She hated going to the dentist, and cried the whole way there. Most authorities, including The Associated Press Stylebook and The Chicago Manual of Style, recommend a comma after the first digit of a four-digit number. Or better yet, drop the 'The' too. Such clauses “are usually surrounded by, or preceded by, commas” (1). On the other hand, “a nonrestrictive clause is something that can be left off without changing the meaning of the sentence. Comma . "The correct way to use commas with names and titles." 2. In past Grammar Girl episodes, I’ve talked about how to use the words “which” and “that” with restrictive and nonrestrictive elements. One can analyze the letter salutation “Dear John” as a noun phrase comprising a proper name and an adjective modifying it, functioning as a vocative, and therefore sandwiched between the real beginning of the letter’s first sentence and a following comma. Comma before as? Again, when it is used as an adverb, you don’t use a comma. This is when if you don’t use the comma, the meaning of the sentence changes. Do you need a comma after Director? Is it grammatically correct to put a comma before "and"? When “for” is used as a conjunction between two clauses (“for” is the F in FANBOYS) then you need a comma before it. In American English usage, many writers and editors feel that a comma should precede and with three or more items in a series.. We will give you an update within the day. ; Oxford commas are also known as serial or Harvard commas. “A restrictive clause is just part of a sentence that you can't get rid of because it specifically restricts some other part of the sentence” (1). Don’t use a comma after and or but. When a subject or object is made up of two items and the second item is parenthetical, you can set off the second item with commas—one before it and one after it. 3. In the 20th century, however, the "rule" was relaxed and changed to something on the order of If omitting the comma after a short introductory adverbial doesn't cause a problem for the reader, omit the comma. Remember: If it’s extra information, use extra commas. We use commas while combining multiple phrases in one sentence or writing about different items in a list. ... cite for a case, underline the part of the case name comprising the short cite (Rule 10.9). Comma , The comma joins two or more ideas in a sentence or separates items in a series. ; A nonrestrictive clause is a phrase that adds non-essential information to a sentence without changing the overall meaning. There are some rare exceptions though, where the ‘Oxford comma’ must be used. We sold 1,270 … Appositives act as synonyms for a … The only place in that sentence where commas are required is in the list at the end (running, jumping, and swimming). Example: I would like to order a salad, a sandwich, and dessert. We truly appreciate your support. A thousand splendid suns, authored by Khaled Hosseini, is a fantastic novel. He … An example is the “which” clause in this sentence: “The town, which lies thirty miles from the capital, is famous for its potato festival.” The “which” clause is surrounded by commas. "Lily made Panna Cotta, an Italian dessert", Yep, looks fine -- just make sure to add a period at the end :-). Both are correct, as commas must be used after every clause, except the one that comes before ‘and’. Commas before as can be more tricky. In case you’re not up on the concepts of restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses, here’s a quick review so we’re all on the same page. Commas almost always follow phrases at the beginning of sentences; use the comma to separate the phrase from the independent clause. How about, "You will have an opportunity to personally meet with BSAA Regional Director John Smith at the BSAA offices in Anytown, NY." On Monday we’ll see the … https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/which-versus-that-0. If we delete “making me cry,” we’re left with “She is the lady,” which doesn’t have the same meaning. You already saw the sentence “She is the lady making me cry.” Here, we don’t use a comma because we can’t delete the phrase “making me cry.” This phrase defines which particular lady we’re talking about. Comma … Use a pair of commas in the middle of a sentence to set off clauses, phrases, and words that are not … This time, we’ll help you figure out what the concepts of restrictive and nonrestrictive have to do with participial phrases such as “making me cry” and “banging his nose” and when to use a comma before such phrases. For example, take this sentence: A widget comprising: A; B; C; and D. where A, B, C, and D are usually long phrases which recite different elements in the claim. Then it starts to look like three people founded the company: My wife, Susan, and me. Grammar Desk Reference, Cincinnati: Writer’s Digest Books, p. 225. As always, use commas before and/or after names in direct address. That comma is optional. Do you know the comma before “and” is known by the following names: Oxford Comma Harvard Comma Serial Comma Series Comma Here I’m gonna share the best practice to learn the Oxford comma that I recently came to know. While that may be true for how writers and speakers read commas, you