Commas Flashcards
An independent clause has a ___ and a ___ to form a complete thought.
subject/verb
How do you separate 2 independent clauses?
With a comma
Where do you place the comma?
She went to the store this afternoon and Joe is picking up the flowers tonight.
After the first independent clause (between afternoon and and)
She went to the store this afternoon, and Joe is picking up the flowers tonight.
Does this sentence need a comma? If yes, where? If no, why not?
I went to the store so that I could pick up groceries.
No, because of the use of so that
Does this sentence need a comma? If yes, where? If no, why not?
I live at 123 Main Street Jones Oklahoma 22222
I live at 123 Main Street, Jones, Oklahoma 22222
Does this sentence need a comma? If yes, where? If no, why not?
We stopped in Edmond Oklahoma on our way.
We stopped in Edmond, Oklahoma, on our way
Use a comma after a city and state in the middle of a sentence.
Does this sentence need a comma? If yes, where? If no, why not?
I packed my boots and hairdryer and heating pad.
None needed
No commas needed because each part of the list is separated by a conjunction (and)
Which is an example of a “serial comma”?
a. Julie loves ice cream, books, and kittens
b. Julie loves ice cream, books and kittens
a. Julie loves ice cream, books, and kittens
The comma before the and is optional and called a serial or Oxford comma
Add the commas
I bought a phone watch and wallet.
I bought a phone, watch and wallet.
When you have a list that contains more than ___ elements, use commas to separate them.
2
How can you write a date without any commas?
day-month-year format
31 December 2023
Add the comma(s)
I was born on Sunday May 12 1968.
May 12 1968 was an important day.
I was born on Sunday, May 12, 1968.
May 12, 1968, was an important day.
when writing in month-day-year format, set the year off w/ commas.
Add the comma(s)
The region experienced record rain fall in March 1999.
No comma needed
month and year only
Which is correct?
a. I want to go too.
b. I want to go, too.
A. I want to go too.
A comma is no longer used before too at the end of a sentence.
However, this is highly preferential.
Why does this sentence need a comma? And where?
Will you please stand Joan before you continue?
Use a comma to set off a noun of direct address, even in the middle of a sentence.
Around Joan
Will you please stand, Joan, before you continue?
What do you do if a sentence ends with so?
Example: Well, she said she would so
Be sure to put a comma in front of the so
Well, she said she would, so.
Note: Some CRs will add an ellipses at the end of a sentence instead of a period after so. “Well, she said she would, so…
Name 3 examples of “filler words”. How do you treat them in a sentence.
like, I mean, you know
Add commas around them.
In most situations: do you add a comma around the word because (when it’s linking 2 clauses in a sentence)?
Why?
No.
The word because links a subordinate clause to an independent one.
When do you make an exception and add a comma before because (when linking 2 clauses)?
to make an exception for clarity.
Alex didn’t win the race because of his ability.
Alex didn’t win the race, because of his ability. (due to ability, he didn’t win…it clears up the sentence)
When do you use a comma before which
When it introduces a nonrestrictive phrase
What is a “nonrestrictive phrase”?
A nonrestrictive phrase adds a little bit of extra (but not essential) information about a noun phrase that you’ve already mentioned in your sentence.
Jeff’s new car, which is less than a month old, already started leaking oil.
How do you identify a “nonrestrictive phrase”?
Take it out of the sentence. If the meaning of the sentence didn’t change, it’s nonrestrictive (non-essential)
How do you identify a “restrictive phrase”?
If you take it out of the sentence and it changes the meaning, it’s a restrictive phrase.
These phrases are usually introduced by that instead of which
What is a prepositional phrase?
What are some common prepositions that begin these phrases?
a group of words consisting of a preposition, its object, and any words that modify the object.
“He arrived in time.
He arrived in the nick of time.
to, of, about, at, before, after, by, behind, during, for, from, in, over, under, and with
