Commas: Little Pauses, Big Difference
Think of commas as little pauses when you’re speaking. They help us organize our sentences and show where one thought ends and another begins.
When Do We Use Commas?
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Listing: When we list three or more items, we use commas to separate them.
- Example: I need to buy milk, eggs, bread, and cheese at the store.
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Introductory Elements: We use a comma after a word, phrase, or clause that introduces a sentence.
- Examples:
- Yesterday, I went to the park.
- Feeling tired, she decided to go to bed early.
- In the middle of the night, the phone rang.
- Examples:
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Compound Sentences: We use a comma before a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so – FANBOYS) when it joins two independent clauses.
- Example: I like to swim, but my friend prefers to bike.
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Nonessential Phrases/Clauses: We use commas to set off information that is extra, not necessary for the main meaning of the sentence.
- Examples:
- My dog, a golden retriever, loves to play fetch.
- The movie, which was released last year, was a huge success.
- Examples:
Important Things to Remember:
- Don’t use commas to separate two items in a list (use “and” instead).
- Don’t use a comma before a coordinating conjunction if the second part of the sentence is not a complete thought.
Let’s Practice!
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Add Commas: Put commas where they belong in these sentences:
- I like apples bananas and grapes.
- Before going to school she ate breakfast.
- My brother is a doctor and he works in a hospital.
- The car which is parked in the driveway is new.
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Correct the Mistakes:
- The cat, is sleeping on the sofa.
- I went to the store and bought milk and eggs,
Challenge!
Write a paragraph about your favorite hobby or activity. Use at least two of each type of comma we learned today!
