Rick Shur

Rules for Using Commas page 1 of 4

1. Use a comma before the eight coordinating conjunctions

and, or, so, but, nor, yet, for, although
if they connect two complete sentences with subject and verb:

He came early, but she came late.

She bought a computer, although she didn't know how to use it.
He was hungry, yet he didn't eat anything.
I was hungry, and I wanted to eat right away.
She was mad at me, so she refused to discuss it.
He washed the windows, or he swept the floor.
I didn't want to sing, nor did I want to dance.
I was ready to leave, for there was nothing to do there.

Don't use a comma before coordinating conjunctions if they

don't connect two complete sentences with subject and verb:

He came early and left late.

I was hungry and wanted to eat.
He washed the windows or swept the floor.

2. Use a comma after any transition word or phrase that comes before the subject:

Every day, his mother calls him up.

However, he doesnt usually pick up the phone when she calls.
Even so, she calls without fail and leaves a message asking him to call her back.

3. Use a comma after a subordinate clause that comes before a main clause:

A subordinate clause has a subject and verb but is not a complete sentence. It adds information to
another clause, the main clause. It often tells when or why or under what circumstances:

When she calls, he doesnt usually pick up the phone.

(when she calls tells when he doesnt pick up the phone)

Because she's Albanian, she wants freedom from Serbia.

(because she's Albanian tells why she wants independence)

If it rains, we'll see a movie.

(if it rains tells under what circumstances we'll see a movie)

Even though I had a test the following day, I went to a movie.

(even though I had a test... tells under what circumstances I went to the movie)

[ESLprof.com/handouts/Info/commas.doc]
 Rick Shur

Rules for Using Commas page 2 of 4

A subordinate clause can go BEFORE or AFTER a main clause.

Don't use a comma if the clause comes after the main clause:

She wants freedom from Serbia because she's Albanian.

He doesnt usually pick up the phone when she calls.
We'll see a movie if it rains.
I went to a movie even though I had a test the following day.

4. Use a comma around information that separates the subject from its verb or that adds extra
specifications or examples.
(The phrases, often called inserts, dont have a verb.)

added description
New Hampshire, a state with many tall mountains, is my home.

extra identification
My father, a good doctor, took care of all my cousins.

added name
My son, Rick, is home from college but not my son, Tom.

added specification or examples

We eat a lot of fruit, especially apples and pears.
We played a lot of sports, like soccer and volleyball.
She did a lot of office jobs, such as typing and filing.
Many people, including actors and politicians, have no privacy.

NOTE: For example is a transition phrase, and it should be used to start a new sentence, not for an insert
like those above:

We played a lot of sports. For example, we played volleyball every afternoon and soccer every
Saturday.

added opinion
The teacher, not a friendly man, gave us homework every night.

Some transition words and phrases (#2, above) can be alternately used as inserts:

Her daughter likes meat. Her son, however, won't eat it.

She was cleaning the patio. Her brother, in the meantime, was in the basement making a chair.

The company lost money. His salary, therefore, was not going to go up any time soon.

[ESLprof.com/handouts/Info/commas.doc]
 Rick Shur

Rules for Using Commas page 3 of 4

5. Use commas around extra information words that include a verb (relative clauses) that could be
removed from a sentence without changing or losing its basic meaning:

Professor Smith, who teaches the evening class, is on a leave of absence.

Central Park, which was built by Olmsted, is one of the worlds most venerated parks.

The above relative clauses are nonrestrictive because they are not needed to identify (restrict) which
professor or which park you are talking about. They simply add extra information.

The following are restrictive relative clauses because they are needed to identify which kind of thing
or person you are talking about. There are no commas in these cases:

restrictive We want to hire an English professor who will listen to the students.
non-restrictive My English professor, who is very considerate and caring, is going to leave school soon.

restrictive I'd like to visit a park that has a zoo and picnic areas.
non-restrictive I like to visit Central Park, which has a zoo and picnic areas.

6. Use a comma to between two elements when one element is contained in the second one:
Put the smaller element before the larger one. (city, country or day, year)

I come from Kokomo, Indiana. He's from Cali, Colombia.

I came to the US in May, 1989. He was born on June 10, 1934.

7. Use a comma to separate items in a list.

You may put a comma before and at the end of the list. [Its not required, but many publishers do it
when they feel it is useful for clarity.]

BAD *I like all kinds of fruit, including bananas, pears, apples, peaches.
GOOD I like all kinds of fruit, including bananas, pears, apples[,] and peaches.

Lists of nouns must always have a final and, even if the list has only two items:
BAD: *I eat a lot of fruit, such as apples, peaches.
GOOD: I eat a lot of fruit, such as apples and peaches.

List of adjectives that come before a noun do not need an and.

GOOD I want to meet a quiet, friendly man.

ALSO OK I want to meet a quiet and friendly man.

GOOD I want to meet a man who is quiet and friendly.

NOT OK! *I want to meet a man who is quiet, friendly.

[ESLprof.com/handouts/Info/commas.doc]
 Rick Shur

Rules for Using Commas page 4 of 4

Exercise: Tell which rule (1-7) is responsible for the comma:

___ 1. I have a generous aunt, who sends me money regularly.

___ 2. My uncle, a jolly fellow, gives good advice.

___ 3. Fortunately, my car was insured.

___ 4. He gave a sigh of relief, and he picked up the package.

___ 5. He comes from Paris, France.

___ 6. You should visit London, Paris, Rome and Belgrade.

___ 7. When you get to New York, you should visit me.

___ 8. San Francisco, the most beautiful city in the US, is where my brother lives.

___ 9. We entered the war on December 7, 1941.

___ 10. We took him to court, which turned out to be the worst decision we had ever made.

___ 11. Because you are only 18, you can't buy a drink with us.

___ 12. Once in a while, I have a beer with dinner.

___ 13. The camp offers swimming, camping, water skiing and tennis.

___ 14. He called her every morning, but she never came to the phone.

(Put in ALL necessary commas and for each sentence put the TWO different rules that you used.)

____ ____ 15. One day I told her that she was losing her mind but she paid no attention to me.

____ ____ 16. If you see her tell her that I need paper clips pens pencils and White Out.

____ ____ 17. My neighbor an annoying old man always complains when I play loud music after 9 PM
but I don't pay any attention to him.

____ ____ 18. She comes from Belgrade Serbia so she speaks Serbian.

____ ____ 19. Before she has lunch she usually cleans the kitchen and yesterday was no exception.

____ ____ 20. My teacher who always has a smile on her face started working here in May 1998.

[ESLprof.com/handouts/Info/commas.doc]