37 Comma
Introductory Project
Commas often (though not always) signal a minor break, or pause, in a sentence. Each of the six pairs of sentences below illustrates one of the six main uses of the comma. Read each pair of sentences aloud and place a comma wherever you feel a slight pause occurs.
1. a. Frank's interests are Maria television and sports.
b. My mother put her feet up sipped some iced tea and opened the newspaper.
2. a. Although the Lone Ranger used lots of silver bullets he never ran out of ammunition.
b. To remove the cap of the aspirin bottle you must first press down on it.
3. a. Kitty Litter and Dredge Rivers Hollywood's leading romantic stars have made several movies together.
b. Sarah who is my next-door neighbor just entered the hospital with an intestinal infection.
4. a. The wedding was scheduled for four o'clock but the bride changed her mind at two.
b. Verna took three coffee breaks before lunch and then she went on a two-hour lunch break.
5. a. Lola's mother asked her “What time do you expect to get home?”
b. “Don't bend over to pat the dog” I warned “or he'll bite you.”
6. a. Roy ate seventeen hamburgers on July 29 1992 and lived to tell about it.
b. Roy lives at 817 Cresson Street Detroit Michigan.
Answers are on page 729.
Six Main Uses of the Comma
Commas are used mainly as follows:
1 To separate items in a series
2 To set off introductory material
3 Before and after words that interrupt the flow of thought in a sentence
4 Before two complete thoughts connected by and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet
5 To set off a direct quotation from the rest of a sentence
6 For certain everyday material
Each use is explained on the pages that follow.
You may find it helpful to remember that the comma often marks a slight pause, or break, in a sentence. Read aloud the sentence examples given for each use, and listen for the minor pauses, or breaks, that are signaled by commas.
Comma between Items in a Series
Use commas to separate items in a series.
Do you drink tea with milk, lemon, or honey?
Today the dishwasher stopped working, the garbage bag split, and the refrigerator turned into an icebox.
The television talk shows enraged him so much he did not know whether to laugh, cry, or throw up.
Reiko awoke from a restless, nightmare-filled sleep.
Notes
a The final comma in a series is optional, but it is often used.
b A comma is used between two descriptive words in a series only if and inserted between the words sounds natural. You could say:
Reiko awoke from a restless and nightmare-filled sleep.
But notice in the following sentence that the descriptive words do not sound natural when and is inserted between them. In such cases, no comma is used.
Wanda drove a shiny blue Corvette. (A shiny and blue Corvette doesn't sound right, so no comma is used.)
Activity
Place commas between items in a series.
1. Superman believes in truth justice and the American way.
2. Jerry opened his textbook made sure his pencil was sharpened and fell asleep with his head on the desk.
3. Felipe added white wine mushrooms salt pepper and oregano to his spaghetti sauce.
4. Baggy threadbare jeans feel more comfortable than pajamas to me.
5. Carmen grabbed a tiny towel bolted out of the bathroom and ran toward the ringing phone.
Comma after Introductory Material
Use a comma to set off introductory material.
After punching the alarm clock with his fist, Bill turned over and went back to sleep.
Looking up at the sky, I saw a man who was flying faster than a speeding bullet.
Holding a baited trap, Clyde cautiously approached the gigantic mousehole.
In addition, he held a broom in his hand.
Also, he wore a football helmet in case a creature should leap out at his head.
Notes
a If the introductory material is brief, the comma is sometimes omitted. In the activities here, you should use the comma.
b A comma is also used to set off extra material at the end of a sentence. Here are two sentences where this comma rule applies:
A sudden breeze shot through the windows, driving the stuffiness out of the room.
I love to cook and eat Italian food, especially spaghetti and lasagna.
Activity
Place commas after introductory material.
1. When the president entered the room became hushed.
2. Feeling brave and silly at the same time Tony volunteered to go on stage and help the magician.
3. While I was eating my tuna sandwich the cats circled my chair like hungry sharks.
4. Because my parents died when I was young I have learned to look after myself. Even though I am now independent I still carry a special loneliness within me.
