Transcript Myra, Corey, Nadica, Jennifer

English 111, Summer 2007
Commas
Uses and abuses
By: Myra, Corey, Nadica, and Jennifer.
Definition of the comma
 According to Purdue
University’s OWL (Online
Writing Lab), “The comma is a
valuable. . . punctuation device
because it separates elements
of a sentence into manageable
segments.”
9 Rules for comma usage
Rule 1
 Use a comma when you want to
separate a series of items.
Example:
Mr. Blake fell down, broke his foot,
fractured his knee, and broke his nose
on the way to the hospital.
Rule 2
 Use a comma to separate two clauses
with a conjunctive coordinator.
Example:
Jesse Kincaid went to the market to buy
groceries, but she had a cupboard full of
food.
Rule 3
Use a comma to set off introductory
elements.
Example:
“Speeding down the interstate, she
suddenly realized she was low on gas.”
Rule 4
 Use a comma to set off parenthetical
elements
 Example:
Newport News, one of the many cities in
Virginia, is very quiet.
Rule 5
 A comma must be used to set off
coordinate adjectives
 Example:
The huge, dirty, wild bear ran after
Goldilocks.
Rule 6
 Use a comma to set off quoted elements
 Example:
Mary Jane states, “Spiderman is the
greatest.”
Rule 7
 A comma may be used to show a
contrast or a turn in the elements of a
sentence.
Example:
She was looking for a dress that was
simple, not dressy.
The BMW was beautiful, but cost too much
for a college student.
Rule 8
 A comma may be used to avoid a confusing
sequence of words in a sentence.
Example:
Inside the house was painted all white.
(incorrect)
Inside, the house was painted all white.
Rule 9
 A comma is used for typographical
reasons, such as the following:
• A city and state
The concert was performed in Chicago, Illinois.
• A date and year
Today is July 5, 2007.
• A name and a title when the titles come after the name
Timothy M. Kaine, Governor of Commonwealth of Virginia.
Rule 9 continued
Note that we use a comma to make the year
parenthetical when the date of the month is
included.

September 11, 2001, was the date of the most
infamous terrorist attack on the United States.
Without the date itself, however, the comma
disappears
September 2001 was a sad time for all Americans.
 In long numbers
5,677,891 and $15,256
Comma abuse
Don’t separate subject from verb.
Example:
The eighteen-year-old in Virginia, is
considered an adult
Abuse
 Don’t put commas between compound
verbs.
Example:
We laid out food and drink, and began to
party.
Abuse
 Don’t put commas between the two
nouns, noun phrases, or noun clauses in
a compound subject or compound object.
Example:
The Sunday school teacher from your
church, and the rock star from mine are
engaged.
Abuse
 Don’t put a comma after the main clause
when a dependent (subordinate) clause
follows it (except for cases of extreme
contrast).
Example:
Her mother screamed, while her music
was blasting.
Works Cited
 “Rules For Comma Usage.” Guide to Grammar
and Writing. Capital Community College
Foundation. 3 July 2007.
<http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/>
 “Using Commas.” The OWL at Purdue. Purdue
University. 3 July 2007.
<http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_c
omma.html>