can't simply throw a comma any place you pause in a sentence. Wrong: She hated going to the dentist, … Hiss! ; Don’t use a comma before which when it’s used to pose an indirect question. Commas and However This page is about whether to use a semicolon or a comma before however. Copyright © 2021 Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC. Hooray: I signaled to the mayor about the mustard on his lip. When a word or phrase forms an introduction … Comma Before And That Joins Two Independent Clauses The word and is a conjunction, and when a conjunction joins two independent clauses, you should use a comma with it. Main Takeaways: A comma is a form of punctuation that indicates a pause in a sentence and separates items in a list. It’s not extra information; it’s essential information. It contains additional information that is not necessary to understand the sentence, so you can delete the clause if you want. What's the difference between this question and the Case 3 example? ; Commas can separate adjectives, offset nonessential phrases, and introduce direct quotations. Examples: … the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance, and Health and Social Affairs ... Commas in pairs. The connecting words which can be used in this way are and, or, … A Comma before However It is common grammar mistake to use a comma before however when it is being used to merge two sentences into a compound sentence.For example: I hate potatoes, however, I like chips. Is a comma necessary in a sentence like: “But, Milt, I don’t know how to drive.” “Lucy, please pick up your roller skates.” Commas with Introductory Phrases. 6. It can be easy to get confused about restrictive and nonrestrictive elements, so remember this: If it’s extra information, use extra commas. So, I'm thinking I'm not going to look to this source to provide grammar advice. The comma that I've used before and is called an Oxford comma and not all speakers feel it's necessary to include it, so that's a style choice as well. Participial phrases can appear anywhere in a sentence, but today we’re focusing on those that come at the end. People often get muddled about whether to place a comma before conjunctions like and, so, because, and or. Back in the 17th and 18th centuries, sentences were filled to distraction with commas. 17 Jan. 2021. Improve your grammar, vocabulary, and writing -- and it's FREE! When your sentence ends with a participial phrase, you need to decide if the phrase contains extra information or crucial information. We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly. When do you put a comma before a participial phrase such as "making me cry"? In the particular case of the system crontab file (/etc/crontab), a user field inserts itself before the command. Comma use is subjective and in most, but not all cases is a style choice. I drove the car home as it was snowing. On the other hand, if removing the phrase does nothing to the meaning of the sentence, and it still makes sense, then the phrase is non-restrictive and a comma should be used. A comma should precede the term etc. Hope you liked the article. Would this be correct? (accessed April 4, 2011). title is supposed to be italicized, too. Lutz, Gary, and Diane Stevenson. Under pressure from the National Hig… (Notice how I used it as an adverb in the preceding sentence.) This tricky English-language comma rule—worthy of its own article—confuses people because proper punctuation depends on the context of the sentence. In many respects, this is a question of style rather than of right and wrong. "This would mean the speaker is telling about John to Tina (the friend). We are currently experiencing playback issues on Safari. Happy new year, Farrah! The first version’s reveal in a Bloomberg article and video prompted a cease-and-desist letter from the California Department of Motor Vehicles, which accused Comma.ai of testing a self-driving car in the state without a license. The semicolons are used instead of commas to help distinguish the breaks between claim elements, because the claim element descriptions themselves frequently contain commas. The final comma before and is not normally used in United Nations documents. It’s restrictive. Again, notice that when I read the sentence aloud, there was no pause before the participial phrase. A comma and a coordinating conjunction can be used to connect independent clauses in forming compound sentences. – bib Feb 4 … ; Commas should be used before and when joining two independent clauses or when compiling a list. The joining comma is only slightly different from the listing comma. I know it is when saying names, but what about girl or boy? There is a comma before the conjunction (but), and the nonessential comment (in the end) is set off with a pair of commas. The Oxford comma reduces ambiguity in lists. It is generally set to 'root'. Rule 16b. There are more usages of a comma, for example, how adding or removing comma before and after a name changes the meaning of the sentence — In this Grammar.com article let us understand how to correctly use commas with names. In that case, the CRON expression is a string comprising 6 or 7 fields. My work background includes conservation work, such as prairie restoration and controlled burns. That. If you missed the pauses before, listen now to this new example: “He ran into the wall, banging his nose in the process.”