Should I Use a Comma Before Typing Again at the End of Sentence

Lesson 13: Commas

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What is a comma?

A comma is a punctuation mark that can be used in many different ways. Mainly, it'south used to divide things—for instance, ii thoughts in a sentence, multiple adjectives, or items in a list.

There are many rules that tell u.s. how commas should be used, but don't let it scare you. With a little practice, it'll start to experience similar second nature. Some rules are gear up in stone. They work the aforementioned fashion every time, so you don't have to think about them too much. Other rules are more than complicated. In these cases, you lot have to understand the meaning of the judgement to know when and where to use the comma.

Using commas

The basic rules for using commas are pretty foolproof. In other words, they're like shooting fish in a barrel to apply to your writing because they e'er work the aforementioned way. Yous don't take to worry near whatever special exceptions or wonder where the comma is supposed to go. Each rule tells yous exactly what to exercise.

Joining ii sentences

You already know how to join two sentences using conjunctions like and, or, but, and so. We do it all the time in regular conversation, if not in writing.

Every bit y'all tin see, the comma goes between the two sentences, right before the conjunction. It tells you where one thought ends and another begins. Placing the comma after the conjunction would be wrong considering the conjunction is part of the 2nd thought.

List items in a judgement

Commas can also be used to split up three or more than items in a list. Only place a comma between each item (and an appropriate punctuation marking at the end). The concluding item is usually joined by a conjunction like and, or, or nor. Like the rule for joining sentences, the comma goes right before the conjunction.

Identify names and dates

There are certain types of place names (for example, city/state and state/land) that are ever separated by a comma when you write them out. Yous can see this rule in action on any mailing envelope.

Phoenix is a identify inside Arizona—that's why there'south a comma between the metropolis and state. This rule applies whenever you lot refer to a identify in a similar mode, whether it'south MTV Studios , Times Square (which isn't even a city, state, or country) or England , United Kingdom.

Dates piece of work most the same way. For example, when you write the full engagement, it should look something like this: January one, 2014. It's almost every bit if the day and the month are within the year—which is true, in a way. We're talking about Jan i in the yr 2014. That's why there'due south a comma between the appointment and year.

Quotations

Quotations are usually fabricated up of two things: a quote (what the person said) and a tag (the person who said it). Commas play an important part too—they separate the quote from the tag, and then we can tell they're separate but continued.

So where does the comma become? It depends on the layout of the sentence. Here are three examples.

• Before the quote: Vanessa asked, "Is anyone else hungry?"
• After the quote (inside the quotation mark): "I could go for some pizza," said Elizabeth.
• Both ways (in the eye of a quote): "I want pizza," said Rick, "but not with anchovies!"

To learn more than, take a look at our lesson on Quotation Marks.

There are two commas missing from the case below. Tin can y'all tell where they're supposed become? Click the dots to see if you lot're right!

Nope!

That's not quite right, simply you're close. Remember: when joining 2 sentences, the comma always goes before the conjunction.

That'southward right!

This is where the first comma should get—right before the conjunction . It tells you where one thought ends ( I heard a sound in the attic ) and another ane begins ( I went to see what it was ).

Attempt once more!

This should exist a menses , not a comma. Yous tin can tell considering the side by side sentence is a complete judgement (and in that location'southward no conjunction joining them together).

Correct!

This is a good case of a quote that comes after a tag. In a case like this, the comma always goes before the quote (exterior the quotation marks).

More commas

To use commas in more than complicated sentences, you'll take to apply your judgment. This means you'll need to call up about each sentence (and brand sure yous really empathise what makes information technology work) before you tin can use the comma.

Don't let this scare you. Every bit always, it'southward not the cease of the world if yous make a error. If you lot become stuck on a dominion, try looking closely at the example—sometimes information technology helps to come across the rule in action. If yous're not a native English language speaker, these rules can exist peculiarly difficult to grasp. Y'all may want to inquire someone you lot know for help, such as a friend, coworker, or teacher.

Adjectives

Another time you lot apply commas is when yous have 2 or more than adjectives in a judgement. Just identify the comma betwixt them—this separates them and makes the sentence easier to read.

This rule is pretty universal, only it isn't always true. You lot should merely use a comma if the adjectives are interchangeable.

Interchangeable means y'all can list the adjectives in any social club and information technology won't change the pregnant of the judgement. To find out if 2 adjectives are interchangeable, endeavor reversing them—then run into if the judgement still makes sense.

Here's the aforementioned example with a dissimilar pair of adjectives: succulent and frozen. This time, the adjectives aren't interchangeable. (If you reverse them, you tin probably come across why.) This means they shouldn't exist separated with a comma.

The truth is, frozen yogurt is more only an describing word followed by a noun. It's type of thing, like a miniature poodle, striped shirt, or even hot chocolate. All of these examples are made up of 2 words, but they represent a unmarried thing. If you lot split them with a comma—or write them in a different society—the words lose their pregnant.

