enumeration are separated by “and”, “or”, “nor” etc.
Example:
  • Old McDonald had a pig and a dog and a cow and a horse.
  • Old McDonald had a pig or a dog or a cow or a horse.
  • Old McDonald neither had a pig nor a dog nor a cow nor a horse.
 

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Commas between Main Clauses
Use a comma between two main clauses which are separated by and or but.
Example: We ran out of fuel, and the nearest petrol station was 5 miles away.
Use a comma to separate parts of a sentences in a sequence.
Example: She ran down the stairs, opened the door, saw her boyfriend(,) and gave him a kiss.
Don’t use a comma if these parts of the sentence are separated by and or but.
Example: She ran down the stairs and opened the door and saw her boyfriend and gave him a kiss.
Note: Don’t use a comma, but a semi colon, if two main clauses are not separated by and or but.
 

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Commas with Conditional Sentences
Use a comma if the if clause is at the beginning of the sentence.
Example: If I go to London, I will visit the Tower.
Don’t use a comma if the if clause is at the end of the sentence.
Example: I will visit the Tower if I go to London.
 

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Commas with Direct Speech
Use a comma after the introductory clause.
Example: She said, “I was in London last year.”
If the direct speech is at the beginning of the sentence, put the comma before the final quotation mark. (Don’t use a full stop here.)
Example: “I was in London last year,” she said.
Don’t use a comma after direct speech if the direct speech ends with a question mark or exclamation mark.
Example:
  • “Were you in London last year?” he asked. (but: He asked, “Were you in London last year?”)
  • “Great!” she replied. (but: She replied, “Great!”)
 

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Commas with Introductory Clauses
Use a comma after introductory infinitive clauses.
Example: To improve her English, she practised on ego4u every day.
Use a comma after introductory prepositional clauses.
Example: Before he went to New York, he had spent a year in Australia.
Use a comma after introductory participle clauses.
Example: Having said this, he left the room.
Note: In short introductory sentences, the comma is optional and can be dropped.
 

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Commas with Additional Information
Use a comma if the additional information is not part of the main statement.
Example: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for giving me the opportunity to speak to you today.
Note:
  • Depending on the importance attached to it, additional information can be enclosed in brackets, commas or dashes.
  • Brackets – not important
  • Connor (Amy's boyfriend) bought the tickets.
  • Commas – neutral
  • Connor, Amy's boyfriend, bought the tickets.
  • Dashes – emphasised
  • Connor–Amy's boyfriend–bought the tickets.
Use a comma in relative clauses before who and which if the information is not essential for the understanding of the sentence.
Example: Her brother, who lives in Chicago, came to see her.(i)
Don’t use a comma in relative clauses if the information is essential for the understanding of the sentence.
Example: Her brother who lives in Chicago came to see her. (i)
Don’t use a comma if the relative clause starts with that.
Example: The book that I’m reading now is interesting.
 

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Commas with Opposites
Use a comma with opposites, even if they are separated by and or but.
Example: It was the father, and not the son, who went to the disco every Friday.
 

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Commas as Means of Readability
Commas help to keep the structure of the sentence clear so that the text is easy to read and understand. A text is well structured if the reader knows where to pause.
Beispiel: Above, the eagle flew gracefully through the air.
Note: Without the comma, the sentence might be confusing for the reader as the first three words can be seen as a unit (“Above the eagle …”). Of course, the sentence does not work this way, but the reader might have to read the sentence again to get the message. Using a comma after “above”, the author makes the sentence easier to read and understand.
 
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