Commas separate items in a list, dependent clauses from independent clauses, explanations, and thousands in numbers.
,
Deep sigh! Commas are confusing, but they do have a reason (actually, several reasons) to exist.
For a sentence, a period is a stop sign; a comma is a yield sign.
Sometimes a comma fits where a person would pause in a sentence, but not always!
Commas isolate phrases or clauses not required for the sentence.
Restrictive phrases or clauses define what comes before.
Explanatory (non-essential) phrases or clauses explain, add information which may be important for the reader, but does not define or restrict.
Introductory phrases may be explanatory, interjections, or simple space fillers.
NO COMMA
A restrictive phrase restricts the word before it to a specific one, defining it. The lack of commas tells the reader which one of several.
When “such as” offers essential information, a comma does not come before it. It is restrictive.
Examples of restrictive:
- Restrictive (R): The boy who confessed to the crime was my neighbor.
- (subject = “boy,” “who confessed to the crime” defines which boy)
- Restrictive (R): Horses such as Thoroughbreds and Hanoverians tend to be more high-spirited than horses such as Quarter Horses or Morgans.
- (Restrictive phrase = “such as …”)
- (Leaving out the “such as” examples leaves the sentence as “Horses tend to be more high-spirited than horses.” That sentence does not make sense, so no commas should be included.)
NOTE: Phrases such as “for example,” “that is,” “namely,” etc. should be surrounded by commas as explanatory. “Such as,” when it defines, is NOT followed by a comma. If it explains, then it needs a comma.
An explanatory word or phrase explains the word before it but does not define it. Commas isolate it from the main clause to indicate that the sentence conveys its meaning without the clause or phrase. The information in the phrase or clause is incidental to the sentence.
The key to surrounding the phrase/clause with commas is to determine if the phrase/clause is essential to the meaning of the sentence.
When words or phrases like “namely,” “that is,” “for example,” add information without defining what comes before; they are explanatory.
Example of explanatory:
- Explanatory (E): Tom, who confessed to the crime, was my neighbor.
- (“who confessed to the crime” adds information about Tom but does not define him)
- Explanatory (E): Warm blooded horses, such as Thoroughbreds and Hanoverians, tend to be more high spirited than cold blooded horses, such as Quarter Horses or Arabs.
- (Explanatory phrase = “such as”)
- (Thoroughbreds, Hanovrians, Quarter Horses, and Arabs are examples of warm and cold blooded horses, not definitions of them.)
NOTE: Phrases such as “for example,” “that is,” “namely,” etc. should be surrounded by commas as explanatory. “Such as,” when it defines what comes before, is NOT followed by a comma.
An introductory phrase usually adds information as to who, what, when, where, why, or how, but it is not necessary for the sentence itself. It should be separated by a comma.
Introductory phrases, as the name implies, belong at the beginning of the sentence.
An interjection is an emotional word or phrase that also begins a sentence. It usually displays some kind of emotion.
Interjections are words or short phrases often used as beginning words of a sentence, usually interjecting some kind of emotion.
Space fillers simply start a sentence while the speaker considers what to say.
If exclamatory, they would be punctuated with an exclamation mark.
They are separated with at least a comma from the rest of the sentence because they are not necessary for the dialogue.
Interjections are usually single words or short phrases spoken in reaction to something. “Oh!” “Hello.” “Hurrah!” “Oops!” “Ouch!” “Huh?” “Wow!” “Excuse me.” “Sorry.” “OMG!” “No.” “Yes.” “Ugh.” “Whew!” and others.
Often, they appear with exclamation marks, but not necessarily. They may be written with a comma as part of the sentence or separated from it by a period or exclamation mark or even a question mark, depending on the emotion involved. The comma shows the least emotion.
Examples of restrictive (R), introductory (I), and explanatory (E) phrases:
- R: The planet that is the largest in our system is Jupiter.
- (Restrictive phrase, defines which planet)
- I: As the largest planet in our system, Jupiter is surrounded by dust rings.
- (Introductory phrase = “as the largest planet in our system,” separated by a comma)
- E: Jupiter, the largest planet, is surrounded by rings, mostly formed of dust.
- (Explanatory phrase =” the largest planet,” surrounded by commas)
- R: The teacher who corrected their essays was concerned about their punctuation.
