Commas – Main uses

Dr. Grammar says:

“What’s wrong with these sentences? When I get home I am going to finish my homework and do some exercise and then go to bed because I am pretty tired.”

EXPLANATION:

Commas are an important part of grammar. If we don’t use commas correctly, not only is the grammar wrong, but it also looks or sounds strange when we read or speak. (For an introduction into use of commas with lists and coordinate conjunctions, see the lesson “Commas – With Coordinate Conjunctions”.

This lesson will outline some of the other main uses of commas. More lessons will follow to provide detail about the more difficult uses of commas, and other punctuation marks.

Introductory Elements

When setting the scene in a sentence (time, place, etc), this is before a comma. For example:

At the weekend, I like to relax and hang out with friends.

In the north of Vietnam, there is a border with China.

Sometimes this comma can be removed. However, if you are unsure, include it, as you are unlikely to be wrong.

Parenthetical Elements

When giving extra information about something which could be removed without changing the grammar, we put commas either side, or after if. For example:

My brother, John, has lived in Australia for six years.

The highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest, has some beautiful scenery.

Bill Gates, who is the CEO of Microsoft, donates a great deal of money to various charities.

Contrasting Elements

When giving contrasting information, use commas to separate the different pieces of information. For example:

I like music, but not dancing.

She went to a small school, not a big one, and did very well.

While she wanted to go to the cinema, he wanted to go home.

So…

When I get home I am going to finish my homework and do some exercise and then go to bed because I am pretty tired. X

When I get home, I am going to finish my homework and do some exercise, and then go to bed, because I am pretty tired. √

EXERCISE:

In the following sentences, decide where commas should be used:

1. I wanted to go on holiday not back to work so that I could relax a bit.

2. My pet fish which is black and orange is lonely because the other fish died.

3. In the summer many people go on holiday to the beach.

4. At Christmas while many people buy each other presents a lot of people do not have the money to buy anything.

5. My house which is in district 2 is very long tall and narrow but inside it is quite spacious.

Answers:

1. I wanted to go on holiday, not back to work, so that I could relax a bit.

2. My pet fish, which is black and orange, is lonely because the other fish died.

3. In the summer, many people go on holiday to the beach.

4. At Christmas, while many people buy each other presents, a lot of people do not have the money to buy anything.

5. My house, which is in district 2, is very long tall and narrow, but inside it is quite spacious.

FURTHER PRACTICE:

Now go to the article “Yingluck Shinawatra: The New Face of Thailand” and look at the sentences with commas. Try to analyse why the commas have been used and imagine what the sentences would sound like without commas. Would you still be able to understand?

For example:

“A successful businesswoman, and with a famous name, Yingluck Shinawatra is set to…”

This set of commas is for a Parenthetical Element, just extra information.

This material is provided by the Australian Centre for Education and Training (ACET).