Handout # 4
The World Language Center
COMMA RULES
Use commas for:
1) Most clauses when one of the FANBOYS is used
FANBOYS is an acronym, meaning each letter represents another word:
F = for
A = and
N = nor
B = but
O = or
Y = yet
S = so
Use a comma if you have one of the FANBOYS AND the format [most important]:
Subject Verb [one of the FANBOYS] Subject Verb
For example:
Mickey and Minnie want to see Star Wars X, but Donald Duck wants to see Quackers.
Note, the comma goes before one of the FANBOYS.
If you do NOT have two subjects and two verbs, there is no need for a comma,
for example:
Mickey likes dancing and bicycling around Disneyland.
With two subjects and two verbs use a comma:
Mickey likes dancing, and also he likes bicycling around Disneyland.
2) A list of more than two items
Place a comma before “and” or “or.”
Mickey likes playing golf, swimming, and ice skating.
Minnie wants to go shopping, to get her hair done, or to go dancing.
3) Which
Clauses beginning with “which” are used for additional information.
(A clause has a subject and verb and is a group of words that are part of a sentence.)
Goofy wants to go to the beach, which is way out of the way.
Note: a clause beginning with that does not need a comma.
That is used for needed information. For example,
Goody wants to go the beach that is just before Manhattan Beach.
The clause: “that is just before Mahattan Beach” is needed for providing directions.
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4) Additional information and comments in general
Some examples include:
Minnie first met Mickey, who is really cute, in 1955.
“Minnie first met Mickey in 1955” is a perfectly fine sentence.
The clause “who is really cute” is additional information that is set off in commas.
5) “If” clauses at the beginning of sentences.
An example of an “if” clause is: If Minnie won the lotto, she would buy a big house.
6) Longish introductions to sentences
“Longish” is about this length or longer: In the middle of the 18 th century, . . . .
7) Adverbs that serve as transition words or notations
The following are some examples:
• additionally
• likewise
• consequently
• meanwhile
• conversely
• moreover
• etcetera (etc.)
• nevertheless
• finally
• on the other hand
• furthermore
• respectively
• however
• similarly
• in addition
• subsequently
• in contrast
• still
• in fact
• then
• instead
• therefore
• likewise
• thus
At the beginning of a sentence: use a comma after the adverb, for example:
Minnie wanted to go to a nice restaurant. On the other hand, Mickey wanted to see a
movie.
In the middle of a sentence, technically a semi-colon (;) is needed before an adverb
IF a subject and verb come both BEFORE and AFTER the adverb.
But, if the sentence is short, two commas are acceptable, for example:
Mickey likes driving race cars, however, Donald likes going skateboarding.
8) Other words used as connectors
Three generally used expressions are:
• for example (e.g.)
• that is (i.e.)
• such as.
Put commas both before and after the words “for example,” “that is,” “e.g.,” and “i.e.”
The expression “such as” may have one, two, or no commas—whatever the writer
prefers.
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9) Introductions to quoted words
Commas are used before the quotes begin, as examples:
She stated, “_____________.”
According to the author, “_____________.”
Walt Disney was probably the first person to say, “Disneyland is the happiest place on
earth!”
Punctuation (such as, periods, commas, and exclamation marks) go inside the last quote
(see above).
Semi-colons (;) and colons (:) go outside quotes.
10) Adjectives
A comma is needed between adjectives IF:
a) you can use the word “and” between the adjectives, and
b) you can rearrange the adjectives.
For example:
“The short, hairy dog” also works with
a) “the short and hairy dog, and b) “the hairy, short dog”; therefore, use a comma.
But, a comma is not needed with:
Mickey and Minnie live in a white frame house. The two rules are not met:
a) “white and frame house” or b)”frame white house” do not work.
11) Dates
• January 1, 2020
• January 1, 2020, (Use a comma at the end of full dates if the sentence continues.)
• January 2020 (No comma is needed.)
• January 1st (No comma is needed.)
(Note: never use “st” or “th” in a full date. For example:
The girl was born on June 3rd, 2014. Wrong. June 3, 2014 is correct.)
l2) Addresses
• Use commas in a full address, for example:
1000 Main Street, Fairfax, Virginia 20001
• Use commas between:
• street and city
• city and state
• but not between state and zip code.
• Use the abbreviation VA (for Virginia), DC (for the District of Columbia), and MD (for
Maryland) without any periods for mailing only.
13) No commas
Commas are not needed under these conditions:
• before because, since, as, so that, when, after, and before
if the word is necessary in the sentence (which is almost always the case).
• for the words also, too, at least, or thus—unless you feel a pause is necessary
• between the subject and the verb of a sentence
• between the verb and the object of a sentence.