Introductory clauses

You might already know that an incomplete sentence is a fragment. When you begin a sentence with a fragment, information technology's called an introductory clause. (To learn more, bank check out our lesson on Fragments.)

Information technology's perfectly OK to begin a sentence this style, and so follow it with a complete idea. You just accept to split these thoughts with a comma. This makes the sentence easier to read, and information technology as well tells the reader where to intermission if needed.

In the example above, the matter before the comma (while you were sleeping) is a fragment; the affair after the comma (I gave you a new haircut) is a consummate sentence. The comma is necessary just if the clause introduces the sentence. If the phrases were written in the opposite lodge, y'all wouldn't use a comma.

What most expressions similar luckily, however, and as you tin can see? Information technology's more than common to run into these at the outset of a sentence, merely they can appear the terminate equally well. Unlike introductory clauses, they don't necessarily add anything new to the sentence. Regardless, they should ever be separated by a comma. For instance: I gave you a new haircut, every bit you can encounter.

Nonessential clauses

You should besides use commas to separate nonessential clauses that appear in the middle of a sentence. A nonessential clause is something that adds meaning simply that isn't completely necessary. In other words, if you took it out the sentence would nonetheless mean basically the same thing.

To find out if a clause is nonessential, attempt removing it from the judgement, and so see how it sounds. The judgement above would however brand sense if we removed the item about the ascot. Information technology would be: Steve is very tidy.

If the clause was essential, nosotros wouldn't be able to remove it. Endeavor this sentence instead: Men who wear ascots are very tidy. If nosotros take out the detail well-nigh the ascot, nosotros're left something slightly dissimilar: Men are very tidy. This is far besides general to be true—after all, some men are really sloppy. This is how y'all know the clause is essential to the sentence's pregnant.

Other cases

As yous proceeds more experience with commas, yous'll run into cases when your judgment matters more than ever. These cases are more hard to ascertain, but they build on the rules we just discussed.

For instance, some sentences end with a type of fragment called a free modifier. This is just a fancy word for something that clarifies or relates to another part of the judgement. When you lot use a free modifier like this, always separate it with a comma.

Other sentences stop with a distinct pause, followed past something more cryptic. That last beat could be the name of the person yous're talking to, a statement of confirmation, or a single give-and-take. Whatever it is, that beat also should be separated past a comma.

Below are two sentences that include a series of commas—ane is right, and the other is not. Utilise what you simply learned to decide which one is right, and so click the dots to see if you're correct!

Non quite!

Here, an essential clause has been mistaken for a nonessential clause . The judgement should be written without commas instead:

Those who alive in drinking glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

Correct!

The comma in this sentence is used correctly. It separates the introductory clause ( if yous keep making that face ) from the rest of the judgement ( information technology'due south going to stay that fashion ).

Common comma mistakes

Joining two sentences without a conjunction

People often make the mistake of using a comma to join two sentences without a conjunction. For case:

Discover how the first version of the sentence is missing something? Information technology needs a conjunction like and or only to bring together the 2 halves properly. Yous could also use a semi-colon to correct information technology instead: She was a small-town-girl; he was a urban center boy . Or you could rewrite the sentence as two sentences, with a flow in betwixt.

Joining a chemical compound subject or predicate

Remember how yous're supposed to use a comma to divide iii or more items in a listing? Be careful not to get overboard and offset separating two items that belong together (in other words, a compound field of study or predicate).

It might aid to remember of the compound every bit a unmarried idea or thought. In the example in a higher place, the gym teacher and the chief are both function of Aunt Ruth's dating history—and they're the only things listed. You wouldn't interruption them up unless and the principal was rewritten every bit a complete sentence. For example: Aunt Ruth used to date the gym teacher, but she dumped him for the main .

When a fragment follows a sentence

It's like shooting fish in a barrel to misfile a fragment at the cease of a sentence with an introductory clause—they do wait like. Nosotros already touched on this rule when we went over introductory clauses, but information technology can't hurt to review it over again.

A fragment only works as an introductory clause if it's at the offset of a judgement. If it's at the end, you don't need a comma. In this example, the sentence would need a comma just if it was written in the contrary order: While my married man went camping, I went to Vegas .

Forcing a pause

Using a comma to force the reader to intermission is a common mistake. Just remember: Commas are meant to make things easier to read, not necessarily influence the mode they're read.

If you want the reader to pause, y'all'll have to become creative with your formatting. For example, you could use an ellipses (a very common way of indicating a pause), like in the example above. Or you could write the word you want to emphasize in all caps or italics. This way, the reader tin really feel the weight of it: And THAT is how you deep-fry a turkey .

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Source: https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/grammar/commas/1/

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