For example, you can insert commas in mid-sentence to interrupt the sentence flow, introduce an aside, or add emphasis. Introductory elements often require a comma, but not always. There is some leeway with prepositional phrases. Not every phrase or clause that appears at the front of a sentence is an adverbial one. However, it's normally not necessary to use a comma if the independent clause comes first: Please call me if you can't make it. sentence with commas. however, hence, indeed, furthermore), follow it with a comma.. Here's an example. You could add one more comma to this sentence, but it isn't required: The rabbit hopped, and then, he ate a carrot. Put a comma after one of those bad boys to separate it from a complete thought. If this is the case, you will need to add a comma or two; however, it's unlikely that the comma will appear after the word but . Examples when no comma is needed— . It always contains a main verb and a grammatical subject (the noun, noun phrase, or pronoun that comes at the very beginning of a . Commas with Introductory Words. The comma rules to help you decide are easy to learn, use, and remember. Once you know the rules, you can make the correct decision every time. But Wait …. Commonsense Grammar And Style By Phillip S. Sparks. Don't use a comma when "then" is at the end of a sentence (time) However, just because the word "then" is at the end of a sentence does not mean there should be a comma before it. The word "So" is a conjunction, when used to join two independent clauses, then use a comma before the conjunction. In the examples above, the serial or Oxford comma appears after the words "showered" and "cards." Some style guides , such as the AP Stylebook, don't require the Oxford comma, but for the most part, using the Oxford comma is a good rule to follow to avoid misreading the . The store closed its doors for good on Wednesday, October 15, 1958. Nonrestrictive (nonessential clauses . Commas—sometimes paired with semicolons—are traditionally used to set off adverbs such as however, therefore, and indeed. I'd need to see a sample sentence before I could offer any opinions about commas after "and"s. Second, using the serial comma - a comma before "and" or "or" in a series of three or more items (a . Commas almost always follow phrases at the beginning of sentences; use the comma to separate the phrase from the independent clause. Correct: Because/Since the city's government has curtailed . But in the example below, no commas are used around the by phrases because the authors' names . Whether or not you put a comma before and depends on how you're using and.There's no single rule that applies to all situations. Rule #10. Note that this is an exception to the general rule that a semicolon is always followed by an independent clause. For example, use the Oxford comma before the last item if you're using a defining phrase applicable only to that final item. The comma should be placed after the first clause and before the coordinating . An example: 1. ; Oxford commas are also known as serial or Harvard commas. If you just have a month and a year or a month and a day, using commas after dates depends on context: Correct: Our wedding in April 1993 was beautiful. I ran short of money, so I borrowed some from my sister. Generally, you should not place a comma before or after "instead.". If there is a . When the day of the week is provided before the month, the day of the week should be followed by a comma. There are exceptions to the convention of not using commas with regular adverbs in mid-sentence. while, before, after, as soon as, until (Murphy 25A-C) Includes examples but no descriptive grammar terms. When connecting a dependent clause, a comma is not required. If Santa Clause was real, he would bring me a new bike. More Examples of Commas Before Conjunctions. The one and only time where a comma works after "Instead" is when we introduce a sentence . That means if a nonessential phrase comes right after the word "and," as it did in the previous sentence, you will see a comma showing up after the word "and." Again, this is technically because the comma needs to go before the nonessential phrase. Also, in this example, the phrase "If I have to type" serves as an introductory element, and therefore, the comma should be placed after "type." Whether in scientific writing or every day correspondence, sentences in which the comma appears after "then" would be of the former type. In addition, they should be preceded by a punctuation mark, though not necessarily a comma. 