How To Use Commas Effectively
If a dependent clause ends the sentence however it no longer requires a comma.
How to use commas effectively. The major guidelines of style agree that a comma should be used to separate a long introductory phrase or clause. Steel of course is denser than wood. You can also use commas to separate parts of a sentence that are there just for emphasis as in. You get injected inspected detected infected neglected and selected guthrie 1967. There are those who on finding an egregiously misplaced comma in the first sentence of a blog post will assume the author isn t worth reading.
Use a comma to separate two or more adjectives describing a noun. One of the basic uses of a comma is to segregate items in a list. In american english a comma also known as serial comma or oxford comma is inserted before the conjunction separating the last item in the list. They re coordinating if you could place and between them you shouldn t put a comma after the final adjective. Use a comma to separate elements in a list.
Use commas in an introduction. After the show cleo will be signing autographs. When you re describing something with two or more adjectives you can use a comma between them if those adjectives are coordinating. Commas in fact are some of the most often misused punctuation marks and with good reason. Walking at night sleeping by day and eating raw potatoes he made it to the swiss border hicken 1968.
You can also use a comma with a shorter phrase when you want to emphasize it or add a pause for literary effect. It s a visual breathing mark or break in a sentence that can either go unnoticed or stand out. Commas are used to separate more than two elements in a list. And writing effectively requires the proper use of words structures and punctuation. Only use a comma to separate a dependent clause at the end of a sentence for added emphasis usually when negation occurs.
Sometimes consecutive adjectives are used to describe a single subject with multiple qualities. The most effective thing a comma does in a sentence is to create a pause. Commas always follow these clauses at the start of a sentence. Use a comma between words phrases or clauses that appear in a series of three or more. This use of commas is similar to using them to separate items in a series with one exception.