5. At first putting extra hot pepper flakes on the pizza seemed like a good idea. However I felt otherwise when flames seemed about to shoot out of my mouth.
Comma around Words Interrupting the Flow of Thought
Use commas before and after words or phrases that interrupt the flow of thought in a sentence.
My brother, a sports nut, owns over five thousand baseball cards.
That game show, at long last, has been canceled.
The children used the old Buick, rusted from disuse, as a backyard clubhouse.
Usually you can “hear” words that interrupt the flow of thought in a sentence. However, if you are not sure that certain words are interrupters, remove them from the sentence. If it still makes sense without the words, you know that the words are interrupters and the information they give is nonessential. Such nonessential information is set off with commas. In the sentence
Dody Thompson, who lives next door, won the javelin-throwing competition.
the words who lives next door are extra information, not needed to identify the subject of the sentence, Dody Thompson. Put commas around such nonessential information. On the other hand, in the sentence
The woman who lives next door won the javelin-throwing competition.
the words who lives next door supply essential information—information needed for us to identify the woman being spoken of. If the words were removed from the sentence, we would no longer know who won the competition. Commas are not used around such essential information.
Here is another example:
Wilson Hall, which the tornado destroyed, was ninety years old.
Here the words which the tornado destroyed are extra information, not needed to identify the subject of the sentence, Wilson Hall. Commas go around such nonessential information. On the other hand, in the sentence
The building which the tornado destroyed was ninety years old.
the words which the tornado destroyed are needed to identify the building. Commas are not used around such essential information.
As noted above, however, most of the time you will be able to “hear” words that interrupt the flow of thought in a sentence and will not have to think about whether the words are essential or nonessential.
Activity
Use commas to set off interrupting words.
1. On Friday my day off I went to get a haircut.
2. Dracula who had a way with women is Tony's favorite movie hero. He feels that the Wolfman on the other hand showed no class in handling women.
3. Many people forget that Franklin Roosevelt one of our most effective presidents was disabled.
4. Mowing the grass especially when it is six inches high is my least favorite job.
5. A jar of chicken noodle soup which was all there was in the refrigerator did not make a very satisfying meal.
Comma between Complete Thoughts
Use a comma between two complete thoughts connected by and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet.
The wedding was scheduled for four o'clock, but the bride changed her mind at two.
We could always tell when our instructor felt disorganized, for his shirt would not be tucked in.
Rich has to work on Monday nights, so he tapes the TV football game on his VCR.
Notes
a The comma is optional when the complete thoughts are short.
Grace's skin tans and Mark's skin freckles.
Her soda was watery but she drank it anyway.
The day was overcast so they didn't go swimming.
b Be careful not to use a comma in sentences having one subject and a double verb. The comma is used only in sentences made up of two complete thoughts (two subjects and two verbs). In the following sentence, there is only one subject (Kevin) with a double verb (will go and forget). Therefore, no comma is needed:
Kevin will go partying tonight and forget all about tomorrow's exam.
Likewise, the following sentence has only one subject (Rita) and a double verb (was and will work); therefore, no comma is needed:
Rita was a waitress at the Holiday Inn last summer and probably will work there this summer.
Activity
Place a comma before a joining word that connects two complete thoughts (two subject-verb combinations). Remember, do not place a comma within sentences that have only one subject and a double verb.
1. The oranges in the refrigerator were covered with blue mold and the potatoes in the cupboard felt like sponges.
2. All the slacks in the shop were on sale but not a single pair was my size.
3. Martha often window-shops in the malls for hours and comes home without buying anything.
4. Tony left the dentist's office with his mouth still numb from Novocain and he talked with a lisp for two hours.
5. The whole family searched the yard inch by inch but never found Mom's missing wedding ring.
6. The car squealed down the entrance ramp and sped recklessly out onto the freeway.
7. The dancers in the go-go bar moved like wound-up Barbie dolls and the men in the audience sat as motionless as stones.
8. The aliens in the science fiction film visited our planet in peace but we greeted them with violence.
9. I felt like shouting at the gang of boys but didn't dare open my mouth.
10. Lenny claims that he wants to succeed in college but he has missed classes all semester.
Comma with Direct Quotations
Use a comma to set off a direct quotation from the rest of a sentence.