2. You can also put a comma after the year if the sentence calls for it. If you introduce a sentence with a transition word (e.g. His job title is separated from the rest of the sentence by commas. Consider the below examples of sentences containing properly placed and omitted commas: Short prepositional phrase: A defining phrase is essential to the meaning of the sentence. If you have an introductory word (or two) that is being used as an adverb (usually answers the question of when, where, why, or to what degree), then no comma. There must be a comma before the word and. There are exceptions to the convention of not using commas with regular adverbs in mid-sentence. ; However, the model is not always accurate. in Example 2 if we remove "Manuel Picon" we don't know which former French President we're talking about. a. The word "which" has a few different use cases in the English language. However, they are followed by commas too. Use a pair of commas in the middle of a sentence to set off transition words and phrases as well as clauses that are not essential to the meaning of the sentence. In Example 1, we know exactly who visited the UK, so we add commas around the appositive because it is non-essential. Commas before or after conjunctions. The example phrase is placed directly after the word it modifies. When "then" refers to a point in time, you should not put a comma before it. When the date appears in the middle of a sentence, commas should appear both before and after the year. Examples: I am traveling to Austin, TX to visit my sister. Let's look at some examples of when you need to insert a comma or omit it. How to use thereafter in a sentence. gives a clear rule/suggestion about the usage of comma after the transition words/phrases at the beginning of a sentence.. one should use commas after their transition word or phrase that starts a new sentence.. It seems illogical to put a comma at the end, just because one's in the habit of doing so for adjective-based salutations. A) Use a comma after the state if you spell out the name of the state. We use commas while combining multiple phrases in one sentence or writing about different items in a list. Even when the statement drops the word then, a comma must be used.. If there are no two independent clauses, comma is not used. A comma or a semicolon is placed before for example. The word but isn't the only conjunction that gets a comma before it when it joins two independent clauses. So, that means we need to move the commas: The rabbit hopped, and then he ate a carrot. The standard rule is that when there are more than two items in a series, put a comma after each item except the last item. But if the phrase is longer than four words, use a comma. He is a city councilman. Look at the second example. It is appropriate to use a comma after the date when you are separating the day of the month from the year in a written sentence. This is because it might seem that there is a pause there. A coordinating conjunction is used to connect words, phrases, and clauses. Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives ( We enjoyed the warm, sunny weather ). To follow comma rules, you should probably become familiar with them first. It depends. NOTE: Do not use a comma if the order is reversed (the independent clause comes before the dependent clause), except for cases of extreme contrast. If you are being absolutely, technically correct, a comma should be used to separate two clauses when the clause begun by the subordinating conjunction comes first. The correct commas after date rule is based on what type of date is used in the sentence. If you remove the phrase, the meaning is the same: Life after Life won several book awards.. But, no comma is needed when the abbreviation is used as a name title or prefix, essential sentence element, and suffix. Therefore, it is not an independent clause.) The words mayor of Oakdale tell us something about Tom O'Shea, but if you removed the words from the sentence, it would still . In the example above, the adverb ("psychologically") modifies a single word ("tortured"), so no comma is required. When do you use a comma before or after but? Examples: I am traveling to Austin, Texas, to visit my sister. This is a fight fought even by the editors of John Donne: Then, lest thy love, hate, and me thou undo. Example: I discovered, much to my surprise, that I got the promotion. . It will always have . where some editions skip the comma after "Then" as shown, e.g., in this annotation: Think about this example. For example, when "and" is followed by a phrase beginning with a preposition, such as "for example" or "as you will see", you might think to add a comma after the "and". But if you know the punctuation rules, it's simple. A comma separates words, not letters. Of those four uses, you'll only need to use a comma before . In the following example, commas are used to set off the by phrase because the phrase is not integral to the meaning of the sentence:. Life after Life, by Kate Atkinson, won several book awards.. There are some circumstances that a comma should be used after then: "It is good, then, that you wish to learn more." But your examples aren't such circumstances. After a long introductory prepositional phrase or more than one introductory prepositional phrase. Put a comma after introductory words, phrases, and clauses. Commas with Introductory Phrases. However, as you have already included a comma before the "and" a comma here is unnecessary (and even ugly). If it's being used as a discourse marker, then go ahead and use a comma. The rabbit, hopped, and then, he ate, a carrot. For example: Imbued with common sense, Mark is a great choice for the role. For more on this, plus an example of an instance where a comma is required after the independent clause, take a look at Subordinate Clauses and . Rule: If the dependent clause comes first, you should use a comma. B) Do not use a comma after the state if you use the two letter abbreviated (shortened) version of the state. Examples: Yes, I do need that report. A comma is placed after it. Rule 1 - Use a comma when beginning sentences with introductory words such as well, why, hello, no, yes, etc. After the race, John was exhausted. 