The comma indicates the weakest break in thought.
1. Use a comma after a dependent (or subordinate) clause, or participial phrase.
When the dependent clause (used adverbially) does not begin the sentence, the comma is usually unnecessary. All group of words introduced by conjunctions such as the following are dependent upon the principal or independent clause for their meaning and therefore come under this rule: because, as, if, although, when, after, as soon as.
Although we have had this money-back guarantee in effect for years, no product has ever been returned.
When you have finished your studies, you may go.
You may go when you have finished your homework. (Here no comma is necessary because the subordinate clause follows the principal clause.)
Having completed my homework, I cleaned my desk and left the classroom.
Among industries producing finished products, the car industry ranks first in value of output.
If this bill is paid within ten days, you are entitled to a five percent discount.
All introductory if clauses are dependent clauses and should be followed by a comma.
2. Use a comma to separate a series of three or more co-ordinate nouns, adjectives, verbs, or adverbs. Short clauses and phrases as well as words may be co-ordinate provided they are equal in rank and used in the same construction.
(a) Commas are used to separate co-ordinate nouns.
Intelligence, industry, drive, and determination make for success in business.
(b) Commas used to separate co-ordinate adjectives. Adjectives are co-ordinate if the word and can be inserted between them.
Honest, reliable, capable, and industrious employees are always in demand. (These adjectives could be separated by and rather than by commas and are therefore co-ordinative: Honest and reliable and capable . . . .)
(c) Commas used to separate co-ordinate verbs.
We plan, fabricate, erect, and sell our own portable houses.
(d) Commas used to separate co-ordinate adverbs.
Our business has earned a reputation for filling orders accurately, completely, and promptly.
(e) Commas use to separate co-ordinate phrases.
We carry a complete line of men's wear, leather shoes, belts, and accessories.
(f) Commas are used to separate three or more short co-ordinate clauses.
We write our own copy, we prepare our own designs, and we plan our entire sales promotional programs.
Do not use a comma after the last noun in a series.
Steel, chrome, rubber, and lead are rather scarce at present.
( Not: Steel, chrome, rubber and lead, are rather scarce at present.)
Never separate the subject from the predicate by a comma!
Do not use a comma before and introducing the last member of the series if the last two units are to be treated as one.
We rebuild, overhaul, clean and service all types of engines. (Here no comma is placed before and because the writer considers cleaning and servicing the engine as one integral job.)
Do not use comma when the co-ordinate series consists of two elements only. In other words, do not use comma in compound elements.
The order was received and shipped out the same day. (Not: The order was received, and shipped out the same day.)
3. Use the comma to separate two or more co-ordinate clauses joined by one of the co-ordinating conjunctions and, but, or, nor, for, and the like. If the clauses are short and closely related, a comma is unnecessary.
You may pay cash, or you may open a charge account, if you like.
One half of the corrugated fiber boards will arrive tomorrow, and the rest of the shipment will be delivered on the 10th.
I rang and Miss Castillo answered. (No comma is necessary.)
Do not use a comma after a conjunction unless a parenthetical elements follow.
The carpet will be washed today, but they will not be dry for at least a week. (Not: The rugs will be washed today, but, they will not be dry for at least a week.)
Correct: The costumer selected a laptop, and, believe me, paid for it one hundred bills.
4. Use the comma after such introductory expression as yes, well, no, certainly, indeed, surely, and so forth.
Yes, we shall be glad to send you a blank application.
Surely, you do not have to wait for me.
No comma is needed if a definite time, place, cause, or the like, is indicated.
During the first quarter of the year our sales rose 25 percent.
On the ground floor of the mall you will find neckties, shirts, and belts.
5. Use the comma to set off a nonrestrictive phrase or clause.
In any event, the tables will be delivered before Saturday.
These items, which we have imported, are slightly more expensive than the local merchandise.
Ms. Morilla who has been with us for nearly twenty years, is our store manager.
Restrictive phrases and clauses should not be set off by commas.
The man standing by the first limousine is our fleet manager.
The secretaries who serve our executives dictate their own letters.
Our plant that is located on the second street is now used for storage.
The meaning of a sentence may be changed by the omission or addition of commas.
Restrictive: Philippine banks which have never failed guarantee the full safety of your investment. (Here the writer states that only banks that have never failed make the guarantee. He excludes all that have failed.)
Nonrestrictive or explanatory: Philippine banks, which have never failed, guarantee the full safety of your investment. (In this sentence, the writer makes a general statement about all Philippine banks - they have never failed.)
6. Use commas to set off parenthetical words, phrases, or clauses when the degree of separation is not great enough to require parentheses or dashes:
indeed, also, finally, still, too, again, and so forth.
It is, indeed, a pleasure to meet you.
Our losses from physical damage to shipments are lower, also.
(b) Set off phrases such as in fact, in the first place, in brief, no doubt, in case, of course, and the like:
I cannot promise, of course, that we can deliver before the vacation period.
We have, in the first place, been told that there will be no wage increase.
(c) Set off clauses such as that is, he says, I believe, she thinks, and so forth:
The price of that television, I believe, is four thousand pesos.
The figurine, the customer says, was broken when it arrived.
Commas are frequently omitted before and after short parenthetical elements such as are mentioned in (a) and (c) whenever they do not require a pause while reading. Therefore, do not assume that an expression is not parenthetical because it is not set off by commas.
Miss Ricafrente is an agent who I believe will make a capable team leader. (Here I believe is parenthetical, but is not set off by commas. Incidentally, if who is not recognized as the subject of will make a capable team leader, it might be erroneously regarded as the object of the parenthetical clause, I believe.)
Use commas only when they are essential to clearness and understanding.
