commas
I have chickens, pigs, and cows on my farm.
Use commas to separate words and word groups in a simple series of three or more items.
We are smart, capable women.
Use a comma to separate two adjectives when the order of the adjectives is interchangeable.
Arthur went to school, and he learned a lot.
Many inexperienced writers run two independent clauses together by using a comma instead of a period. This results in the dreaded run-on sentence or, more technically, a comma splice.
Was she at the party, or did she stay home?
In sentences where two independent clauses are joined by connectors such as and, or, but, etc., put a comma at the end of the first clause.
I waited for my turn, and then raised my hand.
If the subject does not appear in front of the second verb, a comma is generally unnecessary.
I am not late to class, because that clock is fast.
A comma is placed before the word because only if needed for clarity.
If the weather is nice, Mike and Will can ride their bikes.
When starting a sentence with a dependent clause, use a comma after it.
Let me know if you start feeling sick.
But often a comma is unnecessary when the sentence starts with an independent clause followed by a dependent clause.
The teacher, who was an ex-felon, taught us about criminal justice.
Use commas to set off nonessential words, clauses, and phrases.
If something or someone is sufficiently identified, the description that follows is considered nonessential and should be surrounded by commas.
Yes, Jimmy Neutron is a boy genius.
Use a comma after certain words that introduce a sentence, such as well, yes, why, hello, hey, etc.
Joey and Chandler were, nevertheless, going to miss Ross.
Use commas to set off expressions that interrupt the sentence flow (nevertheless, after all, by the way, on the other hand, however, etc.).
Jess, too, is in love with Nick.
In general, use commas to set off the word too midsentence. However, it is usually not necessary to precede too with a comma at the end of a sentence.
Can we, babe, go to the movies together?
Use commas to set off the name, nickname, term of endearment, or title of a person directly addressed.
On August 16, 1977, Elvis Presley died.
Use a comma to separate the day of the month from the year, and—what most people forget!—always put one after the year, also.
Rocky Balboa ran up the steps of the museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1976.
Use a comma to separate a city from its state, and remember to put one after the state, also.
I'm going to visit my good friend Carls, Jr., at his restaurant.
Traditionally, if a person's name is followed by Sr. or Jr., a comma follows the last name: Martin Luther King, Jr. This comma is no longer considered mandatory. However, if a comma does precede Sr. or Jr., another comma must follow the entire name when it appears mid-sentence.
Meredith Grey, M.D., will be performing this surgery.
Similarly, use commas to enclose degrees or titles used with names.
She drove up and said, "Get in loser, we're going shopping."
Use commas to introduce or interrupt direct quotations of dialogue or text.
"I DECLARE BANKRUPTCY," he stated.
If the quotation comes before he said, she wrote, they reported, Dana insisted, or a similar attribution, end the quoted material with a comma, even if it is only one word.
If a quotation functions as a subject or object in a sentence, it might not need a comma
"Can we run to the store?" Kevin asked.
If a quoted question ends in midsentence, the question mark replaces a comma.
You love popsicles, don't you?
Use a comma to separate a statement from a question.
The robber went to the left, not the right.
Use a comma to separate contrasting parts of a sentence.
You have a lot of colored pants, ie., purple, green, blue, yellow, etc., in your closet.
Commas should precede the term etc. and enclose it if it is placed midsentence.
Use a comma before and after certain introductory words or terms, such as namely, that is, i.e., e.g., including, and for instance, when they are followed by a series of items.