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Serial-Comma Rule ‑ Red, White, and Blue (2)

Comma, Comma, and CommaWhen you use a coordinating conjunction (usually and or or) to join two elements of a series, no comma comes before the conjunction. But when you join three or more elements, the preferred rule requires a comma before the coord...

Serial-Comma Rule ‑ Examples

Here are some examples of correctly using the serial comma: The flag is red, white, and blue. (Three predicate adjectives.)In her will, the woman left jewelry, coins, stocks and bonds, but no cash. (Four direct objects of the transitive verb left.)Th...

Semicolons Instead of Commas

If the series is long and complex or any one element has a comma within it, separate each element of the series with a semicolon: The company has offices in Greensboro, North Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; Los Angeles, California; and Taipei, Taiwan....

Joining Two Elements

In a series consisting of just two elements, ordinarily you should not use a comma with the conjunction. This mistake usually occurs in a sentence with two verbs: The committee revisited this issue and created a new rule to guide the actions of super...

Commas and Independent Clauses

Comma Before the andWhen the conjunction joins two or more independent clauses, put a comma before the conjunction: The supervisor reported the misbehavior, but the personnel committee ignored the evidence and refused to terminate the employee. There...

Commas and Introductory Clauses or Phrases

You should put a comma after an introductory clause or phrase: Though the agency had studied this issue before, it went ahead with another study. (Introductory dependent clause.)If I were you, I would research the case thoroughly. (Introductory depen...

Adverbial Phrases Between Subject and Verb

Put preceding and trailing commas around any adverbial phrase coming between the subject and the verb: Ms. Smith, after commenting on the evidence, ruled in favor of the supervisor. The court, in a manner surprising to all, excluded the press from th...

Adjectival Clauses and Phrases

Restrictive vs. NonrestrictiveIf the adjectival clause or phrase is nonrestrictive, put commas around it. If the clause or phrase is restrictive, do not put commas around it. See the discussion of that vs. which in chapter 4 of the eBook Developing a...

Parenthetical Pauses

If the information in a parenthetical pause relates closely to the sentence, enclose it in commas. Otherwise, use the dash or parentheses: The committee's decision, to say the least, sparked considerable controversy.The members of the committee were,...

Commas and Noun Appositives

Appositive with CommasA word, phrase, or clause in apposition to a noun is usually set off by commas (dashes or parentheses might also be used): The chairman of the committee, Senator Jones, rambled on and on. The press surrounded the witness—the c...

Commas and Coordinate Adjectives

Long, Hot SummerWhen each of two adjectives modifies the same noun, put a comma between them. As a test, put the word and between the two adjectives. If it fits, then the adjectives are called coordinate adjectives: It is going to be a long, hot summ...

Complementary or Antithetical Expressions

DefinedA complementary or antithetical expression requires a comma at its beginning and end. Perhaps I should define complementary or antithetical expressions. These are usually groups of words complementing or contrasting a preceding word and combin...

Dates - Month-Day-Year

Comma After the YearWhen you indicate month, day, and year, put a comma after the day and after the year (unless some other punctuation mark, like a period or question mark, follows the year). Include these commas even if the month-day-year expressio...

Dates - Day-Month-Year

If you depict dates by day-month-year, not month-day-year, do not use commas. Make certain you use a consistent system throughout the document. Those disliking the required commas for month-day-year expressions used as adjectives (e.g., "your July 1,...

Dates - Month-Year

If you omit the day and just include the month and year, do not use a comma: In January 1945 he was born in a large southern city. We now wish to respond to your July 2006 letter.  Previous: Dates - Day-Month-YearNext: Commas and Elliptical Expr...

Commas and Elliptical Expressions

Use a CommaUse a comma to show the omission of a word or words readily understood from context: In Illinois, there are seventeen such institutions; in Ohio, twenty-two; in Indiana, three. ExceptionThere is an exception. When, in spite of the omission...

Commas with Quotation Marks

Comma Goes Inside YouWhen the context calls for a comma at the end of material enclosed in quotation marks, the comma should be placed inside the quotation marks: We should study the report on "discrimination in the workplace," which was written by t...

Chapter 3 - Semicolon

IntroductionTop writers do not use the semicolon as much today as they did in the past. As a matter of style, you should try to avoid using too many sentences consisting of two independent clauses joined by a semicolon. The mark does have its uses, h...

Semicolons and Independent Clauses

A semicolon separates two or more independent clauses joined without a coordinating conjunction: The Court required police to warn suspects of their constitutional rights; in doing so, it made judicial history.  Previous: Chapter 3 - SemicolonNe...

“However” and Other Conjunctive Adverbs

Conjunctive AdverbsConjunctive adverbs include however, therefore, thus, furthermore, and others.If you use a conjunctive adverb to join two independent clauses (compound sentence), then use a semicolon, followed by the conjunctive adverb, followed b...

Semicolons Separating Elements in a Series

Semicolons Instead of CommasWe reviewed this rule when we discussed the serial-comma rule in the discussion on the comma above. It bears repeating, however. When elements in a series are long and complex or involve internal punctuation, they should b...

Semicolons with Quotation Marks

Semicolon Comes OutsideThe semicolon should be placed outside ending quotation marks. When the quoted matter ends with a semicolon, the semicolon in the quotation is dropped: The agency reviewed those petitions that were "timely"; it ignored those th...

Chapter 4 - Colon

The colon joins two independent clauses (compound sentence), introduces lists, and sets up quotations. Previous: Semicolons with Quotation MarksNext: Colon and Independent Clauses...

Colon and Independent Clauses

Colon Acts like a PeriodMany writers use the colon between two independent clauses, especially when the subject matter of the second clause expands on, or exemplifies, the subject matter of the first. Some writers start the second clause with a capit...

Introducing a List

A ListUse the colon to introduce a list or a series: The committee's study focused on the most critical areas: development of software, needed changes in computer systems, and recruitment of new engineers. Use of namely, that is, etc.If the list or s...