1. Use a comma after a dependent (or subordinate) clause, or participial phrase.
When the dependent clause (used adverbially) does not begin the sentence, the comma is usually unnecessary. All group of words introduced by conjunctions such as the following are dependent upon the principal or independent clause for their meaning and therefore come under this rule: because, as, if, although, when, after, as soon as.
Although we have had this money-back guarantee in effect for years, no product has ever been returned.
When you have finished your studies, you may go.
You may go when you have finished your homework. (Here no comma is necessary because the subordinate clause follows the principal clause.)
Having completed my homework, I cleaned my desk and left the classroom.
Among industries producing finished products, the car industry ranks first in value of output.
If this bill is paid within ten days, you are entitled to a five percent discount.
All introductory if clauses are dependent clauses and should be followed by a comma.
2. Use a comma to separate a series of three or more co-ordinate nouns, adjectives, verbs, or adverbs. Short clauses and phrases as well as words may be co-ordinate provided they are equal in rank and used in the same construction.
(a) Commas are used to separate co-ordinate nouns.
Intelligence, industry, drive, and determination make for success in business.
(b) Commas used to separate co-ordinate adjectives. Adjectives are co-ordinate if the word and can be inserted between them.
Honest, reliable, capable, and industrious employees are always in demand. (These adjectives could be separated by and rather than by commas and are therefore co-ordinative: Honest and reliable and capable . . . .)
(c) Commas used to separate co-ordinate verbs.
We plan, fabricate, erect, and sell our own portable houses.
(d) Commas used to separate co-ordinate adverbs.
Our business has earned a reputation for filling orders accurately, completely, and promptly.
(e) Commas use to separate co-ordinate phrases.
We carry a complete line of men's wear, leather shoes, belts, and accessories.
(f) Commas are used to separate three or more short co-ordinate clauses.
We write our own copy, we prepare our own designs, and we plan our entire sales promotional programs.
Do not use a comma after the last noun in a series.
Steel, chrome, rubber, and lead are rather scarce at present.
( Not: Steel, chrome, rubber and lead, are rather scarce at present.)
Never separate the subject from the predicate by a comma!
Do not use a comma before and introducing the last member of the series if the last two units are to be treated as one.
We rebuild, overhaul, clean and service all types of engines. (Here no comma is placed before and because the writer considers cleaning and servicing the engine as one integral job.)
Do not use comma when the co-ordinate series consists of two elements only. In other words, do not use comma in compound elements.
The order was received and shipped out the same day. (Not: The order was received, and shipped out the same day.)
3. Use the comma to separate two or more co-ordinate clauses joined by one of the co-ordinating conjunctions and, but, or, nor, for, and the like. If the clauses are short and closely related, a comma is unnecessary.
You may pay cash, or you may open a charge account, if you like.
One half of the corrugated fiber boards will arrive tomorrow, and the rest of the shipment will be delivered on the 10th.
I rang and Miss Castillo answered. (No comma is necessary.)
Do not use a comma after a conjunction unless a parenthetical elements follow.
The carpet will be washed today, but they will not be dry for at least a week. (Not: The rugs will be washed today, but, they will not be dry for at least a week.)
Correct: The costumer selected a laptop, and, believe me, paid for it one hundred bills.
4. Use the comma after such introductory expression as yes, well, no, certainly, indeed, surely, and so forth.
Yes, we shall be glad to send you a blank application.
Surely, you do not have to wait for me.
No comma is needed if a definite time, place, cause, or the like, is indicated.
During the first quarter of the year our sales rose 25 percent.
On the ground floor of the mall you will find neckties, shirts, and belts.
5. Use the comma to set off a nonrestrictive phrase or clause.
In any event, the tables will be delivered before Saturday.
These items, which we have imported, are slightly more expensive than the local merchandise.
Ms. Morilla who has been with us for nearly twenty years, is our store manager.
Restrictive phrases and clauses should not be set off by commas.
The man standing by the first limousine is our fleet manager.
The secretaries who serve our executives dictate their own letters.
Our plant that is located on the second street is now used for storage.
The meaning of a sentence may be changed by the omission or addition of commas.
Restrictive: Philippine banks which have never failed guarantee the full safety of your investment. (Here the writer states that only banks that have never failed make the guarantee. He excludes all that have failed.)
Nonrestrictive or explanatory: Philippine banks, which have never failed, guarantee the full safety of your investment. (In this sentence, the writer makes a general statement about all Philippine banks - they have never failed.)
6. Use commas to set off parenthetical words, phrases, or clauses when the degree of separation is not great enough to require parentheses or dashes:
indeed, also, finally, still, too, again, and so forth.
It is, indeed, a pleasure to meet you.
Our losses from physical damage to shipments are lower, also.
(b) Set off phrases such as in fact, in the first place, in brief, no doubt, in case, of course, and the like:
I cannot promise, of course, that we can deliver before the vacation period.
We have, in the first place, been told that there will be no wage increase.
(c) Set off clauses such as that is, he says, I believe, she thinks, and so forth:
The price of that television, I believe, is four thousand pesos.
The figurine, the customer says, was broken when it arrived.
Commas are frequently omitted before and after short parenthetical elements such as are mentioned in (a) and (c) whenever they do not require a pause while reading. Therefore, do not assume that an expression is not parenthetical because it is not set off by commas.
Miss Ricafrente is an agent who I believe will make a capable team leader. (Here I believe is parenthetical, but is not set off by commas. Incidentally, if who is not recognized as the subject of will make a capable team leader, it might be erroneously regarded as the object of the parenthetical clause, I believe.)
Use commas only when they are essential to clearness and understanding.
We shall continue the study of the correct use of Comma in my next blog.
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