2. Rule #1 Use commas to separate three or
more items in a list or series.
Example: Sally went to the store to purchase eggs, milk, and butter.
Practice (add commas where needed):
1) Soccer hockey and basketball are Timmy’s favorite sports.
2) Lilly wants to order pizza cheese sticks garlic bread and soda for lunch.

3. Rule #2:
Use commas between two independent clauses that are joined by a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS). An independent clause is a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. These are called compound sentences.
Example: Computers can be valuable in education, but many schools cannot afford enough of them.
Practice (add commas where needed):
1) Hockey players have a lot of gear but their most important pieces of equipment are their skates.
2) The quality of the ice affects skating so stadiums take care to maintain their rinks.

4. Rule #3 Use commas to set off appositives
from the rest if the sentence.
An appositive is a word or phrase that identifies or renames a noun or pronoun.
Example: The best middle school around, Highland Middle School, has won many games.
Example: Many other inventors, people from all over the world, added to the growth of radio.
Practice (add commas where needed):
1) The Indians natives of the area made beautiful pottery.
2) Redwoods the giant trees were used for dugout canoes.

5. Use commas to distinguish between items in an address or a date.
Rule #4
Use commas to distinguish
between items in an address or a date.
Example: On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr., gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
Practice (add commas where needed):
1) The war officially began on April when Confederate troops fired upon Fort Sumter South Carolina.
2) Fort Sumter is a national monument at 1214 Middle Street Sullivan’s Island South Carolina

6. Use a comma after the greeting in
Rule #5:
Use a comma after the greeting in
a friendly letter and after the closing of any
letter.
Examples: Dear Danielle, Sincerely, Thank you, Love,
Practice (add commas where needed):
1) Dear Mom
Love
Cindy

7. Rule #6
Use commas to separate a noun of direct address from the rest of the sentence.
(A noun of direct address is a noun that names a person being spoken to in the sentence.)
Example: Sally, did you know that an interior designer can change wallpaper and fabrics on a computer screen?
Practice (add commas where needed):
1) Jim what grade did you get on your vocabulary quiz?
2) Did you know Sally that I got an A!

8. Rule #7
Use commas to set off the exact words of a speaker from the rest of the sentence.
Example: The firefighter reported, “It took two hours to extinguish the fire.”
Practice (add commas where needed):
1) The teacher reminded “Your assignment is due tomorrow.”
2) “Pizza is my favorite meal” Jim declared.

9. Rule #8
Use commas to separate two or more adjectives that equally modify the same noun.
Example: Comfortable, efficient cars are becoming more important to drivers.
Practice (add commas where needed):
1) In the wild crazy years of the 1920’s, radios became very popular.
2) Soon companies were designing radios with beautiful stylish cabinets.

10. Rule #9
Use commas to set off a side remark that adds information or shows a relationship between ideas. Example: To tell the truth, Jan is one of my best friends. HMS, in my opinion, has the best students around. Practice: You don’t need a telescope however to see all the beautiful sights in the sky. English is one of the most important subjects in school I think.

11. Rule #10
Use a comma after yes, no, or any mild exclamation such as well or why.
Examples:
Yes, you may borrow my bike.
Well, I think you are wrong again.
Practice:
Well we can watch a movie or listen to music.
Why it’s Leah!