His father shouted, “Why don't you go out and get a job?”
“Our modern world has lost a sense of the sacredness of life,” the speaker said.
“No,” said Celia to Jerry. “I won't go to the roller derby with you.”
“Can anyone remember,” wrote Emerson, “when the times were not hard and money not scarce?”
Note: Commas and periods at the end of a quotation go inside quotation marks. See also page 479.
Activity
Use commas to set off quotations from the rest of the sentence.
1. Hassan came to the door and called out “Welcome to my home!”
2. My partner on the dance floor said “Don't be so stiff. You look as if you swallowed an umbrella.”
3. The question on the anatomy test read “What human organ grows faster than any other, never stops growing, and always remains the same size?”
4. The student behind me whispered “The skin.”
5. “My stomach hurts” Bruce said “and I don't know whether it was the hamburger or the math test.”
Comma with Everyday Material
Use a comma with certain everyday material.
Persons Spoken To
Tina, go to bed if you're not feeling well.
Cindy, where did you put my shoes?
Are you coming with us, Owen?
Dates
March 4, 2000, is when Martha buried her third husband.
Addresses
Tony's grandparents live at 183 Roxborough Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44112.
Note: No comma is used to mark off the zip code.
Openings and Closings of Letters
Dear Santa,
Dear Larry,
Sincerely yours,
Truly yours,
Note: In formal letters, a colon is used after the opening: Dear Sir: or Dear Madam:
Numbers
The dishonest dealer turned the used car's odometer from 98,170 miles to 39,170 miles.
Activity
Place commas where needed.
1. I expected you to set a better example for the others Mike.
2. Janet with your help I passed the test.
3. The movie stars Kitty Litter and Dredge Rivers were married on September 12 2000 and lived at 3865 Sunset Boulevard Los Angeles California for one month.
4. They received 75000 congratulatory fan letters and were given picture contracts worth $3000000 in the first week of their marriage.
5. Kitty left Dredge on October 12 2000 and ran off with their marriage counselor.
Review Test 1
Insert commas where needed. In the space provided below each sentence, summarize briefly the rule that explains the use of the comma or commas.
1. The best features of my new apartment are its large kitchen its bay windows and its low rent.
2. Because we got in line at dawn we were among the first to get tickets for the concert.
3. “When will someone invent a telephone” Lola asked “that will ring only at convenient moments?”
4. Without opening his eyes Simon stumbled out of bed and opened the door for the whining dog.
5. I think Roger that you had better ask someone else for your $2500 loan.
6. Hot dogs are the most common cause of choking deaths in children for a bite-size piece can easily plug up a toddler's throat.
7. Tax forms though shortened and revised every year never seem to get any simpler.
8. Sandra may decide to go to college full-time or she may start by enrolling in a couple of evening courses.
9. I remember how with the terrible cruelty of children we used to make fun of the retarded girl who lived on our street.
10. Although that old man on the corner looks like a Skid Row bum he is said to have a Swiss bank account.
Review Test 2
Insert commas where needed.
1. My dog who is afraid of the dark sleeps with a night-light.
2. “Although men have more upper-body strength” said the lecturer “women are more resistant to fatigue.”
3. The hot dogs at the ball park tasted delicious but they reacted later like delayed time bombs.
4. Janice attended class for four hours worked at the hospital for three hours and studied at home for two hours.
5. The patient as he gasped for air tried to assure the hospital clerk that he had an insurance card somewhere.
6. George and Ida sat down to watch the football game with crackers sharp cheese salty pretzels and two frosty bottles of beer.
7. Although I knew exactly what was happening the solar eclipse gave me a strong feeling of anxiety.
8. The company agreed to raise a senior bus driver's salary to $38000 by January 1 2003.
9. Even though King Kong was holding her at the very top of the Empire State Building Fay Wray kept yelling at him “Let me go!”
10. Navel oranges which Margery as a little girl called belly-button oranges are her favorite fruit.
Review Test 3
On separate paper, write six sentences, each demonstrating one of the six main comma rules.