- (Restrictive phrase, defines which teacher)
- I, E: The next day, Mrs. C. encouraged her students to study specific punctuation marks, namely, commas.
- (Introuctory phrase = “The next day,” separated by a comma)
- (Explanatory phrase= “namely,” surrounded by commas)
- R: The police who were informed of the activity arrived three minutes after the alarm sounded.
- (Restrictive clause. Only the police who had been informed of the activity arrived.)
- E: The police, informed of the activity, arrived three minutes after the alarm sounded.
- (Explanatory phrase = “informed of the activity,” surrounded by commas)
- I: However, the police arrived ten minutes after the alarm sounded.
- (Introductory phrase = “However,” so a comma separates it from the main sentence.)
- R: The thieves wearing green masks stood guard, while the others gathered as much as they could.
- (Restrictive clause = “wearing green masks,” no commas)
- I: In the meantime, the thieves gathered as much as they could.
- (Introductory phrase = “in the meantime,” separated by a comma)
- E: The thieves, wearing green masks, gathered as much as they could.
- (Explanatory phrase = “wearing green masks,” surrounded by commas.)
- (With commas, all the thieves were wearing green masks.)
Diversity in writing comes from using a variety of types of sentences. Mixing simple, straightforward sentences with more complicated ones keeps the reader interested.
One way is to combine dependent clauses with independent clauses, either before (with a comma) or after (without a comma).
Another way is to combine independent clauses, using a semicolon or a comma with a FANBOYS to separate the clauses.
Dependent clauses have been tampered with by starting them with a word that implies something more is happening or will happen.
A dependent clause has a subject and a verb, just like an independent clause, but a combining word called a subordinate conjunction (not a FANBOYS) has been added to make it incomplete.
Dependent clauses can be viewed as non-essential to the sentence, like taking a side trip to Montana on the journey to San Francisco from I-80. The main sentence does not need that information, but the reader might.
A dependent clause leaves the reader wondering what happened. Dependent clauses (like children) need an independent clause (like an adult) in order to complete the thought.
Beginning a sentence with “as,” “while,” “when,” “if,” “because,” or any similar word warns the reader that another action must accompany this one.
An independent clause completes the relationship with the dependent clause.
Dependent clauses may come before the main (independent) clause or after or both (a different dependent clause).
- Before the main clause, the dependent clause should be separated from the main clause with a comma.
- After the main clause, dependent clauses do not need a comma separator when they follow the main clause.
(Before the child (dependent clause) becomes an adult, they need the assistance of the comma. They do not afterward.) :>)
Examples of dependent clauses:
- As the rain fell
- While we were walking down the road
- After the tire blew up
- If they cancel school tomorrow
Independent clauses are sentences.
Independent clauses give complete thoughts, with at least a subject and a verb. They may also have an adverb, a direct object (with or without adjectives), an indirect object (with or without adjectives), and prepositional phrases.
Examples:
- Snow fell.
- The green leaves of summer slowly turned golden in the fall.
A compound sentence combines two independent clauses. The two thoughts should be related, or the two sentences should remain separated with periods.
Combining two independent clauses requires either
- a semicolon OR
- a comma WITH one of the FANBOYS (“for,” “and,” “nor,” “but,” “or,” “yet,” “so”)
Examples:
- The snow fell; the wind blew.
- The snow fell, and the wind blew.
Sometimes a non-essential phrase will introduce the second clause in a compound sentence. Whether it follows a semicolon or a FANBOYS, it should have a comma after it. No comma is needed before it following a FANBOYS.
Examples:
- The snow fell; of course, the wind blew.
- The snow fell, and of course, the wind blew.
An independent clause completes what the dependent clause begins.
When the independent clause comes AFTER the dependent clause, a comma follows the dependent one.
Examples:
- When the snow fell, the wind blew.
- Because the snow was wet and heavy, it broke the branches of the trees.
When the independent clause comes first, no comma separates the two.
Examples:
- The wind blew as the snow fell.
- The snow broke the branches of the trees because it was wet and heavy.
“FANBOYS” is an acronym for the seven special combining words called coordinating conjunctions:
“for”
“and”
“nor”
“but”
“or”
“yet”
“so”
Each of these requires a comma when combining two independent clauses (sentences).
Not every FANBOYS begins an independent clause.