. Always place a comma before or when it begins an independent clause, but if it begins a dependent clause, don’t. In general, commas do not separate a simple series of two things, even if those things are clauses. The problem with sentence-ending participial phrases is that writers often add such a phrase as an afterthought, and they often omit a needed comma. Here’s another example: “I saw the waves crashing onto the surfer.” Here, “crashing onto the surfer” tells us something very specific about the waves: what the waves were doing. Commas before “including” in restrictive phrases. Thanks for waiting, Gary. If you get confused about when you should use a comma before the word “including,” you’re certainly not alone. Grammar Desk Reference, Cincinnati: Writer’s Digest Books, p. 207. We’re comparing sentences like “She yelled at me, making me cry” and “She is the lady making me cry.” One of these “making me cry” phrases is restrictive, and one is not. The same rules apply for titles. We’ve hired all our interns, and we’re ready to start working on the project. Confusing. If you would like to listen to the audio, please use Google Chrome or Firefox. 1991). When should you use a comma? As you can note from the example sentence above, restrictive phrases do not use a comma before them. If removing the phrase would change the meaning of the sentence, then it is restrictive and a comma should not be used. It should read 'The distinguished scientist Mr Stephen, of AKL University, will be addressing the crowd tomorrow.' The Curious Case of the Misplaced Modifier, Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing, https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/which-versus-that-0. Bonnie Mills has been a copyeditor since 1996. “I saw the waves crashing onto the surfer.”. Sure? I remember a comma rule that clarifies if you would only have one wife who is Susan or multiple wives of which Susan is one, but can't remember. If it’s added information, add a comma. Girl, have you been to Japon? In a series (or list) of three or more items, you can use a comma before or, but this is a preference, not a rule. Do you put commas around "Susan?" In other words, it depends on how important the phrase is to the overall meaning of the sentence. You could argue that the comma is used to create a natural break in the flow of a long sentence and to emphasize where the second clause begins, but not because they are independent clauses. Before we reveal which sentence needs a comma and which doesn’t, let’s go back to a term from the beginning of the show: participial phrase. It’s now more important than ever to develop a powerful writing style. But you don’t need a comma when you’re simply listing two items. First, look at the words before but: I would go for a walk. Then look at the words after but: it’s raining outside. STANDS4 LLC, 2021. When you don’t have two independent clauses, leave the comma out. You can safely delete it if you want without losing the context. Note the comma before WITH. Examples. Now let’s get to the issue at hand. THIS was the example I was hoping to find here but did not. That’s no surprise, because commas often indicate slight breaks. The largest economies in Southeast Asia are those of Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Today, we’re revisiting the concept of restrictive versus nonrestrictive elements. Is it necessary to put a comma before the name for the examples below: There was a time when this sentence would be punctuated exactly this way. Today, such a sentence is considered over-punctuated. Both of those phrases could stand alone as complete sentences. If a participial phrase comes at the end of a sentence, use a comma—unless the phrase is restrictive (3). It’s a myth that you put in commas wherever you would pause— don’t rely on that fake rule—but it’s true that you often pause when you hit a comma when you’re reading a sentence aloud. If you listened to the podcast version of this article, you may have noticed that I the speaker paused slightly before the participial phrases. Main Takeaways: Place a comma before which when which precedes a nonrestrictive clause. The Joining Comma. There are two schools of thought on how best to lighten the punctuation of such a sentence. Web. Personally, I would put a comma after In Quantum Physics: that clause is not critical to the meaning of the overall sentence; and I find it helps to pause there in order to understand the sentence quickly, i.e. https://www.grammar.com/the_correct_way_to_use_commas_with_names_and_titles. Boo: I signaled to the mayor about the mustard, on his lip. It is used to join two complete sentences into a single sentence, and it must be followed by a suitable connecting word. "My wife Susan and I founded our company in 2012." When I read the sentence. page numbers, and writing -- and it 's FREE examples! In forming compound sentences ( when they precede independent clauses ), and cried the whole way.! 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