comma tutorial

8/7/2019 Comma Tutorial

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Comma Tutorial

Photo by Richie Diesterheft


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There are four

main rules forcomma usage

Rule One

Use commas to make numbers, place-names, and dates

clear


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Numbers

Use commas to distinguish the hundreds, thousands,millions, billionsand so onplaces

1,000 minutes 5,288,646,999 steps 65,000,000 years

5,280 feet 32,000 ounces

But NOT

12 steps 999 yards 2587 West Maple (addresses)


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Place Names

When writing a more specific location next to a lessspecific (associated) location, use commas

Manhattan, New York SpanishHarlem,Manhattan

Delano District, Wichita Emporia, KansasKansas, United States Saskatchewan, Canada

Hint: Thiscomma rule goes beyond city,state to include all place

names withinbigger place names.


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Dates

Use commas to separate the day and year

November 5, 2008 March 17, 1982 May 3, 1971

If using only month and year, omit the commaNovember 2008 March 1982 May 1971


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Rule Two

Use commas to separate items in a list


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Lists

Use commas to separate three or more items in a list

I went to the grocery store to pick up milk, bread,and ground beef.

The following itemsare due onthe thirteenth:A Bridge too Far,A Bridge over the

River Kwai,and The Bridges of Madison County.

Ralphfinished chapters four,seventeen, eighteen,and twenty-one.


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Rule Three

Use commas to build on to the basic parts of thesentence


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Compound Sentences

Use commas and a conjunction to join two simplesentences

I went to the store I ended up at the busstation

AND

BUT

FOR

NOR

SO

YET

,


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Introductory Phrases

Here is a simple sentence:I like to drive around town.

But all expressions cant be as simple as this. Thats why we

have nonessential phases.

When the weather is nice,, I like to drive around town.


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More Nonessential Phrases

Nonessential phrases can also come up in the middle ofsentences.

The man around the corner, the one in the blue suit, said that

he was looking for you.

Ken, Sallys brother, works at the diner.


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More Nonessential Phrases

I quickly ate my pancakes

Because I was

so hungry,

, before anyone

could sit down ,

, which were, by far,the biggest stack on

the table.


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Rule Four

Use commas to show when you are quoting someoneelses words exactly as spoken or written


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According to Friberg, Fondant isasugar syrup that is recrystallized to acreamy

white paste.

Glucose and cream of tartar are used to invert part of the sugar to achieve the proper

amount of recrystallization,adds the author.

Original text from The Professional Pastry Chefby Friberg:

Possible quotations from the excerpt:


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Note!

Note that, in some cases, the commas will go inside the

quotations. A comma will go inside the quotations if it is

nonessential. If it is not, it will not.

Why, she asked, should I pardon his mistake?

[Why, she asked, should I pardon his mistake?]

[Why should I pardon his mistake?]

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