- “for” is also a preposition
- “and,” “nor,” “or” combine nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverb , prepositional phrases, and more
- “but” is also a preposition, an adverb, and occasionally a pronoun
- “so” is also an adverb, an adjective, and even a pronoun
FANBOYS Examples:
- The king, his horses, and his men tried to pick up all the pieces, for Humpty Dumpty had fallen from the wall.
- (The first “and” between “horses” and “his men” is part of a list, not combining independent clauses.)
- (Two independent clauses/sentences combined with “for”)
- The men picked up the pieces for the king.
- (“For” = preposition, not conjunction)
- The men put the pieces into baskets, and the horses carried them to the palace.
- (Two independent clauses/sentences combined with “and”)
- The men and the horses worked all day.
- (“And” = conjunction creating a compound subject rather than combining independent clauses)
- The men couldn’t put the pieces together, nor could the king.
- (Two independent clauses/sentences combined with “nor”)
- (The second clause has the subject and verb reversed.)
- Neither the king nor the queen slept that night for grieving over the loss of the egg.
- (“Nor” = correlative conjunction creating a compound subject rather than combining independent clauses)
Words that combine dependent and independent clauses are called subordinate conjunctions. They describe some kind of relationship between the dependent clause and its independent clause.
When a dependent clause begins a sentence, a comma follows to separate it from the independent clause. No comma follows the combining word.
Examples of words creating that relationship:
(You will notice that some are in more than one category. Context determined its purpose.)
Examples:
- before/after
- until
- while
- when
- whenever
- as
- once
- still
- as soon as
- every time
- now that
- by the time
- since
- till (until)
- where
- wherever
Examples:
- although
- because
- in order that
- even if
- in case
- unless
- whereas
- that
- since
- why
- assuming that
- so that
- as
Examples:
- if
- even if
- in case
- unless
- provided that
- whether (or not)
Examples:
- although
- though
- just as
- as though
- even though
- whereas
- than
- rather than
- whether (or not)
Examples of sentences with dependent clauses first:
- While Jill tumbled, Jack fell.
- (Conjunction = “while”)
- (Comma after the dependent clause beginning with “while”)
- Although the rain poured down, the children ran outside to play.
- (Conjunction = “although”)
- (Comma after the dependent clause beginning with “although”)
- Unless you arrive in two hours, I will go home at noon.
- (Conjunction = “unless”)
- (Comma after the dependent clause beginning with “unless”)
- Where rain falls, grass grows.
- (Conjunction = “where”)
- (Comma after the dependent clause beginning with “where”)
Examples of dependent clauses after independent clauses:
- Jack fell while Jill tumbled.
- (Independent clause, conjunction = “while,” dependent clause)
- The children ran outside to play although the rain poured down.
- (Independent clause, conjunction = “although,” dependent clause)
- I will go home at noon unless you arrive in two hours.
- (Independent clause, conjunction = “unless,” dependent clause)
- Grass grows where rain falls.
- (Independent clause, conjunction = “where,” dependent clause)
Examples of compound sentences
Examples of independent clauses combined with semicolons:
- Jack fell down the hill; Jill came tumbling after.
- (Two independent clauses combined with a semicolon)
- The children ran outside to play; the rain made big puddles they could run through.
- (Two independent clauses combined with a semicolon)
- You arrive in two hours; I will go home at noon.
- (Two independent clauses combined with a semicolon)
- The sun shines; the grass grows.
- (Two independent clauses combined with a semicolon)
Examples of independent clauses combined with a comma and a FANBOYS:
- Jack fell down the hill, and Jill came tumbling after.
- (Independent clause, comma, FANBOYS = “and,” second independent clause)
- The children wanted to go outside to play, but mother wouldn’t let them.
- (Independent clause, comma, FANBOYS = “but,” second independent clause)
- You arrive in two hours; so I will go home at noon.
- (Independent clause, comma, FANBOYS = “so,” second independent clause)
- The rain falls, or the grass does not grow.
- (Independent clause comma, FANBOYS = “or,” second independent clause)
Examples of compound sentences with a non-essential phrase introducing the second clause.
- He had enough money, but of course, time was too short.
- (Normally, “of course,” would be set off by commas before and after, but it follows a FANBOYS)
- The cookie was soft, and what she liked best, it had chocolate chips.
- (Normally, “what she liked best,” would be set off by commas before and after, but it follows a FANBOYS)
- Writing sample sentences seems easy, yet to make them interesting, some of them should be funny.
