Do You Need a Comma After the Word Again at the Beginnning of a Sentence?

Lesson 13: Commas

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What is a comma?

A comma is a punctuation mark that can be used in many unlike ways. Mainly, it's used to separate things—for case, two thoughts in a sentence, multiple adjectives, or items in a list.

There are many rules that tell united states of america how commas should exist used, but don't allow it scare you. With a footling practice, it'll start to feel similar second nature. Some rules are prepare in stone. They work the aforementioned manner every time, then you don't have to think virtually them too much. Other rules are more than complicated. In these cases, you lot have to understand the meaning of the sentence to know when and where to use the comma.

Using commas

The basic rules for using commas are pretty foolproof. In other words, they're easy to apply to your writing because they e'er piece of work the aforementioned style. You don't take to worry about any special exceptions or wonder where the comma is supposed to go. Each rule tells you exactly what to practise.

Joining two sentences

You already know how to join two sentences using conjunctions similar and, or, but, and so. We practice it all the time in regular chat, if non in writing.

Every bit yous can run across, the comma goes between the 2 sentences, correct before the conjunction. Information technology tells you lot where ane thought ends and another begins. Placing the comma after the conjunction would be wrong because the conjunction is part of the 2d thought.

List items in a judgement

Commas tin can also be used to divide three or more items in a listing. Just place a comma betwixt each item (and an advisable punctuation mark at the end). The last item is normally joined by a conjunction like and, or, or nor. Similar the rule for joining sentences, the comma goes right before the conjunction.

Place names and dates

At that place are sure types of place names (for example, metropolis/land and land/country) that are always separated by a comma when y'all write them out. Yous can see this dominion in action on any mailing envelope.

Phoenix is a place within Arizona—that'due south why there's a comma between the city and state. This rule applies whenever you refer to a place in a similar way, whether it's MTV Studios , Times Foursquare (which isn't fifty-fifty a city, state, or country) or England , Britain.

Dates work almost the same manner. For example, when yous write the total appointment, it should look something like this: January one, 2014. It's most every bit if the solar day and the month are inside the year—which is truthful, in a way. We're talking nigh January 1 in the year 2014. That'southward why there's a comma between the date and year.

Quotations

Quotations are usually made up of two things: a quote (what the person said) and a tag (the person who said it). Commas play an important office as well—they separate the quote from the tag, so we can tell they're separate simply connected.

Then where does the comma get? Information technology depends on the layout of the sentence. Hither are three examples.

• Earlier the quote: Vanessa asked, "Is anyone else hungry?"
• Afterward the quote (inside the quotation mark): "I could go for some pizza," said Elizabeth.
• Both ways (in the middle of a quote): "I desire pizza," said Rick, "but not with anchovies!"

To acquire more than, take a wait at our lesson on Quotation Marks.

There are ii commas missing from the example beneath. Can you tell where they're supposed go? Click the dots to run across if you're right!

Nope!

That's not quite right, merely you're close. Retrieve: when joining two sentences, the comma always goes earlier the conjunction.

That's right!

This is where the commencement comma should go—right before the conjunction . It tells y'all where one thought ends ( I heard a sound in the attic ) and another one begins ( I went to see what it was ).

Try again!

This should be a menstruation , not a comma. You tin tell because the next sentence is a complete judgement (and there's no conjunction joining them together).

Correct!

This is a good instance of a quote that comes after a tag. In a instance similar this, the comma always goes before the quote (exterior the quotation marks).

More commas

To use commas in more complicated sentences, you lot'll have to utilise your judgment. This ways you'll demand to think near each sentence (and brand certain you actually understand what makes it work) before you can apply the comma.

Don't let this scare you. As always, information technology's non the end of the globe if y'all make a fault. If you lot get stuck on a rule, endeavor looking closely at the example—sometimes it helps to meet the dominion in action. If y'all're not a native English speaker, these rules tin be especially difficult to grasp. Yous may want to inquire someone you know for assist, such equally a friend, coworker, or instructor.

Adjectives

Another time y'all use commas is when you have ii or more adjectives in a sentence. But place the comma between them—this separates them and makes the sentence easier to read.

This rule is pretty universal, but it isn't always true. You should only employ a comma if the adjectives are interchangeable.

Interchangeable means yous tin listing the adjectives in whatsoever club and it won't change the meaning of the sentence. To find out if two adjectives are interchangeable, try reversing them—and so see if the sentence still makes sense.

Here's the aforementioned example with a dissimilar pair of adjectives: delicious and frozen. This time, the adjectives aren't interchangeable. (If you reverse them, y'all tin can probably encounter why.) This means they shouldn't be separated with a comma.

The truth is, frozen yogurt is more just an adjective followed by a noun. It's type of matter, like a miniature poodle, striped shirt, or even hot chocolate. All of these examples are made up of two words, but they represent a single affair. If you separate them with a comma—or write them in a dissimilar gild—the words lose their pregnant.

