1.
COMMA GUIDE
IN COMPOUND SENTENCES FANBOYS
Wh e n j o in i ng t wo or m o r e i n de pe n de n t c l au se s ( c om p l et e th o ug h ts) FANBO YS is a n a cr o ny m for t he sev e n c o or d in at i ng
wi t h a c o or di n at i ng c on j un c ti o n , p l a ce a c om m a before the c on ju n ct i o ns: F or , And , No r , But , Or , Yet , an d S o.
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c oor d in a ti ng c o nj u nc t i o n. If th e wo r d s on e it h er s i de of t he c o or di n at i ng c on j un c ti o n ca n
F A NB OY S st an d a lo n e, a dd a c om m a bef or e th e c on ju n ct i on . If t hey
INDEPENDENT CLAUSE INDEPENDENT CLAUSE
ca n no t , do n o t a d d a c o m m a .
I lov e y o u, bu t y o ur f ee t ar e t o o bi g.
He r h ear t i s f ul l of b i le, an d her m o u th i s f u ll o f li e s.
I w o u ld h av e be e n h a pp y t o he lp h er , b ut I w as m or ta l ly
wo u nd ed . He w en t t o he av e n bu t c ou l dn ’ t aff or d t h e e n tr a nc e f ee .
BETWEEN ITEMS IN A SERIES AFTER INTRODUCTORY CLAUSES
Use commas to separate wo rds and word groups in a simple Int roductor y clauses ar e de pe n de n t cl au s es t ha t se t th e
ser ies of three or more items . st ag e f or t he m a in p ar t of t he se n te n ce , th e in d ep en de n t
c la us e.
S he r eg i st er e d for p hy s i cs, def en se a ga i ns t th e dar k ar ts, an d
r o ck e t sc i en c e. Al th o ug h S im on pr o p os e d, he d id n o t c om e t o t h e w ed d in g .
Ge or g e pl a nn ed t o t ak e ov er t he e ar t h, s el l t he pl a ne t to t h e If Ra s hi a ha d ask ed, he wo u ld h av e g iv e n h i s li f e.
hi gh es t b id d er , and u se th e pr ofi t s to s ta r t a go at far m on Be c au se t h e w ar ha d en de d, t he s ol d ier s bur i ed th e ir g un s .
Ne pt u ne.
Int roductor y clauses start with adverbs suc h a s af ter , al t h ou gh , as ,
Lana wa s lo g ic a l a n d lo v ely . be ca u se , bef or e , i f, s i nc e, t h ou gh , un t i l, w he n , et c .
AFTER INTRODUCTORY PHRASES
Preposi tional phrases – an in tr o du c t or y p r e po s i t i on al p hr as e a n sw er s Abso lute phrases – an i n tr od u ct or y a bs o lu t e p hr as e co n si s ts of a
on e of t he fo l l ow i ng qu e st i on s ab o u t t h e m ai n c l au se: Ho w ? Wh er e ? no u n f o ll o we d by a w or d or p hr as e th a t d e scr i b es t he n ou n an d
Wh i c h o n e ? Wh at k i n d ? Wh e n? T o wh a t e x t en t ? If th e phr a se i s f our m o di fi es a n en t ir e c la u s e.
or m or e w or ds , u se a c o m m a .
Th ei r h a nd s a n d f a ce s b l o ody , th e ch i ldr e n w er e no t
Al on g r oa d si d es a ll a cr o ss t he c o un tr y , g ho s ts w an der l o ok in g al l ow e d a t t he ta b le .
for h om e s .
Part icip ial phrases – an i ntr o du c t or y par t i ci p le d es cr ib es a n ou n or
Apposi tive phrases – an in tr o du c to r y a p po s it iv e phr as e r en am es t he pr o n o un i n th e m ai n c la us e in t er m s of it s ac t i o n or s t at e of be i ng .
no u n d ir e ct ly af ter i t . Par t i ci p le s g en er al ly en d in - ed , - in g or -e n .
A t im e tr av el er wi t h a gr ud ge a nd a l ov e of g lam m et a l, Ja ck E x am in i ng t he w ou n d ca r efu l ly , h e d e ci d ed t o us e t h e h a ck
k ep t r et ur ni n g t o 1 97 8. sa w.
Infin itive phrases – an in tr od u ct or y i nf in i t iv e p hr as e s t ar t s wi t h an S hak en a nd h au n te d, Ja m es a sk e d t o b e g iv en a se c on d ch a nc e .
in fi n it iv e [ to + s im p le f o r m o f a v er b] .
If th e par t i ci p ia l phr a se is e ss en t ia l t o th e m ea n i ng of t he s en te n ce ,
To av o id a ns wer i ng h is q ue st i o ns, s he pr et e nd ed t o b e as l ee p. no c om m a s sh o ul d be u s ed .
2.