- (Normally, “to make them interesting,” would be set off by commas before and after, but it follows a FANBOYS,”yet”)
A comma before the “and” with the last item clarifies that the last two items are separate units. Leaving it out could imply that the last two items are connected as one unit, as in “mashed potatoes and gravy” or “pie and ice cream.” Court cases have been won or lost because of what is called the Oxford comma or lack thereof.
Examples of lists combined with “and”:
- The box contained coloring books and toys and costumes and apples.
- Sailors and pilots and drivers and explorers often use GPS for navigation.
- She loved camping in the mountains and watching the wildlife through her binoculars and skiing steep slopes at break-neck speed and hang gliding from tall cliffs with blue water and green grass beneath her.
Unless there is another reason for a comma, lists of only two items or phrases do NOT take a comma before “and” or “or.”
Replacing all but the last “and” with commas creates a stronger sentence. The comma is preferred over the repeated “and.”
Examples:
- The box contained coloring books, toys, costumes, and apples.
- (More than two items are listed in the box. Separate each one with a comma.)
- (The comma after “costumes” is an Oxford comma.)
- Sailors, pilots, drivers, and explorers often use GPS for navigation.
- (More than two groups of people are listed. Separate each one with a comma.)
- (The comma after “drivers” is an Oxford comma.)
- She loved camping in the mountains, watching the wildlife through her binoculars, skiing steep slopes at break-neck speed, and hang gliding from tall cliffs with blue water and green grass beneath her.
- She loved more than two activities. Each should be followed by a comma. Otherwise, the mountains are watching the wildlife and her binoculars are skiing down steep slopes.
- (The comma after “break-neck speed” is an Oxford comma.)
Some items naturally go together, such as “bread and butter” or “tables and chairs.”
Example:
- The meal consisted of a salad, a bowl of soup, a slice of ham, peas, carrots, mashed potatoes and gravy, and pie and ice cream.
- (More than two items are listed. However, “mashed potatoes and gravy” go together as one unit connected by “and,” so do not separate them with a comma. The same is true for “pie and ice cream.”)
- (The comma after “mashed potatoes and gravy” is an Oxford comma.)
Two verb phrases referring back to the same initial subject fall under this same rule.
Examples of individual items:
- The box contained coloring books and toys.
- (List=”coloring books,” “toys.” Only two items, so no comma)
- Sailors and pilots often use GPS for navigation.
- (List=”sailors,” “pilots.” Only two items, so no comma)
- She loved camping in the mountains but not skiing steep slopes at break-neck speed.
- (List=”camping …,” “skiing ….” Only two items, so no comma)
- (Punctuation marks may [not required] follow an ellipsis to clarify the intent of the sentence/question/exclamation)
- (Four dots after “skiing” because a period follows the ellipsis)
- Would you prefer ice cream or whipped cream with your pie?
- (List=”ice cream,” “whipped cream.” Only two items, so no comma)
Examples of verb phrases with the same subject:
- My grandfather enjoyed hiking in the mountains and often took his dog with him.
- (verb phrases: “enjoyed hiking in the mountains” and “often took his dog with him”)
- (no comma between the two verb phrases)
- The dog would run ahead but come back when Papa whistled.
- (verb phrases: “would run head” and “come back”)
- (no comma between the two verb phrases)
- (no comma before the dependent clause beginning with “when”)
Related (cumulative) adjectives imply a relationship between two adjectives. The first adjective describes a characteristic of the next rather than the noun being modified. In a sense, the first in the pair modifies the adjective after it. The order matters. They accumulate or build upon each other.
Unrelated (coordinate) adjectives only refer to the noun itself. Sometimes they may be interchanged, but there are rules for the order of adjectives.
Sometimes the adjective just before the noun creates a single unit with its noun. This single unit is then modified by the previous adjective.
The order of these adjectives is important. Do NOT separate them with a comma.
Examples of cumulative adjectives modifying a noun:
- She bent down to smell the bright red rose.
- “Bright modifies (describes) “red,” which modifies “rose.”
- I like heavy woolen socks.
- “Heavy” describes the state of the woolen socks.
- The white goose laid a big golden egg.
- “Big” describes the size of the proverbial golden egg.
- The spooky haunted house had not been occupied for 20 years.
