can you help me to understand the comma rules?

Question

i left school without any formal qualification and do not poses a good punctuation skill. i find the comma rules very difficult to undrstand above all the other punctuation marks.
please use simple words and no web-links, many thanks.
i shall be most grateful, if you can kindly proved examples with rules. at present i'm doing a course, but the lessons are more word based than rules. i need to help my children, who are attending high school.

Answer 1

I know you said no links, but this is the best thing you can read.

http://esl.about.com/od/englishgrammar/a/a_punctuation.htm

Answer 2

Well, the easiest thing to remember is a comma represents when you take a breath in a sentence. Just like that sentence (and this one), the comma is where you would pause when speaking.

It gets a little more complicated, like when you want to put in an example, but that's the basic idea and will get you though almost all of the encounters with commas.

You also use a comma when making a side mention. In a passage from a narration (story) a comma would be used to indicate what is being said from who is saying it.
The Green one, she said with a squeel, is perfect!

Punctuation is not too difficult as long as you think of how you speak when you type. Many people tend to overuse a comma when typing. When you read a sentence with commas, think 'pause' for the comma. For example, the story line above would be "The green one she said with a squeel is perfect!"

Commas are also used when you have more than one item. You would say "I have this" for a single item. You would say "I have this and that" for two items, but when you have three or more distinct items you use a comma after all but the last one. I have a green one, a blue one, a red one, and a yellow one.

If your children are in high school they should have a very good understanding of punctuation- it's a grade school subject for English classes. (3rd or 4th grade)

Answer 3

If you have a natural break in a sentence, like when you would take a breath, you can put a comma to indicate that there's a slight pause. When you've finished a sentence, you put a full stop which shows the reader that they should take a longer pause.

If you're about to reel off a list; a shopping list, a list of things to do etc, you can put a semi-colon (;) which shows that there's more to come but it's slightly more than a comma type pause and a colon (:) is slightly more forceful than that.

These aren't the official rules but I'm going off when I use punctuation and I'm pretty pedantic about correct spelling, grammar and punctuation usage.

Answer 4

There are too many different ways that commas are used to cover them here, e.g. in series, between cities and states, after the greeting in a personal letter, after the closing in a letter, after an introductory dependent clause, before the conjunction in a compound sentence, surrounding extra material used to better define a noun (e.g. Mary, my oldest sister, is a nurse.), etc. One good rule of thumb for using commas in normal text is that one is often needed where there would be a slight pause if we were saying the same thing aloud. However, you can learn along with your children. Read their grammar books as they are working through the lessons. You will then be able to see the rule they are learning to apply. Another hint would be to buy a grammar handbook. A good one that is easy to understand is Elements of Style by Strunk and White. It is less than 100 pages and is written in an easy-to-understand and somewhat humorous manner.

If you are really interested in improving your grammar, think about taking an adult education class.

Answer 5

Well, cmhurley did the best job with the rules. I'd just add this simple one: A comma indicates a PAUSE, not a stop. If you were speaking out loud, and there would be a pause somewhere in your sentence, then put a comma there in your writing.

Answer 6

Comma Rules



Rule 1: Use Commas to separate items in a series.

Examples: The dog likes to eat bones, newspaper, dog food, and cats.

There were toys for the children, tools for Father, and books for Mother.



Rule 2: Use a Comma to separate two or more adjectives before a noun.

Examples: The dog wags its long, black tail.

How many of those hot, spicy, smelly peppers are left?



Rule 3: Use a Comma before “and, but, or, nor, for, yet” when they join independent clauses.

Examples: The first two acts were slow moving, but the third act was full of action.

I bought four shirts at the sale, yet most people bought shirts and pants.



Rule 4: Use a Comma to set off “nonessential information.”

Examples: Joan Thomas, who was offered scholarships to three colleges, will go to UT next fall.

Johnson City, home of Lyndon Baines Johnson, was not originally the name of the town.



Note: If the information is essential to the sentence DO NOT use Commas.

Examples:

Joan Thomas was offered scholarships from three colleges including UT.

