Help for “Comma Confusion” Six Comma Rules Help for “Comma Confusion”

Debunking the Myth In grade school, teachers often say to put in a comma when you would pause to take a breath. This is not true. Although there are some exceptions, there are rules that govern the use of commas.

Rule #1 Put a comma before for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (coordinating conjunctions) when they connect two independent clauses. We wrote our paragraphs in class today, but the teacher forgot to collect them. We wrote our paragraphs in class today but didn’t turn them in.

Rule #2 Use a comma to separate three or more items in a series. Students in the literature class are reading short stories, poems, and plays. The cluttered back yard needed to be cleaned up. The large, neat, tidy yard looked much better. Remember the “and” test; if it makes sense when you put in “and,” put in a comma.

Rule #2 Continued If an address or date is used in a sentence, put a comma after every item, including the last. I want to visit Florence, Italy, before I get too old to walk. December 7, 1941, is a day that will live in infamy. When only the month and year are used, no commas are needed. The Woodstock Music Festival was held in August 1969.

Rule #3 Put a comma after an introductory expression or before a comment or question tagged onto the end. During her last performance, the actress fell and broke her foot. In fact, she shattered several bones. The new chairs aren’t very comfortable, are they?

Rule #4 Put commas around the name of a person spoken to. Did you know, Danielle, that you left your backpack in the library? Did you know that Danielle left her backpack in the library?

Rule #5 Put commas around expressions that interrupt the flow of the sentence. They will try, however, to use the rest of their time wisely. Today’s exam, I think, was only a practice test.

Rule #5 Continued When a conjunctive adverb comes between two independent clauses, it needs a semicolon before it and a comma after it. The bus was late; however, we still made it to the museum before it closed.

Rule #6 Put commas around additional information that is not needed in a sentence – “scoopable” non-essential clauses and phrases. Hamlet, Shakespeare’s famous play, has been made into a movie many times. Shakespeare’s famous play Hamlet has been made into a movie many times.

If you learn these six comma rules, they will really help you in your writing!