- “Spooky” adds to the description of “haunted house.”
- The young married couple bought a new house.
- “Married couple” is a unit described by “young.”
Adjectives that describe only the noun can be interchanged in order. They cooperate in their order, requiring a comma between them.
We wouldn’t say “the red bright rose” (cumulative), but we might say “the tattered, windblown rose” or “the windblown, tattered rose (coordinate).”
The comma could also be replaced by “and” (not “the bright and red rose (cumulative),” but “the tattered and windblown rose” or “the windblown and tattered rose” (coordinate).
Examples of the three forms of unrelated adjectives modifying the noun:
- The clown’s clumsy, floppy shoes tripped him when he walked.
- (comma)
- The clown’s floppy, clumsy shoes tripped him when he walked.
- (adjectives reversed, no “and” means a comma)
- The clown’s clumsy and floppy shoes tripped him when he walked.
- (“and,” no comma)
- The tired, angry boy stomped into the house.
- (comma)
- The angry, tired boy stomped into the house.
- (adjectives reversed, no “and” means a comma)
- The tired and angry boy stomped into the house.
- (“and,” no comma)
- I do not like heavy, bulky socks.
- (comma)
- I do not like bulky, heavy socks.
- (adjectives reversed, no “and” means a comma)
- I do not like heavy and bulky socks.
- (“and,” no comma)
- Her diet eliminated sugary, buttery desserts.
- (comma)
- Her diet eliminated buttery, sugary desserts.
- (adjectives reversed, no “and” means a comma)
- Her diet eliminated sugary and buttery desserts.
- (“and,” no comma)
The comma to separate a person’s name from the suffix (“Jr.” or “Sr.) is optional.
No comma before Roman numerals after the name.
For people from a previous generation, this is a rule change. The key word here is “optional.” We can keep putting the comma there if we want, but we have to be consistent.
For punctuation purposes, traditionally, Jr. or Sr. was set off from the rest of the name with a comma. However, in recent years the comma has often been dropped.
Examples (traditional):
- John Doe, Sr.
- John Doe, Jr.
Examples (optional):
- John Doe Sr.
- John Doe Jr.
Alternatively, the younger one might be given a number, usually a Roman numeral, after the name. The Roman numeral does NOT follow a comma.
Royalty and popes are usually referred to by their first name followed by a Roman numeral.
Examples:
British Kings
- Henry VIII
- George II
- Edward VIII
- Elizabeth II
Roman Catholic Popes
- Innocent XII
- Pius XI
- Benedict XV
- John Paul I
While naming a child for an ancestor is primarily done for male members of a family, there are families where a female child was named after an earlier female.
Traditionally, the younger was called a nickname until she married and took her husband’s last name. At that point, she would no longer have her mother’s name.
Examples (from straightdope.com)
- Anna Eleanor Roosevelt Jr. (only daughter of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt)
- Winifred Sackville Stoner Jr. (a child prodigy)
- Dorothy Fuldheim Jr. (professor at Case Western Reserve University
- Carolina Herrera Jr. (designer of fragrances for her mother)
If the “not” phrase is essential to the meaning, stating opposing or contradictory positions, no comma should come between them.
If the “not” phrase is simply explanatory, a comma should be used to separate it from the rest of the sentence.
Examples:
- That’s my book not yours on the bookshelf. I paid a lot of good money for it. It’s mine!
- (no comma, contradictory)
- That’s my book, not yours, on the bookshelf.
- (comma, explanatory)
- He was born in 1952 not in 1951.
- (no comma, contradictory, correcting an error in an obituary)
- He was born in 1952, not in 1951.
- (comma, explanatory)
- The horses stood out in the pasture not in the barn. The tornado destroyed the barn, but they were safe out in the pasture.
- (no comma, contradictory)
- The horses stood out in the pasture, not in the barn, despite the thunderstorm.
- (comma, explanatory)
- The dog licked not bit the postman.
- (Contradictory, correction in the transcript of the lawsuit)
- The dog licked, not bit, the postman.
- (explanatory)
“So” with a comma implies a conclusion based on information already given.
“So” without a comma indicates cause and effect, with the “so” clause being the result.
Which one is correct depends on the writer’s intention.
- So we left at midnight.
- What happened before resulted in our leaving.
- So, we left at midnight.
- We thought about it and decided that leaving would be better.
