How to Use Commas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYXTX80i1Cw&feature=related

 

Commas

• Serial commas separate items in a series–Corn Flakes, Cheerios, and Shredded Wheat are good cereals!

–She sliced the bread, tossed the salad, and set the table.

A Misplaced Comma Changes Meaning

Commas enclose parenthetic expressions

Parenthetic expressions are non-restrictive– My husband, the love of my life, is tall and

handsome. (I only have one husband, so the phrase “the love of my life” is not needed to identify him.)

• Restrictive expressions are needed– My daughter who is married has two children.

(I have more than one daughter; only the one who is married has children.)

Comma splices

• Do not join independent clauses with a comma alone (this is a comma splice)– INCORRECT: The situation is perilous, there is still a

chance of escape.

• Do use a comma before a conjunction to join independent clauses:– The situation is perilous, but there is still a chance of

escape.

• One point will be deducted from an essay grade for every comma splice

Do not break sentences in two

• Wrong: She was an interesting speaker. A woman who had traveled all over the world and lived in half a dozen countries.

• Correct: She was an interesting speaker, a woman who had traveled all over the world and lived in half a dozen countries.