AROUND ADJECTIVE CLAUSES TO SET OFF QUOTATION MARKS IN DIALOUGE
Adject ive clauses descr i be t he n ou n t ha t c om e s bef or e th e cl a us e. Use commas to separate the wo rds inside quotation marks f rom the
Th ey be gi n wi t h tha t, when, where, who, whom, whose, which, or why. res t of the sentence . If t he d ia l og ue t ag c om es b ef or e t he q uo t ed
If th e ad je c t iv e c la u se c an b e r e m ov ed w i th o ut ch a ng in g th e m ea n in g m a ter ia l , pl a ce t he c om m a af ter t he t ag an d be f or e t he q u ot e . I f th e
of t he se n te n ce , pl a ce c om m as o n b ot h si d es of it . di a lo gu e ta g c om e s af te r t he q uo t ed m a te r i a l, p la c e t h e co m m a
Th e pr e si d en t, w ho wa s rec en t ly e lec t ed, h as n o po l i ti c al bef or e th e cl o s in g q u o ta ti o n m ar k .
ex p er ie n ce . “E x c u se m e, ” sa i d t h e b oy . “ Yo u ju s t cu t off m y fi ng er . ”
S up er S tu p or , w hi c h is t h e l ar g e st b ar in t ow n, j u st c l os ed .
“O h ! I ’m s o so r r y , ” I s h ou t ed, “ I di d n’ t se e i t t h er e .”
Th e cr e m a t or i um t ha t I l ik e d r ec e nt ly c l os ed .
AROUND APPOSITIVES WHEN NAMING GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS
An a pposit ive is a wor d or phr as e t ha t de sc r i be s an d r en am es a n ou n C om m as ar e u s ed t o se p ar a te g eo gr a p hi c al e le m en ts . Wh e n
r ig h t n ex t to i t . Wh e n t h e a p po s it iv e i s n ot e ss en ti a l to t he m e a ni ng a s er ie s of g e ogr ap h i ca l el em en ts a pp e ar s i n th e m i dd l e of a
of t he se n te n ce , se t it o ff w i th a c om m a or , if m id se n te n ce , tw o . se nt e nc e , t h ey a r e a f o ll ow e d by a c om m a .
Ak r o n S pl e nd if, t h e d ir e c to r of th e ne w o rg an e n gi ne er i ng H is a ddr es s wa s 12 3 S e s am e S tr ee t, N ew Y or k , N Y 5 43 21 .
fac il i ty, ju st r e ce iv ed a t hir d k i dn ey . S he l ef t P ar is, Fr a n ce, t o liv e in P ar is, T ex as, a t age t e n.
IN DATES WHEN USING NAMES WITH THE WORDS YES AND NO
C om m as ar e u s ed t o se p ar a te t he day of the week fr om t he Wh e n d ir ec t ly ad dr es si n g In d ir e c t ad dr es s, u se a c om m a
month and t he day of the month fr om the year . Wh e n a d at e ap pe ar s so m e o ne , th e per s on ’s n am e af ter t he w or d s y es a nd no .
m i ds en t en ce , t he y e ar is al s o f o ll o we d by a co m m a sh o ul d be s et of f w i t h c om m as . No, th at i s n ot w ha t I
Th e we dd i ng wa s sc h ed u le d f or Fr id ay , J uly 1 3, 2 01 3. Jo hn, I w a nt y o u t o co m e in t en de d .
He n o ti c ed t h at t he l ov e le t ter w as d at e d A pr i l 1 , 199 9 . l ook a t th i s. Ye s, y o u ca n pi ck u p t h e
Th e st or m o n Nov em ber 11, 2 01 1, w as c o ns id er e d th e Unf or tu n at e ly , Ma r y , I ’v e zom b ie c hi l dr e n o n Fr i d ay .
be gi n ni ng o f t h e e n d. By D ec em ber 2 01 2 th ey we r e g o ne . tem p or ar i ly l os t m y v is i on .
AFTER INTRODUCTORY WORDS AROUND INTERRUPTORS
Int roductor y wo rds act a s br i dg es t ha t he l p r ea d er s Inte rrupters in ter r up t a th o ug h t t o s ho w em ot i o n or a d d e m p ha s is .
tr a n si t i on fr o m on e se nt en ce t o t he ne x t . I ntr o d uc t or y Wh e n y ou u se an i nter rupter in th e m i dd l e of a s en te n ce , p la ce
wor d s s h ou l d be fo l l ow e d b y a c om m a . c om m as o n bo t h si de s .
Common int roductor y wo rds : y es, h o wev er , w e ll , m ea nw h i le , Te le p or ta t io n f ee s, y ou sh ou l d k n ow, a r e pr oj e ct ed t o f a ll by
no n et he l es s , f ur t h er m or e, t her ef or e , t hu s , m or e ov er , af ter wa r d , th ir ty per c en t .
la t er , fi r s t , f in a lly , ge ne r al ly , st i l l, y e t, n ex t, b as i ca l ly , n o , a c t ua l ly ,
A r o u nd tr i p t i ck et t o J a pa n wi l l s o o n be tw o h u ndr ed d o l lar s,
ev e nt u al ly , no w , ul t im at ely , et c .
if yo u c an b el ie ve i t .
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