The Comma
The comma was designed to help readers.
Without it, sentence parts collide into one another
unexpectedly, causing ambiguity for the reader.
You should use a comma in the following situations:
- Before a coordinating conjunction joining independent
clauses
- After an introductory word group
- Between items in a series
- Between coordinate adjectives
- To set off a nonrestrictive element
- To set off transitional and parenthetical expressions,
absolute phrases, and contrasted elements
- To set off nouns of direct address, the words
"yes" and "no", interrogative tags, and mild
interjections
- To set off direct quotations introduced with
expressions such as "he said"
- With dates, addresses, titles
Don't use a comma:
- Between compound elements that are not independent
clauses
- To separate a verb from its subject
- Between cumulative adjectives
- To set of restrictive elements
- After a coordinating conjunction
- After "such as" or "like"
- Before "than"
- Before a parenthesis
- To set off an indirect (reported) quotation
- With a question mark or an exclamation point
Go to The
Comma for details and examples on comma
usage.
Confident you can use a comma appropriately? Try
this exercise.
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