Recently, I have been getting emails from various Yahoo Answer users about how to use Commas; such as, how do we incorporate them into our daily writing, how to ameliorate our writing skill, and how can our writing standout among all those others. So, I’m provide you guys with the most basic usage of commas.
Comma – Among its many functions, the comma is used to set off independent clauses, items in a series, coordinate adjectives, parenthetical expressions, and nonrestrictive phrases or clauses.
Rule One: Use a comma to separate independent clauses joined by coordinating conjunction (and, but for, or, nor, yet, or so). Always separate them with commas, otherwise it’ll be an run-on sentences. I’ve perceive a lot of Yahoo Answer users who don’t do that.
Examples: He wanted to be a spokesman, but no jobs were available. The people refused to send their children to school, and the school building stood empty the entire year.
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Rule Two: Use commas to separate items in a series.
I suspect all of you guys know this rule, so I won’t go into details.
Example: Friendly, small, and innovative are adjectives that accurately characterize this college
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Rule Three: Use a comma to separate coordinated adjectives modifying the same noun.
Example: He washed this new, black, shiny car.
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Rule Four: Use commas to set off nonrestrictive phases and clauses from the rest of the sentences. For those who are confused, this rule is employed to set the stages(ideas) before elaborate on them. Also note that this is one of the best way to refine a sentences; this work extremely well when writing a college paper, since the professor wants students to establish the ideas before elaborating on them.
Participial phases: Having spent his last penny, luster tried to borrow a quarter from his boss.
Prepositional phases: At the beginning of each game, a noted singer gives his rendition of the “the Star-Spangled Banner”
Adverbial Clause: When the composer was finished with the prelude, she began work on the first movement.
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Rule Five: Use a comma to set off contrasting and nonessential phrases and clauses. Also know as modifiers
Example: “Mary Jennings, who was my best friend, dropped the class”. “The first offer on the Blake house, which had been the market for almost a month, was very disappointing”.
Be sure to distinguish between these nonrestrictive interrupters and the restrictive modifiers, which are not set off by commas. Nonrestrictive modifiers add information but do not limit or change the meaning of the sentences
Restrictive: The young girl who was my best friend dropped the class.
Notice how the young girl is now identified as the best friend. Rather if you put it this way, ” The young girl, who was my best friend, dropped the class” has a different meaning. Just look out for that.
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Rule Six: Use a comma to set off non restrictive phrases and clauses that follow the main clause. So basically, if you notice a sharp change of concept, ideas, be sure to a comma.
Example: Jessica wanted to see the ice show, not the circus.
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Rule Seven: Use the commas to set off an appositive. An appositive is a noun or noun phases that renames or explains the noun it follows.
Example: The prose fiction, a mystery about a secret island off the Washington coast, was a instant bestseller.
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Rule Eight: Use commas to set off words in direct address.
Example: Excuse me, Beth, but aren’t you late for your tennis lesson?
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Semicolon
Rule one: Use a semicolon between related independent clauses not joined by a coordinating conjunction.
Example: A mature male gorilla may be sex feet tall and weight 400 pound or more; his enormous arms can span eight feet
Example: New York has twelve major stadiums; Los Angeles as fifteen.
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Rule two: Use a semicolon between independent clauses joined by a transitional word (conjunctive adverb). Frequently, two independent clauses are joined, not by coordinating conjunction, but by a transitional word (conjunctive adverb) introducing the second clause. A semicolon must be used between the clauses, because these transitional words (accordingly, also, consequently, finally, furthermore, however, indeed, meanwhile, nevertheless, similarly, still, therefore, this, and the like) are not connecting words.
Example: A female coyote will not bear pups if her diets consists of fewer than fifty rodents a week; thus, Mother Nature achieves a population balance.
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Rule three: Use a semicolon to separate concept in a series when the concepts themselves contain internal punctuation, this will prevent confusion.
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I guarantee if you learn all these rules, your writing will improve substantially. If you