Comma After Beginning a Sentence With Again

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 separate things—for instance, ii thoughts in a sentence, multiple adjectives, or items in a list.

In that location are many rules that tell united states how commas should be used, just don't let information technology scare you. With a trivial practice, it'll beginning to feel like second nature. Some rules are prepare in stone. They work the same way every fourth dimension, so you don't take to think near them too much. Other rules are more complicated. In these cases, you have to understand the meaning of the judgement to know when and where to employ the comma.

Using commas

The basic rules for using commas are pretty foolproof. In other words, they're piece of cake to apply to your writing because they always work the aforementioned mode. You don't have to worry about whatsoever special exceptions or wonder where the comma is supposed to become. Each dominion tells y'all exactly what to practise.

Joining two sentences

Y'all already know how to join two sentences using conjunctions similar and, or, but, and so. Nosotros do it all the time in regular conversation, if not in writing.

Every bit you tin can encounter, the comma goes betwixt the ii sentences, right before the conjunction. It tells yous where i thought ends and another begins. Placing the comma afterward the conjunction would exist incorrect because the conjunction is part of the 2d thought.

Listing items in a sentence

Commas tin can likewise be used to divide three or more items in a list. Just place a comma betwixt each item (and an appropriate punctuation mark at the end). The terminal item is ordinarily joined by a conjunction like and, or, or nor. Like the rule for joining sentences, the comma goes right before the conjunction.

Place names and dates

In that location are certain types of place names (for example, metropolis/state and country/country) that are always separated past a comma when you write them out. You can encounter this rule in activeness on any mailing envelope.

Phoenix is a place inside Arizona—that'southward why there's a comma betwixt the city and state. This rule applies whenever you refer to a identify in a similar way, whether it's MTV Studios , Times Square (which isn't fifty-fifty a urban center, state, or country) or England , United Kingdom.

Dates piece of work well-nigh the same style. For instance, when yous write the full date, it should await something like this: January ane, 2014. Information technology'due south almost as if the twenty-four hour period and the month are inside the twelvemonth—which is true, in a style. Nosotros're talking virtually January 1 in the twelvemonth 2014. That's why in that location's a comma between the engagement and year.

Quotations

Quotations are usually made up of 2 things: a quote (what the person said) and a tag (the person who said it). Commas play an important role as well—they separate the quote from the tag, so we can tell they're separate but connected.

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

• Before the quote: Vanessa asked, "Is anyone else hungry?"
• Afterwards the quote (inside the quotation marking): "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 larn more than, take a look at our lesson on Quotation Marks.

There are two commas missing from the example below. Tin you tell where they're supposed go? Click the dots to see if you're right!

Nope!

That's not quite right, just you're close. Retrieve: when joining two sentences, the comma always goes before the conjunction.

That's correct!

This is where the starting time comma should go—right before the conjunction . It tells yous where ane thought ends ( I heard a audio in the attic ) and another 1 begins ( I went to see what it was ).

Endeavor again!

This should be a period , non a comma. You can tell because the next sentence is a complete sentence (and there'south no conjunction joining them together).

Correct!

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

More commas

To utilize commas in more than complicated sentences, you'll have to utilise your judgment. This means you'll need to recollect about each sentence (and make sure you really understand what makes it work) before you can utilise the comma.

Don't let this scare y'all. As ever, information technology'south not the end of the world if you make a mistake. If y'all get stuck on a dominion, try looking closely at the example—sometimes it helps to see the rule in action. If you lot're non a native English speaker, these rules tin be especially hard to grasp. You may want to ask someone y'all know for help, such equally a friend, coworker, or instructor.

Adjectives

Some other fourth dimension you use commas is when you have two or more than adjectives in a sentence. Just place the comma between them—this separates them and makes the sentence easier to read.

This rule is pretty universal, but it isn't ever true. You should simply use a comma if the adjectives are interchangeable.

