Since I made such a stink about it, let’s start with this rule:
- Use a comma between items in a series or list.
- Use a comma between two independent clauses separated by a conjunction.
- Use a comma between two adjectives preceding a noun.
- Your Mission.
What are the most important comma rules?
Comma Rules
- Use commas to separate independent clauses when they are joined by any of these seven coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet.
- Use commas after introductory a) clauses, b) phrases, or c) words that come before the main clause.
What is the general rule for using a comma?
Use commas to separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses written in a series. Use commas to separate two or more coordinate adjectives that describe the same noun. Be sure never to add an extra comma between the final adjective and the noun itself or to use commas with non-coordinate adjectives.
What is the 4 comma rule?
COMMA RULE #4 – THE COMMA WITH INTRODUCTORY WORDS: Place a comma after introductory phrases that tell where, when, why, or how.
How many comma rules are there?
Most people have no clue there are eight comma rules. There really are only eight! And no, one does not involve putting a comma in when you naturally pause. Maybe if you are transcribing speech… but even then there’s a 99.9% chance that’s incorrect placing.
Why do people use 3 commas?
It is online slang, generally used to indicate a more emphasized trail-off, somewhat like a mixture between an ellipsis and comma, like you’d hear after saying “anyhow”.
What are common comma mistakes?
Writers commonly use commas before the second conjunction in the pair, but they shouldn’t. For example: “She not only completed the race, but also set a record.” This is actually incorrect. It should be: “She not only completed the race but also set a record.” The same is true for ‘either/or’ sentences.
What is the Oxford comma rule?
The Oxford comma is the comma placed before the conjunction at the end of a list of things. For example, in “the flag was red, white, and blue”, the Oxford comma would be the one appearing before “and”. Proponents of the Oxford comma say it’s necessary for removing ambiguity in sentences.
What are the 5 primary uses of a comma?
Separating the main elements of a sentence from each other. Setting off a parenthetical element from the rest of the sentence. Separating elements in a series. Setting off dialogs or quotations.
Do you need a comma after 3 things?
Commas should be used when three or more items in a series are listed. A comma should be placed between each of the three items (it is also acceptable to leave out the comma between the second-to-last item and the last item in the series). Items in the series may consist of a word, clause, or phrase.
Is the Oxford comma always correct?
Are Oxford commas grammatically correct? Contrary to what most students believe, the Oxford comma isn’t grammatically correct. But that doesn’t mean it’s wrong to use it. Instead, it’s grammatically optional.
What are examples of comma?
Example: My teacher, however, did not believe my excuse. or My teacher did not believe my excuse, however. 2. Lists This comma rule applies to sentences where a series or list of items is given: Example: I went to the store to buy milk, eggs, and bread. or I went to the store to buy milk, eggs and bread.
How do you use three commas in a sentence?
The Little, Brown Compact Handbook, 5th ed., states that a comma must be used between “three or more items of equal importance. These items may be words, phrases, or clauses.” The book does not specify about conjunctions, but it does mention that some writers might omit the final comma.
What is the 3rd comma called?
The Oxford comma is, you guessed it, a comma! It’s placed in a series of three or more items before the coordinating conjunction. (You’ll also see it called a series comma or a serial comma.) It can be used in both “and” and “or” lists as the last comma separating a series of items.
Why do you put 3 dots after a sentence?
An ellipsis, or ellipses in the plural form, is a punctuation mark of three dots (. . .) that shows an omission of words, represents a pause, or suggests there’s something left unsaid.
How do you know if a comma is unnecessary?
You should also be careful that you aren’t using commas unnecessarily around information that is essential to the sentence. The comma rule is that non-essential information should be set off with commas, but essential information should not.
Which of the comma rules is the most widely misused?
The Unnecessary Comma
This mistake is everywhere. A comma should never separate a verb from its direct object, separate paired elements joined by a coordinating conjunction, or come between an independent clause and its dependent clause.
What are two situations when a comma is not appropriate?
Some writers omit the comma if the clauses are both quite short: Example: I paint and he writes. Rule 3c. If the subject does not appear in front of the second verb, a comma is generally unnecessary.
What’s the difference between an Oxford comma and a regular comma?
What is an Oxford comma? To give the Oxford comma its technical definition, it is a comma used before the final conjunction in a list of three or more items. When you’re writing a list, you naturally include commas to separate each item, but an Oxford comma is when you also put a comma before the “and [Final Item]”.
Why don’t we use the Oxford comma anymore?
Why don’t they use it? Many opponents of the Oxford comma claim that it makes a piece of writing sound more pretentious and stuffy, and that it can make things seem cluttered and redundant. Many magazine publishers renounce its use as well, because sentences loaded with commas take up valuable page space.
Why is the Oxford comma controversial?
This practice is controversial and is known as the serial comma or Oxford comma, because it is part of the house style of Oxford University Press.” There are cases in which the use of the serial comma can avoid ambiguity, and also instances in which its use can introduce ambiguity.