- So all the trees in the forest were contaminated.
- Spraying the wrong chemical contaminated all the trees.
- So, all the trees in the forest were contaminated.
- Is that what happened?
Often we insert a comma when a speaker would pause briefly. Applying that rule to “so” follows spoken speech and MAY help the reader in this situation with “so.” (It’s not always the appropriate action!)
My spell checker wants a comma after “so” in both sentences. I checked through the AP Stylebook and found no rules. I checked through my online edition of The Chicago Manual of Style and found no rules. Searching Internet sites resulted in no clear conclusion, but there was some agreement on these two suggestions.
“So” without the comma usually indicates that what follows is the direct result of what precedes. Think in terms of cause and effect.
“So” with the comma introduces a pause, a hesitation, perhaps a question, in the conclusion.
Examples:
- The only train for Boston was delayed for five hours so they left at midnight.
- (Cause = train delay. Effect = leaving at midnight.)
- “The train will be delayed for at least five hours.”
- “So it won’t leave before midnight.”
- (Simple statement of cause and effect.)
- “So, it won’t leave before midnight.”
- (Consider a sigh between “so” and “it,” a sigh of despair.)
- “So it won’t leave before midnight.”
- The spray plane spent all day flying over the forest with its defective insecticide so all the trees in the forest were contaminated.
- (Cause = defective insecticide. Effect = contaminated trees.)
- They stared in dismay at the dying trees.
- “So all the trees in the forest were contaminated.”
- (Simple statement of the consequences, cause and effect..)
- “So, all the trees in the forest were contaminated.”
- The biologist nodded.
- “So, what do we do now?”
- (The pause for a moment of thought.)
- “So all the trees in the forest were contaminated.”
In a double phrase using “the more, … the more …” (i.e., “the more we eat, the more we sing”), a comma should separate the two phrases or clauses.
The pattern is “the more” one thing happened, “the more” something else occurred, with a comma between the two phrases or clauses. The same is true for “less” or “fewer.”
Remember that some adjectives become “more” by adding “-er” instead of using “more.”
Examples:
- The more he practiced, the more baskets he made.
- The more she ran, the greater the pain in her leg grew.
- The less money they made, the fewer steaks they bought.
- The more we sang, the happier we felt.
- The more, the merrier.
Someone changed the rules from required to optional since I was in high school (and we will not tell when that was).
“Too” (meaning “also”) at the end of a sentence does not need a comma to separate it from the main sentence.
“Too” (meaning “also”) in the middle may be clarified with commas.
When “too” (meaning “also”) or “either” finish the sentence, the comma is not required.
However, note the words “not required.” Those of us who grew up earlier may still use a comma.
Examples:
- They changed this rule too.
- They changed this rule, too.
- Kitten Anthony is hiding in the hay barn too.
- Kitten Anthony is hiding in the hay barn, too.
Often “too” in the middle of a sentence is included for special emphasis or clarification. Commas separate the “too” for those purposes.
Examples:
- He ate the peas, too, but not the carrots.
- She studied Spanish, too, so she could learn another language.
However, when “too” means “more than enough,” it is not preceded by a comma. It serves as an adverb with a different function.
Examples:
- There are too many rules for grammar!
- We stayed out too late last night and slept too long this morning.
A comma is optional and may be included or left out with “not … but” or “not only … but also.” The writer should be consistent.
Examples:
- The principal sat in the back of the classroom, not to observe the teacher, but to observe the students.
- A comma separates the “not …” phrase from the main sentence.
- The principal sat in the back of the classroom not to observe the teacher but to observe the students.
- No comma separates the “not …” phrase from the main sentence.
- Carl Sandburg won the Pulitzer Prize, not only for his poetry, but also for his biography of Abraham Lincoln.
- A comma separates the “not …” phrase from the main sentence.
- Carl Sandburg won the Pulitzer Prize not only for his poetry but also for his biography of Abraham Lincoln.
- No comma separates the “not …” phrase from the main sentence.
Sentence “no-no’s”
The difference between a comma splice and a fused sentence (or run-on sentence) is the comma included in a comma splice.
A fused or run-on sentence has no punctuation between two independent clauses. It simply runs on from the capital letter to the period.
A comma splice occurs when two or more independent clauses are insufficiently combined with only a comma instead of a full-powered semicolon.
