Punctuation: Commas

Do you know the rules for where to place commas, or do you still use the I-feel-like-there-should-be-a-pause-here method? Fear not, for the list below will ensure you have a methodical—instead of a shoot-from-the-hip—approach to comma placement.

Introductory Clauses:

• Rule: If your sentence begins with an introductory clause of more than three words, always follow it with a comma. If fewer than three words, the comma is discretionary (but recommended): “To that end, he conceded guilt.”
• Exception—Introductory Clause Directly Followed by Verb: If an introductory clause is immediately followed by a verb, then no comma should follow the introductory clause: “The new bill was later approved by Congress.”

Non-Restrictive Elements:

• Rule: If a clause adds extra information to a sentence that could be removed without altering its core meaning, offset it with commas: “The judge, who was appointed in 2015, ruled in favor of the defendant.”

Parenthetical Asides:

• Rule: Offset mid-sentence parenthetical asides within a sentence: “The defense attorney, to everyone’s surprise, introduced a new witness.”

Contrasting Elements:

• Rule: Use a comma to separate contrasting parts of a sentence: “The lawyer is young, not inexperienced.”

Conjunctions Connecting Independent Clauses:

• Rule: Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction (remember FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) that links two independent clauses: “The evidence was conclusive, so the jury returned a guilty verdict.”

The Oxford Comma:

• Rule: In a list of three or more items, place commas after each item, including before the conjunction that connects the last two items: “The court must consider the facts, the law, and the evidence presented.”
• Exception—Repeating Conjunctions: If a list’s items are connected by a repeating conjunction (“and . . . and . . . and . . .”), then no commas are needed: “She was tired and sad and miserable.”

Coordinate Adjectives/Adverbs:

• Rule: If a string of adjectives/adverbs that modify the same noun can be separated by the word “and,” they are likely coordinate adjectives and should be separated by a comma: “You’ll have to pry my cold, dead hands off the cash.”

Direct Quotations:

• Rule: When introducing a quote of forty-nine words or fewer, place a comma between the verb of attribution (e.g. asks, says, explains) and the quote: “The witness stated, ‘I saw him at the scene.’”
• Exception: If the quote is used so that it acts as part of the actual sentence syntax, no comma is necessary: “Although Defendant feels ‘extremely bad’ about ‘misplacing those documents,’ he should still be sanctioned.”

Dates:

• Month-Day-Year: Use commas to separate the day and year, and after the year if the sentence continues: “The hearing was held on May 17, 2023, at the courthouse.”
• Month-Year: When using just the month-and-year construction, no comma is needed: “The case was heard in May 2023.”
• Multiple Dates: When using multiple dates, separate each date with commas: “The hearings will take place on March 7, 2023, April 15, 2023, and May 20, 2023.”
• Days of the Week: If a day of the week is included in the date, separate it with a comma: “The trial starts on Monday, June 12, 2023.

Places:

• City/State or City/Country: When including a city and state, or city and country, use commas to separate the elements, and a comma after the state or country if the sentence continues: “Defendant lives in Austin, Texas, where the alleged crime occurred.”
• Geographic Descriptions: When directly connected, they should not be separated by a comma: “The African nation Kenya has its capital in Nairobi.” If used in a sentence as a descriptor, however, use commas: “The Kenyan capital, Nairobi, is a bustling city.”

For additional examples of common comma crimes, read this article.

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