How To Use Commas When Listing Multiple Items

When multiple adjectives modify a noun to an equal degree they are said to be coordinate and should be separated by commas.

How to use commas when listing multiple items. When there are two items in a list don t use a comma to separate the list items unless it helps your reader. If each item is comprised of only one or two words the last comma is optional. Delicately gracefully and joyfully the ballerina twirled onto the stage include a comma between each independent clause you list in a sentence. Use commas to separate words and word groups in a simple series of three or more items. More descriptive words that you shouldn t separate from other descriptions or from the words that they describe include other.

At the store i will buy apples oranges pears and bananas do not place commas before or after the list or series. If the sentence still sounds natural the adjectives are coordinate. Commas are used to separate items in a list. Use commas to separate things in a list or series. Two cotton handkerchiefs some brass trinkets and a little.

Charlie has to buy flashlight batteries breath butter cookies breath ice cream breath and cake. My estate goes to my husband son daughter in law and nephew. Alexander s bridge willa cather when there are more than two items use commas between each item. This probably the first use of commas you learned in school. Nouns verbs and adjectives all need commas when you use three or more.

When you read the list aloud the commas emerge as breaths. Separating items in a list of three or more things. In a series the comma before the conjunction is optional unless 1 there are three or more items in the series and the items are long. Numbers aren t separated from other descriptions or from the word s that they describe. Also don t use commas to separate other descriptions from words that indicate number or amount many more few less and so forth.

Please buy bread and milk. For example here is a list separated by commas. Don t put a comma after a number. One way to tell whether the adjectives are coordinate is to try switching the order of them. Hilda was back in a few moments wearing a long gray squirrel coat and a broad fur hat.