I have just finished the first draft of the comma section. This is a real doozey…and quite dull.
COMMA
Commas help to break up sentences. A comma tells us that something has changed. There are many individual rules but they all involved marking the shift from one type of information to another.
FOLLOWING AN INTRODUCTORY PHRASE
Many complex-sentences in English start with a phrase which describes time, place or setting.
When she was young, Indiana belonged to another family.
After a short stay at the RSPCA, she came to live with us.
Place a comma after the introductory phrase and before the main clause of the sentence.
A good rule-of-thumb is that the comma often sits at the end of the last word before the subject of the sentence. In these examples, the subjects are “Indiana” and “she”.
You could rewrite sentences like these so that the adjectival phrase comes at the end. In this case, you can use a comma for extra emphasis or you can just run it all together.
Both of these examples are correct. The second one just emphasises that the main idea happened when she was young.
Indiana belonged to another family when she was young.
Indiana belonged to another family, when she was young.
TO SEPARATE ITEMS IN A LIST
When you are listing items, place a comma between each item.
Our pets are called Indiana, Emmylou and Zelda.
The last item usually has the word “and” before it. You can chose to also put a comma before the “and”. This is called the Oxford Comma; it sometimes makes the sentence easier to understand.
My favourite foods are pizza, chocolate, and fish and chips.
Sometimes, the items in the list may already have a comma in them. In this case, break up your list with semi-colons.
We have offices in Melbourne, Australia; London, England; and Paris, France.
IN BETWEEN MULTIPLE ADVERBS AND ADJECTIVES
When using multiple adjectives or adverbs before a noun, put a comma between them.
Indiana is a light, brown dog.
Without the comma, Indiana might be a light shade of brown. With the comma, she is both light and brown. If you want her to be light-brown, then put that hyphen in to make that clear.
You put commas in when you repeat an adverb or adjective.
Emmylou was really, really tired after her big weekend.
BEFORE A CONJUNCTION JOINING TWO INDEPENDENT CLAUSES
When joining two independent clauses with a conjunction, there should always be a comma before the conjunction.
Indiana ran away down the path, but Emmylou sat by my side.
Indiana ran away down the path, while Emmylou sat by my side.
Some writers choose to leave this comma out. The sentence would probably still make sense, but it is clearer with the comma.
TO INTRODUCE DIRECT SPEECH
When introducing direct speech, place a comma between the introduction and the quotation mark. Note the comma here after “said”.
Indiana said, “I’m not sure if I should really be talking, since I am a dog.”
IN PLACE OF A FULL STOP IN DIRECT SPEECH
When writing direct speech (someone’s exact words), the full-stop at the end of a sentence is replaced with a comma when it is followed by a explanatory phrase.
“I’m not sure if I should really be talking, since I am a dog,” said Indiana.
“I wonder if Emmylou at my shoes,” I wondered.
This only happens to a full stop. All other terminal punctuation (exclamation marks, question marks and an ellipsis) remain unchanged.
“What’s going on?” Indiana asked.
“Nothing!” Emmylou snapped, although she was only a dog.
“I thought I heard…” Indiana said.
BEFORE TOO, HOWEVER AND EITHER
The word “too” has two meanings. It can mean excessive or also. When it means also, there should be a comma before it.
Indiana ran too fast for me to catch her.
Emmylou runs quickly, too.
When you put “either” or “however” at the end of a sentence, there should be a comma before this word.
Emmylou doesn’t have a brain, either.
When the sentence continues, there is a comma before and after “too”.
Emmylou, too, is a silly dog.
FOLLOWING A SALUTATION OR EXCLAMATION
Hello, have you seen Indiana?
Hey, how are you today?
AROUND INTERRUPTERS AND PARENTHETICAL PHRASES
Commas can acts like brackets and surround non-essential information in a sentence. Make sure that there is a comma before and after this phrase.
Emmylou has, among many other toys, a squeaky hamburger.
Last Tuesday, for no particular reason, Indiana snored all day.
AROUND AN APPOSITIVE
When a second noun or noun phrases sit after a first and provides more information, this is an appositive. You can remove this extra information and the sentence will still make sense.
This appositive needs a comma both before and after it.
Indiana and Emmylou, our dogs, are getting too fat.
A grammar guide, no matter how well written, is never going to be a favourite book.
IN DATES
When a date is made up of two or more parts, use a comma to separate the parts when they are both words or both numbers. If the different parts of numbers and words, there is no need for a comma.
I am writing this example in July 2009.
I am writing this on Wednesday, July 29th, 2009
8:39
Perhaps you will finally get the motorbike if she doesn't recover. 