Commas in English

The main rule for the use of commas in English is: Keep your sentences clear. Too many commas might be distracting; too few might make the text difficult to read and understand. Always check your texts on readability. This requires some practice, however, as first you must know which commas are necessary and which are optional. The following chapters contain explanations on English comma rules Commas with Numbers Use commas to separate off the thousands and millions in compound numbers. Example: 3,460,759 Dont use commas in decimals. Example: $3.49 Use a comma before the year if the date is given as follows: month, day, year. Example: April 16, 2003 Dont use a comma if only two elements of the date are given (e.g. month and year). Example: I was born in May 1972.

Commas with Salutations Use a comma if the sentence starts with an address to someone. Example: Greg, can I talk to you for a second? Use a comma with salutations in private letters. Example: Dear Francis, Dont use a comma with salutations in business letters. Use a colon in American English and no punctuation mark in British English.

Example: BE Dear Mr Jefferson AE Dear Mr. Jefferson: After the greeting, the comma is optional. Example: Sincerely, Sincerely

Commas with Geographic Places Use a comma to separate parts of geographic places. The final comma is optional. Example: Hollywood, Ireland(,) is not as famous as Hollywood, California. Use a comma to separate parts of an address in a sentence. Example: His address is 46 Baker Street, London, NW2 2LK, Great Britain.

Commas with please Use a comma if please is at the end of a request. Example: Send me a mail, please. Dont use a comma if please is at the beginning of a request. Example: Please send me a mail.

Commas with Affirmatives, Negatives and Question Tags Use a comma after yes and no. Example: Yes, I can help you. Use a comma before question tags. Example: You are Scottish, arent you? You arent Scottish, are you?

Commas with Adjectives Use a comma if the adjectives are equally important and give similar kinds of information. Example: It was a cold, windy morning. Dont use a comma if the adjectives are not equally important or give different kinds of information. Example: He was a clever young man. Note: To check if adjectives give similar kinds of information or not, put and between the adjectives. (It was a cold and windy morning.) If adjectives give different kinds of information, the and between the adjectives doesn't sound right. (He was a clever and young man.)

Commas with Adverbs Use a comma after certain adverbs: however, in fact, therefore, nevertheless, moreover, furthermore, still, instead, too (meaning 'also'). Example: Therefore, he didn't say a word. If these adverbs appear in the middle of a sentence, they are enclosed in commas. Example: The thief, however, was very clever. The comma is optional for the following adverbs: then, so, yet. Example: So, she entered the house. So she entered the house.

Commas with Enumerations Use a comma to separate items in an enumeration. Example: Old McDonald had a pig, a dog, a cow, a horse.

The comma before and is optional. (Choose the option you like best and stick to it.) Example: Old McDonald had a pig, a dog, a cow and a horse. Old McDonald had a pig, a dog, a cow, and a horse. Dont use a comma before and if two items are a unit (Ham and eggs as a dish is a unit and should therefore not be separated by a comma.) Example: Old McDonald had soup, ham and eggs and apple pie for dinner. Old McDonald had soup, ham and eggs, and apple pie for dinner. Dont use a comma if all items in an enumeration are separated by and, or, nor etc. Example: Old McDonald had a pig and a dog and a cow and a horse. Old McDonald had a pig or a dog or a cow or a horse. Old McDonald neither had a pig nor a dog nor a cow nor a horse.

Commas between Main Clauses Use a comma between two main clauses which are separated by and or but. Example: We ran out of fuel, and the nearest petrol station was 5 miles away. Use a comma to separate parts of a sentences in a sequence. Example: She ran down the stairs, opened the door, saw her boyfriend(,) and gave him a kiss. Dont use a comma if these parts of the sentence are separated by and or but. Example: She ran down the stairs and opened the door and saw her boyfriend and gave him a kiss. Note: Dont use a comma, but a semi colon, if two main clauses are not separated by and or but. Example: She ran down the stairs; she opened the room.

Commas with Conditional Sentences Use a comma if the if clause is at the beginning of the sentence. Example: If I go to London, I will visit the Tower. Dont use a comma if the if clause is at the end of the sentence. Example: I will visit the Tower if I go to London.

Commas with Direct Speech Use a comma after the introductory clause. Example: She said, I was in London last year. Sie sagte: Letztes Jahr war ich in London. If the direct speech is at the beginning of the sentence, put the comma before the final quotation mark. (Dont use a full stop here.) Example: I was in London last year, she said. Dont use a comma after direct speech if the direct speech ends with a question mark or exclamation mark. Example: Were you in London last year? he asked. (but: He asked, Were you in London last year?) Great! she replied. (but: She replied, Great!)

Commas with Introductory Clauses Use a comma after introductory infinitive clauses. Example: To improve her English, she practised on ego4u every day. Use a comma after introductory prepositional clauses. Example: Before he went to New York, he had spent a year in Australia. Use a comma after introductory participle clauses. Example: Having said this, he left the room.

Note: In short introductory sentences, the comma is optional and can be dropped.

Commas with Additional Information Use a comma if the additional information is not part of the main statement. Example: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for giving me the opportunity to speak to you today. Note: Depending on the importance attached to it, additional information can be enclosed in brackets, commas or dashes. Brackets not important Connor (Amy's boyfriend) bought the tickets. Commas neutral Connor, Amy's boyfriend, bought the tickets. Dashes emphasised ConnorAmy's boyfriendbought the tickets. Use a comma in relative clauses before who and which if the information is not essential for the understanding of the sentence. Example: Her brother, who lives in Chicago, came to see her. (She has only one brother. He lives in Chicago and came to see her.) Dont use a comma in relative clauses if the information is essential for the understanding of the sentence. Example: Her brother who lives in Chicago came to see her. She has more than one brother. But she was visited by only one of them the brother who lives in Chicago. Dont use a comma if the relative clause starts with that. Example: The book that Im reading now is interesting.

Commas with Opposites Use a comma with opposites, even if they are separated by and or but. Example: It was the father, and not the son, who went to the disco every Friday.

Commas as Means of Readability Commas help to keep the structure of the sentence clear so that the text is easy to read and understand. A text is well structured if the reader knows where to pause. Beispiel: Above, the eagle flew gracefully through the air. Note: Without the comma, the sentence might be confusing for the reader as the first three words can be seen as a unit (Above the eagle ). Of course, the sentence does not work this way, but the reader might have to read the sentence again to get the message. Using a comma after above, the author makes the sentence easier to read and understand.