Johnson City is not the original name for the town that is home to Lyndon Baines Johnson.



Rule 5: Use a Comma after introductory elements. There are four different variations on this rule.

a. Use a comma after “well, yes, no, why, so” when they begin a sentence.

Examples: Yes, I will come with you.

Well, I don’t quite know how to say it to you.



b. Use a comma after a participial phrase (phrase beginning with an “ing” or “ed” word).

Examples: Running to the woods, the fox got away from the hunters.

Tired from running to the woods, the fox died of a heart attack.



c. Use a comma after a series of introductory prepositions.

Examples: After the boat left the dock next to the green house and around the corner of the farm, I decided to go swimming.

When the house burned down over by the school at night, I knew we wouldn’t have to go.



d. Use a comma after an dependent introductory phrases.

Examples: Although the house burned down, they still made us go to school.

If you listen to the students, you can tell they don’t want to be here today.



Rule 6: Use a Comma to set off expressions that interrupt the sentence, this includes:

a. Phrases that follow and modify nouns.

Examples: William Blake, the famous poet, said he wrote with anger.

I once met a man who said he knew Lyndon Baines Johnson, the former president.



b. Use a Comma to set off words directly addressed (Usually Names).

Examples: I knew the fox was dead, John.

The teacher told you, Scott, school is not canceled.



c. Use a Comma to set off such words as “however, indeed, of course, on the other hand, nevertheless.” BUT ONLY IN SENTENCES THAT HAVE ONE INDEPENDENT CLAUSE.

Examples: However, the school does not think it will work.

The fox ran faster than we thought, on the other hand.

Note: Sentences using one of these words that has more than one independent clause should use a semicolon.

Example: The fox ran faster than we thought; on the other hand, he was chased by a pack of hunters.



Rule 7: Use a Comma in certain conventional situations.



a. Use a Comma to separate items in dates and addresses.

Examples: On March 4, 1998, the students were forced to go to school.

Please send all donations for the fox to 1122 Elm Street, Houston, Texas 77018, to pay for his taxidermy.



b. Use a Comma in a letter when addressing and closing the letter.

Examples: Dear Mr. Webster, Yours Truly,

Sincerely, To whom it may concern,



c. Use a Comma after a name followed by Jr., Sr., Ph. D., M. D., etc.

Examples: I know Quincy Adams, M.D.

My name is George Bush, Jr.

The doctor who worked on the fox was named Bill Hicks, Jr., M. D.

Answer 7

Comma splices are between the most common mistakes made. A comma splice is even as 2 self sustaining clauses are separated by technique of a comma and not using a conjunction or semicolon. as an party, it is a comma splice: I went to the Homecoming Dance with my friends, my douchebag ex-boyfriend confirmed up with my perfect buddy. (incorrect) the properly desirable way is: I went to the Homecoming Dance with my friends; my douchebag ex-boyfriend confirmed up with my former perfect buddy. or: I went to the Homecoming Dance with my friends, and my douchebag ex-boyfriend confirmed up with my former perfect buddy.

Answer 8

Think of a comma as a Stop Sign that nobody pays attention to. Yes, your supposed to Stop, but really, your just slowing down enough to where it seems like your finished, but your not.

I know, not the most serious answer. But, it's true.

Answer 9

In any given situation, focus on what you do want your dog to do instead of on whatever he’s doing wrong. Learn how to train your dog https://tr.im/gsrNo

For example, suppose that on many evenings, your young dog gets busy looking for trouble just as you’re digesting your dinner. He grabs a boot from the mat by the front door and gallops through the house with it. You yell at him and take it away. He grabs its mate. You yell and take it away. He heads for the kitchen and starts checking out the counters in case something tasty’s been left behind. You chase him away. And on and on, until you’ve lost your temper and torn out clumps of hair you can ill afford to lose.

Answer 10

I'm sorry I can't really help you other than saying that I believe your interpunction is already better than mine and I have had quite some education... You write very very readable. Nothing wrong with that, though I understand you need the rules here...

Answer 11

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