Introductory clauses

You might already know that an incomplete sentence is a fragment. When you begin a sentence with a fragment, it's called an introductory clause. (To learn more than, check out our lesson on Fragments.)

Information technology's perfectly OK to brainstorm a judgement this way, and then follow information technology with a complete thought. You just have to dissever these thoughts with a comma. This makes the sentence easier to read, and it also tells the reader where to break if needed.

In the instance above, the thing before the comma (while you were sleeping) is a fragment; the affair after the comma (I gave you a new haircut) is a complete sentence. The comma is necessary only if the clause introduces the sentence. If the phrases were written in the opposite guild, you wouldn't use a comma.

What well-nigh expressions like luckily, however, and every bit you lot tin can meet? Information technology'southward more mutual to see these at the beginning of a sentence, simply they can appear the end as well. Unlike introductory clauses, they don't necessarily add together anything new to the judgement. Regardless, they should always be separated by a comma. For example: I gave you lot a new haircut, every bit y'all tin see.

Nonessential clauses

Y'all should as well use commas to separate nonessential clauses that appear in the center of a sentence. A nonessential clause is something that adds meaning but that isn't completely necessary. In other words, if you lot took information technology out the judgement would still mean basically the same thing.

To find out if a clause is nonessential, try removing it from the sentence, then see how it sounds. The sentence higher up would nevertheless make sense if we removed the detail about the ascot. It would exist: Steve is very tidy.

If the clause was essential, we wouldn't be able to remove it. Try this sentence instead: Men who article of clothing ascots are very tidy. If we have out the detail about the ascot, we're left something slightly different: Men are very tidy. This is far too general to exist true—afterward all, some men are actually sloppy. This is how yous know the clause is essential to the sentence'southward pregnant.

Other cases

As you gain more experience with commas, you'll run into cases when your judgment matters more than ever. These cases are more hard to ascertain, just they build on the rules nosotros just discussed.

For instance, some sentences stop with a type of fragment called a complimentary modifier. This is just a fancy give-and-take for something that clarifies or relates to another part of the sentence. When you use a gratuitous modifier similar this, always split it with a comma.

Other sentences finish with a distinct pause, followed by something more cryptic. That final beat could be the name of the person you're talking to, a statement of confirmation, or a single word. Whatever information technology is, that beat too should be separated by a comma.

Below are two sentences that include a series of commas—one is correct, and the other is non. Utilize what you but learned to decide which i is correct, and then click the dots to see if you're correct!

Not quite!

Here, an essential clause has been mistaken for a nonessential clause . The sentence should be written without commas instead:

Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

Correct!

The comma in this judgement is used correctly. It separates the introductory clause ( if you keep making that face up ) from the residual of the judgement ( information technology'due south going to stay that mode ).

Common comma mistakes

Joining 2 sentences without a conjunction

People often brand the mistake of using a comma to join 2 sentences without a conjunction. For example:

Find how the kickoff version of the judgement is missing something? It needs a conjunction like and or merely to bring together the ii halves properly. Y'all could also use a semi-colon to right information technology instead: She was a minor-town-girl; he was a city boy . Or you could rewrite the sentence as two sentences, with a menstruation in between.

Joining a chemical compound discipline or predicate

Remember how you're supposed to utilise a comma to carve up three or more items in a list? Be conscientious non to go overboard and starting time separating two items that vest together (in other words, a compound subject or predicate).

It might help to think of the compound as a single idea or idea. In the instance above, the gym teacher and the principal are both part of Aunt Ruth'south dating history—and they're the simply things listed. You wouldn't break them upwardly unless and the principal was rewritten every bit a complete sentence. For case: Aunt Ruth used to appointment the gym teacher, but she dumped him for the principal .

When a fragment follows a sentence

Information technology'southward easy to confuse a fragment at the end of a sentence with an introductory clause—they do look like. We already touched on this rule when nosotros went over introductory clauses, but information technology tin't injure to review it again.

A fragment only works equally an introductory clause if information technology'southward at the offset of a sentence. If it's at the end, yous don't need a comma. In this example, the sentence would need a comma simply if it was written in the opposite order: While my husband went camping, I went to Vegas .

Forcing a break

Using a comma to forcefulness the reader to pause is a common mistake. Just call back: Commas are meant to make things easier to read, not necessarily influence the style they're read.

If y'all desire the reader to suspension, you'll accept to go creative with your formatting. For example, you could use an ellipses (a very common way of indicating a suspension), like in the instance above. Or you could write the give-and-take you desire to emphasize in all caps or italics. This way, the reader tin really feel the weight of it: And THAT is how you deep-fry a turkey .

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Source: https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/grammar/commas/1/

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