…and they have nothing to do with a NATURAL PAUSE!!!!

Writers use punctuation (commas, periods, question marks, etc.) to clarify meaning of their sentences.

A comma (,), for example, indicates a pause that is shorter than the pause at the end of a sentence.

Even though the comma indicates a pause in a sentence, it is not NATURAL!

It is RULE DRIVEN!

Commas are properly used to:

Set off introductory words, phrases, and clauses.

EXAMPLES:◦ First, we must save money.◦ By working very hard, we finished the job.◦ If what we hear is true, the concert will be

canceled.

Commas are properly used to:

Separate words, phrases, and clauses in a series.

EXAMPLES:◦ Did you buy apples, bananas, and oranges?◦ She raced into the house, ran upstairs, and

took a fast shower.◦ I came, I saw, I conquered.

Commas are properly used to:

Separate the individual items in dates and addresses.

EXAMPLES:◦ Lou graduated on June 10, 2002, from North

Stafford High School. ◦ The Smiths live at 21 Park Street, Mountain

View, California.

The comma is also used to:

Separate two or more coordinate adjectives before a noun.

EXAMPLES:◦ A long, sleek, black limousine◦ A skinny, dirty, lost dog

The comma is also used to:

Set off interrupting words or phrases from the rest of the sentence.

EXAMPLES:◦ Mrs. Green, carrying a bouquet of roses,

greeted her mother at the airport.◦ Michael Jordan, a great athlete, played

basketball for the Chicago Bulls.

The comma is also used to:

Set off the designation of the speaker in direct quotations.

EXAMPLES:◦ “Be sure,” he advised, “to come home early.”◦ Virginia cried, “You can’t make me do it!”