COMMA

S
ADRIANA AGUADO COCHEZ

ENGLISH COMPOSITION

BEFORE COORDINATING CONJUCTIONS

THAT JOIN INDEPENDENT CLAUSES
TO SET OFF INTRODUCTORY ELEMENTS
TO SET OFF NONRESTRICTIVE MODIFIERS
AND APPOSITIVES
BETWEEN ITEMS IN A SERIES
BETWEEN COORDINATE ADJECTIVES
TO SET OFF PARENTHETICAL ELEMENTS
TO SET OFF ELEMENTS OF CONTRAST, TAG
SENTENCES, AND WORDS OF DIRECT
ADDRESS
WITH NUMBERS, DATES, NAMES, AND
ADDRESSES

BEFORE COORDINATING CONJUCTIONS

THAT JOIN INDEPENDENT CLAUSES
The basic rule: When two complete sentences are joined
by a conjunction (most often and, but, or or), place a
comma before that conjunction.
E.g: We arrived early, and no one else was there.
We looked through the church, but we did not see
anyone.
We could wait to see if anyone else came, or we could go
back home
Omitting the comma before the conjunction is one
of the 20 most common grammatical errors.

TO SET OFF INTRODUCTORY ELEMENTS

An introductory element can be a clause, expression,
or phrase that introduces the main clause. When
speaking, these usually require a pause
E.g: Running, he tripped over the grandmas garden
when he started to talk, I felt asleep
Running toward third base, he suddenly realized how
stupid he looked
A comma is not required for a short
introductory phrase, but it is usually added for
clarity.

TO SET OFF NONRESTRICTIVE

MODIFIERS AND APPOSITIVES
This is a big one-perhaps the most important rule of
commas
"Non-restrictive" means basically that the phrase or clause is
not necessary to the meaning of the sentence.
The most common application of this rule is with
"who" and "which" clauses: Our dog Duke, who is the
sweetest dog in the world, is addicted to cats food
An appositive is a word or phrase that renames the noun
directly preceding it.
structure: noun, non-essential appositive, rest of sentence.
Adriana, the author of this presentation, is from Monteria
Mexico City, the biggest city in the world, has many
interesting archaeological sites

BETWEEN ITEMS IN A SERIES

Separate a series containing three or more equally
important words, phrases, or clauses with commas.
The last item should also have a coordinating
conjunction preceding it.
E.g: Monterias summer is short, sunny, and windy.

Misusing commas with items in a series...

Incorrect: In the picnic basket were, fresh bread, cold
chicken, and three bottles of wine.
Correct: In the picnic basket were fresh bread, cold
chicken,
and
three
bottles
of
wine.

BETWEEN COORDINATE ADJECTIVES

Use coordinating conjunctions or commas to separate
two or more adjectives that modify the same noun. if
we can change the order of the adjectives without
changing the meaning they are coordinate adjectives.
E.g: That man is a selfish, annoying, egocentric idiot
In order to get home, we must travel over several
narrow, winding, treacherous roads.
narrow, winding, and treacherousare coordinate
adjectives
Any of those adjectives would sound fine between
those words ("the narrow and winding roads" or "the
winding and treacherous roads")

TO SET OFF PARENTHETICAL ELEMENTS

Is any sentence element that interrupts the
forward movement of a clause
E.g: He cannot, however, hope to defeat a
popular politician.
However, he cannot hope to defeat a popular
politician.
He cannot hope to defeat a popular politician,
however.

 TO SET OFF ELEMENTS OF CONTRAST: When words,

phrases, or clauses are used to show a sharp contrast
or what is not, place a comma between the elements.
E.g: He is from Colombia, not from Venezuela.
TAG SENTENCES: is a short sentence that conveys an
opinion and is placed at the end of the main sentence,
place a comma between the main sentence and the tag
sentence.
E.g: We have two more weeks of class, I think
WORDS OF DIRECT ADDRESS: When directly
addressing someone or a group, set it off with commas
Structures: (direct address),(main clause): children, be
quiet.
(portion of main clause), (direct address), (rest of main
clause).
When you're finished shuffling the cards, Betty, let me
know

 WITH NUMBERS: In numbers of more than three

digits, use a comma after every third digit from right to
left. Numbers which normally do not take commas are
ZIP codes, phone numbers, page numbers, serial
numbers, house numbers, and dates of years
DATES: Use a comma to separate the day of the
month from the year and after the year.
E.g: Kathleen met her husband on December 1, 2003,
in Mill Valley, California
NAMES: Use commas before or surrounding the name
or title of a person directly addressed
E.g: Will you, Bill, do that assignment for me? Yes,
Doctor, I will.
ADDRESSES: Use a comma to separate each part of
an address that has two or more parts.
E.g: Write me in care of Post Office Box 203, Shelton,
Connecticut 06484.

LETS PRACTICE:
PLACE THE COMMAS
As you edit, make sure you have used
commas in the correct place.

WARNING!!

The ice storm last week

caused many tree limbs to fall
on power lines and many
people
were
without
electricity for days. COMMAS
The ice storm last week
caused many tree limbs to
fall on power lines, and
many people were without
electricity for days.

BEFORE
CONJUCTION

The street was filled with

angry protestors shouting
spectators and police.
The street was filled with
angry protestors, shouting
spectators, and police.

COMMAS
BETWEEN
ITEMS IN A
SERIE

We knew the roads were

becoming treacherous yet
dread having to announce
that schools would be
closed the next day.COMMAS
We knew the roads were
becoming treacherous, yet
dread having to announce
that schools would be closed
the next day.

BEFORE
CONJUCTION
S

John Wayne who appeared

in over 200 movies was the
biggest box-office attraction
of his time.
John
Wayne,
who
appeared in over 200
movies,
was
the
biggest
box-office
attraction of his time.

COMMAS TO
SET OFF
NONRESTRICTI
VE MODIFIERS

Norman Mailers first novel

The Naked and the Dead
was a best-seller.

Norman

Mailers

first

novel, The Naked and

the Dead, was a bestseller.

APPOSITIVES

Because my landlord would

not turn on the heat
I
refused to pay the rent.

Because
my
landlord
would not turn on the
heat, I refused to pay
the rent.

COMMAS TO
SET OFF
INTRODUCTOR
Y ELEMENTS

Evolution as far as we
know does not work this
way.
Evolution, as far as we
know, does not work
this way.

COMMAS TO
SET OFF
PARENTHETICA
L ELEMENTS

The Least Successful Car

In 1957[,] Ford produced the car of the decade--the Edsel. Half
of the models sold proved to be spectacularly defective. If
lucky[,] the proud owner of an Edsel could enjoy any or all of
the following features: doors that wouldn't close[,] hoods and
trunks that wouldn't open[,] batteries that went dead[,]
horns that stuck[,] hubcaps that dropped off[,] paint that
peeled[,] transmissions that seized up[,] brakes that failed[,]
and push buttons that couldn't be pushed even with three
people trying. In a stroke of marketing genius[,] the Edsel[,]
one of the largest and most lavish cars ever built[,] coincided
with rising public interest in economy cars. As Time
magazine reported[,] "It was a classic case of the wrong car
for the wrong market at the wrong time." Never popular to
begin with[,] the Edsel quickly became a national joke. One
business writer at the time likened the car's sales graph to an
extremely dangerous ski slope. He added that so far as he
knew there was only one case of an Edsel ever being stolen.

THANK YOU