5. Therefore, a comma is not required after "sing." The phrase "be classically trained dancers" cannot stand alone as a sentence. This example showcases a sentence structure that is universally considered to be grammatically correct. As you can see, there is a comma after but. (Note: Some publications and teachers do not require use of the comma before the word and when there are more . It all depends on the context. When using then to indicate a sequence of events, either in reporting events or giving instructions, it should not normally have a comma (though there are always exceptions, like there being a parenthetical clause immediately after it). This is Albert Adams's job title. However the model is not always accurate. If your sentence has an interrupter after but, then go ahead and use the comma. Here are a couple of examples: "Someday, I'd like to go on a cruise." — This is incorrect. that is, for example, i.e. With "and" and "or," the same rules apply, as you'll see in the following examples: With a comma (independent clause + independent clause): The rest of the sentence comes after the second comma. ; Commas should be used before and when joining two independent clauses or when compiling a list. Note: When the last comma in a series comes before and or or (after daughter-in-law in the above example), it is known as the Oxford comma.Most newspapers and magazines drop the Oxford comma in a simple series, apparently . A comma is also placed between each item. "if' clause is usually a dependent clause. The store closed its doors for good on Wednesday, October 15, 1958. Example: While I was eating, the cat scratched at the door. The punctuation with an interrupter is meant to offset it from the rest of the sentence. It all depends on the context. Use a comma in the following cases: After an introductory clause. It's almost always optional to put a comma before and in a list.. Comma Before And in Lists. Examples: 1) We are having the party on Oct. 4, 2011, in our backyard. In general, the comma shows that the words immediately before the comma are less closely or exclusively linked grammatically to those immediately after the comma than they might be otherwise. You can hear that the pauses come at the wrong times in this sentence. Use commas after introductory a) clauses, b) phrases, or c) words that come before the main clause. Of those four uses, you'll only need to use a comma before . Is there a comma after a name before JR? Example: When I was younger, I had a cat named Whiskers the Magical Cat. If the appositive is essential to the meaning of the phrase then we don't have commas, i.e. The position of a comma can often reflect the sense in which the word is being used. Dec 19 2008 07:34:42. A lot of people have strong feelings about putting a comma before and in a list. This indicates that the clauses are to be read separately. Commas are needed before coordinating conjunctions, after dependent clauses (when they precede independent clauses), and to set off appositives. "If one cake feeds 5, 2 cakes will feed 10, then". Now, here's the rub. This is because there is a natural pause after "therefore" when it is included in a sentence. Perhaps you have included a list or coordinate adjectives. For example, you can insert commas in mid-sentence to interrupt the sentence flow, introduce an aside, or add emphasis. Some function as adjectives. "If, then" statements require commas to separate the two clauses that result. Next, ask yourself whether the sentence needs a comma for some other reason. Because I was late, I had to sit in the back. Use a comma after transition words and phrases that begin a sentence: however, therefore, on the other hand, for example, etc. Common starter words for introductory clauses that should be followed by a comma include after, although, as, because, if, since, when, while. An independent clause is one that works as a full sentence on its own. Use commas to separate items in a list. Follow "therefore" with a comma. It is used in generally similar ways in other languages, particularly European ones, although the rules on comma usage - and their rigidity . Look at the examples. When the adverb is essential to the meaning of the clause, or if no pause is intended or desired, commas are not needed. In the example above, the adverb ("psychologically") modifies a single word ("tortured"), so no comma is required. In this case, a comma is placed after "then", which separates "then" as an introductory adverb from the rest of the sentence.
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