Learning Enhancement Center
Rules for Comma Usage
Rule
Description
Example
Exercise
"He hit the ball,
dropped the bat, and
ran to first base."
“The player slid to the
base realized he made
it and put his fist in the
air in triumph.”
-Where do the commas
go in this example?
Use a comma + a little
conjunction to connect
two independent
clauses,
Conjunctions that can
be used are: and, but,
for, nor, yet, or, so. Use
a comma before the
conjunction to
separate the clauses.
"He hit the ball well,
but he ran toward third
base."
“His team wanted to
congratulate him. They
cheered and clapped
their hands.”
-How can you combine
these two independent
clauses?
Use a comma to set off
introductory elements
Here, a comma is used
to separate the
description part of the
sentence from the
subject.
"Running toward third
base, he suddenly
realized how stupid he
looked."
“Due to lack of focus
he did not do well on
his exam.”
-Where can you put a
comma in this
sentence?
Use a comma to set off
parenthetical elements
Here, two commas are
used to off-set added
information that can be
deleted without
changing the meaning
of the sentence.
"The Founders Bridge,
which spans the
Connecticut River, is
falling down."
“The author who was a
middle aged man
wrote many novels.”
-Can you indicate the
added information and
where the two comas
should go?
Use a comma to set off
quoted elements
This rule requires us to
use a comma before a
quote is inserted into a
sentence. Also, a
comma should be
placed before the
quote is introduced.
Before class started,
the teacher said, “I will
collect your essays in 5
minutes.”
When I was young my
mother always said
“Practice makes
perfect.”
-Where should
commas be used in
this sentence?
“He hit the ball well, so
he ran toward the
bases, and then went
on to the home plate,
where he was
congratulated by his
team for his homerun.”
The sentence to the
left is an example of
overuse of the comma.
How can you fix this
sentence?
Use a comma to
separate the elements
in a series
This rule helps us to
know where to use
commas in a list of
items in a sentence.
The overuse of
commas
Often, the comma can
be “abused” and
overused. To avoid
this, study and practice
the above rules.
Created for U. of La Verne Learning Enhancement Center by Jena Walls