Rules of the Comma Essay

Submitted By KakaPoopooDoodoo
Words: 564
Pages: 3
Open Document
Comma Usage
By Vivian Sinou

06/11/15

Rule 1: Commas are needed to separate items in a series
The dinner included an appetizer soup
, or salad and
, dessert.
I enjoy running ,cycling ,and hiking.
My job is challenging ,educational and
,
rewarding.
 Note: This rule applies to three or more items.

Rule 2: Place a comma between two descriptive words only if they are interchangeable. She is a bright , intelligent woman.
It was a beautiful,sunny day.
He has a small red car.
(small and red are not interchangeable)

Rule 3: The comma separates an introductory phrase from the
rest
According
Dr. Smith lack
, of physical of thetosentence.

activity will affect your total physique.
In my view ,television is the major cause of youth violence.
Judging from her looks I figured she must
,
be about twenty years old.

Rule 4: If you begin a sentence with a dependent word, make sure you complete it by separating the first part from the second with a comma.
 After I graduated from high school, I attended an American Language School in Athens.
 When we finish this presentation , you will have a chance to practice these rules.
 Since it was snowing heavily , classes were cancelled. Remember these dependent words:
 After
 Although
 As
 As if
 Because
 Before
 Being
 Even if

 Even though
 If
 Since
 Unless
 Until
 When
 Whenever
 While

Every time you start a sentence with one of these dependent words, you must separate the first part of the sentence second with a comma., I
from
Afterthe
I reviewed the curriculum decided to discuss the matter with a counselor. Rule 5: Set off by commas words or phrases that interrupt the flow of the rest of the sentence.
Hemingway, a_____________________ sentimental man, hardly ever threw anything away.
_______, is very eccentric.
My sister, Anna

Rule 6: Use a comma to separate two complete sentences joined with any these connecting words: and, or, of
I knew I was going to be somewhat late , nor, yet,expect for, soroad construction. but Ibut, did not
All the house plants died , for they had not been watered in weeks.
Show More

Related Documents: Rules of the Comma Essay

My Errors In English 1113 Class

In my previous English classes, I was aware of the need for commas, but was not completely familiar with comma usage rules. Due to my unfamiliarity, I struggled with knowing if I was placing them correctly or not. At the beginning of English 1113, I attempted to understand why commas needed to be in the places that they were. In the first draft I submitted, I noticed multiple comma errors after my teacher responded with feedback. Many of my mistakes were errors I had never been corrected on in the…

Words 756 - Pages 4

AP Style help sheet Essay

Associated Press Style cheat sheet Abbreviations and Acronyms As a general rule, use only commonly recognized abbreviations. The most common, such as NASA, FBI and CIA, can be used on all references. Less well-known but still common ones such as OSHA and NATO can be used after you spell out the full name on first mention. In most cases, however, the stylebook suggests using a generic reference such as the agency or the alliance for all references after the first. Don’t put unfamiliar abbreviations…

Words 1435 - Pages 6

How To Test Your Business Writing Skills

report by tomorrow.” Explanation of errors: A comma should be placed before a quote, and a period goes inside the end quote. 2. I would like to have a hot dog, relish, and ketchup. Corrected sentences: I would like to have a hotdog, relish and coleslaw. I would like to have a hot dog, relish, and ketchup. Explanation of error: Either one of the above punctuated sentences is correct, although most writers prefer to omit the serial comma (the comma before the “and” in a series of items). The error…

Words 980 - Pages 4

Definition Of Mood

There are three points of view in writing, termed first, second, and third person. The rules below explain the different points of view. Rule 1 First person point of view uses I or We as subjects and My or Our as pronouns. Example: I have found that the best way to avoid conflict is to communicate. Example: In conclusion, my research reveals that the best way to avoid conflict is to communicate. Rule 2 Second person point of view uses You as a subject and your as a pronoun. Example: In…

Words 3569 - Pages 15

Choosing Nominals Essay

the appositive renames it in a way can be a single name Ex: our friend Blaine works as an EMT in the mountains. Sometimes the name is set off by commas: Ex: The judge’s husband, Morrie, stays at home with the kids. Commas are added if the appositive is nonrestrictive, meaning if the appositive is info we already know, we surround it by commas. Not all appositives are NPs. Colons and Dashes with Appositives Colons are used to signal an appositive: Ex: I’ll never forget the birthday present…

Words 1065 - Pages 5

William Strunk Essay examples

is perfect, I am not an exception, but with William Strunk and E.B. White’s Elements of Style it is possible to get close to perfect. Knowing when to place commas in sentences with conjunctions was never my strong suit. This was no longer a problem after reading Elements of Style. All it took was a single clarification that the comma goes before the conjunction. Many students don’t put thought into designs. Some students do not even use designs; they take their chances and play with luck.…

Words 641 - Pages 3

Biz Writing Essay

Five Major Functions of Business Writing 1. Inform 2. Request 3. Record 4. Instruct 5. Persuade Define your purpose from the outset “Know Thy Reader” (Audience) 1. Why does the reader care? 2. How does the reader benefit? 3. What should the reader do? 4. When should the reader do it? 5. What happens if the reader does take action? 6. What happens if the reader doesn’t take action? 7. Who else will benefit? Why? 8. Where does the reader go for more Stages of Writing  Prewrite: Mind Map Organize…

Words 707 - Pages 3

Essay on Android Phones

mean "big," "very," or "genuine" is slang); replace it with a more expressive word] more of a preference for each individual person. There are many great features on each phone. The programing which [Use "that" for a restrictive phrase (or place a comma before "which")] each phones system runs under is very different. The OS internal system of stacks is called [The passive voice is a form of "be" (is) and a participle (called). Over-use of the passive voice can make paragraphs officious and tedious…

Words 1890 - Pages 8

Clause Conectors Essay

sure that you remember that catchy (easy to remember) F-A-N B-O-Y-S mnemonic device (a word/s that can help you remember an important phrase or rule.) F for A and N nor B but O or Y yet S so The “FAN BOYS” connectors are called coordinating conjunctions. When two independent clauses are joined by our “fan boys” friends, use a comma before the coordinating conjunction. Example Norman Rockwell seemed like a humble, quiet man. He was able to express his belief in old…

Words 685 - Pages 3

Typography and Square Brackets Essay

------------------------------------------------- Harvard Style Referencing 2008 Contents Page No. 1. Why do I need to reference my work? 3 1.1 So tell me briefly how it works 3 2. Referring to an author’s viewpoint in your text 4 2.1 Single and multiple authors – summarising and quoting 4 2.2 Author published 2 items in the same year 5 2.3 Author is an organisation (corporate authors) 5 2.4 Author’s name not given…

Words 7127 - Pages 29