Interchangeable ways you can list the adjectives in any society and information technology won't alter the meaning of the judgement. To find out if two adjectives are interchangeable, try reversing them—then see if the sentence still makes sense.

Here's the same case with a different pair of adjectives: delicious and frozen. This fourth dimension, the adjectives aren't interchangeable. (If you opposite them, yous can probably encounter why.) This means they shouldn't be separated with a comma.

The truth is, frozen yogurt is more than than but an adjective followed by a noun. It'due south type of affair, like a miniature poodle, striped shirt, or fifty-fifty hot chocolate. All of these examples are made up of ii words, but they stand for a single affair. If you split them with a comma—or write them in a unlike order—the words lose their meaning.

Introductory clauses

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

It'south perfectly OK to begin a judgement this way, so follow information technology with a complete thought. Y'all but have to separate these thoughts with a comma. This makes the sentence easier to read, and it too tells the reader where to pause if needed.

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

What about expressions like luckily, nevertheless, and equally you can come across? Information technology'southward more mutual to see these at the beginning of a sentence, but they can appear the finish as well. Dissimilar introductory clauses, they don't necessarily add anything new to the sentence. Regardless, they should always be separated by a comma. For case: I gave you lot a new haircut, equally y'all can see.

Nonessential clauses

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

To discover out if a clause is nonessential, attempt removing it from the sentence, then run into how it sounds. The sentence above would all the same make sense if nosotros removed the particular nearly the ascot. It would be: Steve is very tidy.

If the clause was essential, we wouldn't be able to remove it. Try this sentence instead: Men who wear ascots are very tidy. If we take out the detail about the ascot, we're left something slightly different: Men are very tidy. This is far too general to be true—after all, some men are really sloppy. This is how you know the clause is essential to the sentence'south meaning.

Other cases

Equally yous gain more feel with commas, you lot'll meet cases when your judgment matters more than e'er. These cases are more than difficult 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 function of the sentence. When you use a gratuitous modifier like this, always separate information technology with a comma.

Other sentences end with a distinct break, followed by something more ambiguous. That final beat could be the name of the person you're talking to, a argument 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 serial of commas—one is right, and the other is not. Use what you merely learned to make up one's mind which one is right, and so click the dots to meet if you're correct!

Not quite!

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

Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

Right!

The comma in this sentence is used correctly. It separates the introductory clause ( if yous keep making that face up ) from the rest of the sentence ( it's going to stay that way ).

Common comma mistakes

Joining two sentences without a conjunction

People oft brand the mistake of using a comma to join two sentences without a conjunction. For example:

Find how the first version of the sentence is missing something? Information technology needs a conjunction similar and or just to bring together the two halves properly. You could also use a semi-colon to correct it instead: She was a small-town-girl; he was a city boy . Or you could rewrite the sentence every bit two sentences, with a catamenia in between.

Joining a compound subject area or predicate

Recall how you're supposed to utilise a comma to divide three or more items in a listing? Be careful non to go overboard and beginning separating two items that belong together (in other words, a chemical compound subject field or predicate).

Information technology might aid to think of the compound as a single idea or thought. In the case to a higher place, the gym teacher and the main are both office of Aunt Ruth'southward dating history—and they're the only things listed. You wouldn't break them upward unless and the master was rewritten as a complete sentence. For example: Aunt Ruth used to date the gym teacher, just she dumped him for the main .

When a fragment follows a sentence

It'southward like shooting fish in a barrel to misfile a fragment at the end of a sentence with an introductory clause—they do expect similar. Nosotros already touched on this rule when nosotros went over introductory clauses, merely information technology can't hurt to review information technology once more.

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

Forcing a pause

Using a comma to forcefulness the reader to pause is a common error. Merely remember: Commas are meant to make things easier to read, not necessarily influence the way they're read.

If you want the reader to pause, you'll have to get artistic with your formatting. For instance, y'all could use an ellipses (a very common style of indicating a pause), like in the case higher up. Or you lot could write the word you want to emphasize in all caps or italics. This mode, the reader tin actually 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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