Commas

• In a series of three or more items, place a comma after each item except for the last one. Make sure you write the word “and” before the last item.

• Example: Bungee jumping has joined the ranks of surfboarding, skateboarding, and sky surfing as an extreme sport.

Commas in Series

• Place a comma between 2 adjectives that modify the same noun.

• Example: A young, adventurous man jumped off a 300-foot bridge.

Commas with 2 Adjectives

• Place a comma after introductory phrases

• Example: At the beginning of class, Jonathon sharpened his pencil.

• Example: Taking a deep breath, the jumper prepared for the dive.

Commas with Introductory Phrases

• Use commas to separate speaker tags from quotes.

• Example: Celeste said, “My name has the same root as celestial which means heavenly.”

Commas with Quotations

Commas w/ appositives• Appositive: a word or phrase that identifies or renames

a noun or pronoun. • Use commas to set-off an appositive that adds non

essential information to the noun/pronoun. • Example:

1) Lindblom, a school, is known for its achievement. 2) The newspaper followed Nancy, the newest member of the skydiving team.

Commas w/ asides• Aside: a random statement that is less important than

the focus of the sentence. Non-essential. • Often spoken underneath someone’s breath.

• Example:1) Her friend, I hesitate to say, has betrayed her.