Even when the date is not a dependent clause, as it is in the previous example, the last item in the date should be followed by a comma. Incorrect: I hope to mail to you before Christmas, a current snapshot of my dog Benji. It has the same shape as an apostrophe or single closing quotation mark (’) in many typefaces, but it differs from them in being placed on the baseline of the text. % of people told us that this article helped them. As, because or since ? Sometimes a dependent clause can be used to introduce a sentence. This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD. Note that the final quotation mark follows the full stop at the end of the direct speech: Steve replied, ‘No problem.’ You also need to use a comma at the end of a piece of direct speech, if the speech comes before the informatio… Keep the following rules of thumb in mind for when to not use commas. Commas are necessary to set off elements that interrupt or add information in a sentence. You may still write “a.k.a” this way if it looks better to you or if your teacher prefers this option. Incorrect: Daycare providers often undergo extreme pressure to accept a sick child “just this once” the parent has no other care options and cannot miss work. That’s where the judgment call comes in. They often include additional descriptive details. Usually, AKA comes before a pseudonym, which is another name that a person might go by, such as a nickname, a legal name, or a role that the person plays. Read about the Oxford Comma. Also known as a serial comma, the punctuation mark derives its common name from its use in by the Oxford University Press (OUP). Correct: Before the parade I want to eat pizza. My sister, Alice Smith, likes jelly beans. Could you tell me if I need a comma after Jonathan? Avoiding unnecessary commas is simply a matter of understanding the rules of correct comma usage. The conjunction must split the third item … To do so, writers can use introductory words or introductory phrases. That last comma, known as the serial comma, Oxford comma, or Harvard comma, causes serious controversy. Example: My estate goes to my husband, son, daughter-in-law, and nephew. By understanding the rules of correct comma usage, you can avoid common comma errors. If removing the phrase would change the meaning of the sentence, then it is restrictive and a comma should not be used. However, “also known as” in the phrase, “Disneyland, AKA created by Walt Disney,” would become “Disneyland, also known as created by Walt Disney.” The “AKA” or “also known as” in this sentence is unneeded. Still, not using the serial comma is relatively uncommon in American English, except in newspapers and magazines. Correct: The fire occurred at 5509 Avenida Valencia. In English, restrictive appositives are not set off by commas. For example: Once you discover where the two independent clauses are “spliced,” there are several ways to separate them. You may be familiar with how to use commas, but a comma can serve many purposes. Example 2: “Thank you for the award. The independent clauses may not have any punctuation separating them, or they may have a coordinating conjunction between them, but without the comma that needs to accompany it to separate the independent clauses. Incorrect: I like your dancing, cat t-shirt. Commas have many uses, but the situations in which they are used can be broken down into four major categories: Coordinating conjunctions are conjunctions, or joining words, that are placed between words and phrases of equal importance. A compound sentence is one that contains two or more independent clauses joined by one or more coordinating conjunctions—most commonly, and. You can use a semicolon with a transition word to indicate a specific relation between the two clauses; however, you should use this sparingly. Restrictive modifiers, on the other hand, are those whose use is essential to the overall meaning of the sentence. The final comma, the one before and or or, is known as a serial comma (also called the Oxford or Harvard comma). Learn more about the common ways of using AKA to start including it in your speech and writing. When joining two independent clauses, or clauses that could stand on their own as full sentences, place a comma before the conjunction. Incorrect: Registering for our fitness programs before September 15, will save you thirty percent of the membership cost. It limits or clarifies that noun phrase in some crucial way, and the meaning of the sentence would change if the appositive were removed. Some people argue that … Can you see the ambiguity in the example below? Use commas after introductory a) clauses, b) phrases, or c) words that come before the main clause. There are different punctuation marks in the English language. Comma Before Parenthesis. I’d like to thank my parents, Charles Darwin and Lindsay Lohan.” If the piece of direct speech comes after the information about who is speaking, you need to use a comma to introduce the direct speech. 2. Put a comma after introductory words, phrases, or clauses that introduce a sentence. Nonrestrictive appositives do require commas. Example 1: First we’ll go to the mall. Tip: Although, AKA can indicate a relationship between words and concepts, remember that it is an abbreviation with a very specific meaning, so its uses are limited. The sentence without them would be grammatically correct and have essentially the same meaning. This is the strongest level of separation. The comma serves a variety of grammatical functions, including to indicate pauses or set off introductory phrases, as in the title example. Correct: Write to the program advisor at 645 5. The serial comma (also known as the Oxford comma or listing comma) is the final comma before ‘and’ in a list of three or more items, e.g. Otherwise, skip it. Incorrect: The next presidential election will take place in November, 2016. Both of those sentence pairs are correct! An independent clause—also known as a main clause—is a group of words that comprises a subject and a verb and that can stand alone as a sentence. It's non-restrictive if the information is non-essential. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. Correct: The fingers on his left hand are bigger than those on his right. References. For example, you might say or write, “Apple pie, AKA warm hugs in food form.”. Correct: Some argue that print newspapers will never disappear because of their many readers. Correct: Every day, millions of children go to daycare with millions of other kids. Then we’ll go to the pet store. Each mark has it's own job to do. Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. a. When there are three or more items in a list, commas should be used between the items. Using a comma turns the thing you’re talking about with as well as into an aside–information that’s less important than the rest of the sentence. In this sentence, “Iron Chef” is an appositive modifying the noun phrase “television show.” Because the meaning of the sentence would be unclear without “Iron Chef,” it is considered restrictive and thus does not require a comma. CC licensed content, Specific attribution, https://writingguide.wikispaces.com/The+Comma+(, http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/English_in_Use/Commas, http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Rhetoric_and_Composition/Commas, http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/preposition, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restrictiveness, http://www.gutenberg.org/files/33437/33437-h/33437-h.htm, https://writingguide.wikispaces.com/The+Comma. As with many comma related questions, the answer depends on whether the phrase in question is restrictive or non-restrictive. Put a comma before a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) that separates two independent clauses. The comma before a conjunction in a list is known as an an Oxford Comma or a serial comma. Incorrect: The fingers, on his left hand, are bigger than those on his right. Some typefaces render it as a small line, slightly curved or straight but inclined from the vertical. Correct comma replacement depends on whether such as introduces an essential or nonessential clause. Example, “The sun rose slowly over the mountains, warming the faces of the miners in the valley, inviting the jays out from their nests, shimmering in the morning dew, inching the day forward one shadow at a time.”. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Incorrect: The future of print newspapers appears uncertain, due to rising production costs and the increasing popularity of online news sources. A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are joined only by a comma instead of an acceptable form of punctuation, such as a comma with a coordinating conjunction, a semicolon, or a period. Our language uses exclamation marks, semicolons, dashes, and commas - just to name a few. Read more about commas in lists. Incorrect: Some argue that print newspapers will never disappear, because of their many readers. The phrase “who scratched your car” is a restrictive modifier because it explains which man the sentence refers to,  and because the sentence would be unclear without it. The first phrase could not stand on its own as a sentence, but when joined to the independent clause by the comma, the sentence is complete. Coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) are also known by the acronym FANBOYS. This is when you are using the comma as an Oxford comma (sometimes known as a serial comma). I’ll continue to use commas before … For example, you might use AKA to let readers know what other roles a person plays in your life, such as “Mrs. Correct: Daycare providers often undergo extreme pressure to accept a sick child “just this once” because the parent has no other care options and cannot miss work. 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