A comma is limited in its ability to combine clauses. It is not capable of combining two independent clauses by itself. However, adding a FANBOYS gives the comma the power to combine two independent clauses.
Alone, a comma is only able to combine a dependent clause or a phrase before an independent clause.
When you find yourself with two independent clauses, you have several choices:
- Make them separate sentences with an ending punctuation mark for each.
- Combine the two clauses with a comma and a supporting FANBOYS.
- Combine the two clauses with a semicolon. (It is important that the two clauses be related.)
- Find a different way to rewrite the clauses, such as with a dependent clause or a participial phrase.
Examples:
(Splice) The sun shone brightly on the ocean below, the wind pushed the waves to the shore.
(Fused) The sun shone brightly on the ocean below the wind pushed the waves to the shore.
- (Separate sentences) The sun shone brightly on the ocean below. The wind pushed the waves to the shore.
- (Comma and FANBOYS) The sun shone brightly on the ocean below, but the wind pushed the waves to the shore.
- (Semicolon) The sun shone brightly on the ocean below; the wind pushed the waves to the shore.
- (Rewrite) The sun shone brightly on the ocean below while the wind pushed the waves to the shore.
(Splice) Three surfers waded out into the water, they dragged their boards behind them.
(Fused) Three surfers waded out into the water they dragged their boards behind them.
- (Separate sentences) Three surfers waded out into the water. They dragged their boards behind them.
- (Comma and FANBOYS) Three surfers waded out into the water, as they dragged their boards behind them.
- (Semicolon) Three surfers waded out into the water; they dragged their boards behind them.
- (Rewrite) Three surfers waded out into the water, dragging their boards behind them.
(Splice) A shark fin slowly approached the area, the surfers reacted quickly.
(Fused) A shark fin slowly approached the area the surfers reacted quickly.
- (Separate sentences) A shark fin slowly approached the area. The surfers reacted quickly.
- (Comma and FANBOYS) A shark fin slowly approached the area, and the surfers reacted quickly.
- (Semicolon) A shark fin slowly approached the area; the surfers reacted quickly.
- (Rewrite) When a shark fin slowly approached the area, the surfers reacted quickly.
(Splice) “Shark!” they yelled over and over, the guard on the beach sounded the alarm.
(Fused) “Shark!” they yelled over and over the guard on the beach sounded the alarm.
- (Separate sentences) “Shark!” they yelled over and over. The guard on the beach sounded the alarm.
- (Comma and FANBOYS) “Shark!” they yelled over and over, and the guard on the beach sounded the alarm.
- (Semicolon) “Shark!” they yelled over and over; the guard on the beach sounded the alarm.
- (Rewrite) “Shark!” they yelled over and over, hoping the guard on the beach would sound the alarm.
(Splice) Everyone made it to the shore safely, the shark swam away.
(Fused) Everyone made it to the shore safely the shark swam away.
- (Separate sentences) Everyone made it to the shore safely. The shark swam away.
- (Comma and FANBOYS) Everyone made it to the shore safely, and the shark swam away.
- (Semicolon) Everyone made it to the shore safely; the shark swam away.
- (Rewrite) Everyone made it to the shore safely except the shark, which swam away.
With the exception of date years (1947, 2018), for clarification, it is a good idea to use a comma to indicate numbers higher than 999, to separate them into groups of three.
Examples (US):
- 1,000
- 2,085
- 15,784,921
- 1,234,567,890,987,654,321
In the US system, a period indicates a decimal number.
Examples (US):
- 1.001
- 2.085 ⇓ (decimal)
- 615,784.921 ⇓ (decimal)
- 1,234,567,890.987654321
(Fortunately, very few numbers have this many decimal places. Unfortunately, there is no commonly-accepted method to separate them for clarification.)
Numbers less than 10 (or 20, but be consistent) should be spelled out.
Numbers at the beginning of a sentence should be spelled out, regardless of their size.
Examples:
- The tree sheltered three bison.
- Three bison stood under the tree.
- The tree sheltered 3,482 ants.
- Three thousand, four hundred eighty-two ants hid under the tree.
When a sentence contains both smaller and larger numbers, be consistent.
- The tree sheltered three bison and three thousand, four hundred eighty-two ants.
- (This is a little clumsy.)
- The tree sheltered 3 bison and 3,482 ants.
- (Much better.)