Unit 3: Writing and Sentence Skills

Punctuation & Capitalization: Commas

The comma is used :

1. To separate two words or figures that might otherwise be misunderstood.

- Instead of hundreds, thousands came.

- Instead of 20, 50 came.

- February 20, 1949.

- In 1930, 400 men were dismissed.

- To John, Smith was very kind.

2. Before a direct quotation of only a few words following.

- He said, “Now or never.”

3. To indicate the omission of a word or words.

- Then we had much; now, nothing.

4. Before abbreviated titles Jr., Sr., Esq., Ph.D., F. R, S., etc.

- Henry Smith, Jr.

- Peter Johns, F. R. S.

5. To seperate thousands, millions, etc., in numbers of four or more digits into groups of three However, in built-up fractions and in serial numbers ( with the exception of patent numbers ) a comma will not be used.

6. After a noun or phrase in direct address.

- Senator, will the measure be defeated?

- Mr. Chairman, I will reply to the gentleman later.

7. Between title and name organization in the absence of the words of or of the.

- Chief, Division of Finance

- Chairman, Committee on Approporiations.

8. Between the name and number of an organization

- Columbia Typographical Union, NO. 101

- General U.S. Grant Post, No. 25

Use commas to seperate to separate the last two items in a long series. If more than two items are listed in a series, they should be separated by commas. The final comma — the one that precedes the word and — may be omitted. An omitted final comma would not be considered an error on any civil service exam.

Example : My recipe for cornbread includes cornmeal, butter, eggs, and milk.

Also Correct : My recipe for cornbread includes cornmeal, butter, eggs and milk.

Look out for commas placed before the the first element of a series, or after the last element.

Incorrect : Jason watched television, morning, noon, and night.

Incorrect : Action programs, cartoons, and soap operas, are his favorite shows.

Use commas to seperate two or more adjectives before a noun, but not after the last adjective in a series.

Example : It was a long, dull novel.

Incorrect : The novel was a long, dull, travesty.

If a phrase or clause is not necessary to the main idea expressed by a sentence, it is parenthetical and should be seperated by commas.

Example : Heather, who always attends practice, is the best athlete on the team.

The phrase who always attends practice is not necessary information. The main idea here is that Heather is the best player on the team. The clause in the middle merely serves to further describe her; it is therefore set off by commas.

Use commas after introductory phrases.

Example : Having driven two hundred miles in one day, we were exhausted.

When combining independent clauses with and, but, for, nor, or, so, and yet, use a comma before the conjunction.

Example : Lena tried to make a pot roast, but she burned it.

Example : The question of who built the pyramids in Egypt has been an ongoing debate, yet one historian believes she has the answer.

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