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Commas Colons and Semicolons
Commas, colons and semicolons are commonly used punctuation marks. Commas are commonly used in listing items or after a phrase while colons are used to introduce or announce. Semicolons are used to create breaks or pauses.
1,988 Questions
No punctuation is necessary in the sentence: Break the shoes in thoroughly on short walks before going on any extended hike.
If you use either at the end of sentence should you use comma in front of it?
It depends on the context. For example a sentence could say, "I don't like it either." There is no comma.
Where does the comma go in this sentence In short steps have been taken to remedy the situation?
It should be --- In short, steps have bee
n take
n to remedy the situatio
n.
Are colons used interchangeably with semi-colons?
No, they are different punctuation marks and they have different uses.
A colon ( : ) should always be preceded by a complete sentence, and it is sometimes used instead of a period. There are two ways to use a colon:
1. To set off an illustration of a point. For example:
The girl was tired of the game: she'd been playing it all day.
You could use a period here, but a colon helps link the two thoughts. The second short sentence is directly illustrative of why the girl was tired, so it provides further clarification. The colon is stronger than a period when it comes to showing a cause and effect relationship. In the case above, the second portion is a complete thought, but it's dependent on the first sentence for meaning.
2. A colon can set off a list: For example:
My car was packed to the roof with sporting equipment: tennis rackets, soccer balls, baseball bats, and a surfboard.
Here, the portion after the colon is not a complete sentence: it is dependent on the first half of the sentence (note how in this very sentence I've used a colon to set off further description of why it is not a complete sentence!). However, the first portion IS a complete sentence. Thus, you could not write it like this:
My car was packed to the roof with sporting equipment including: a tennis racket, ....
In that case, the first portion is not a complete sentence.
3. In academic writing a colon is used before an indented quotation. For example: As Weinstein (1999, p. 140) notes, this view presents problems:
[Indented quotation]
A semi-colon ( ; ) is used to link two complete sentences. Note that. They must both be complete thoughts. Anywhere you use a semi colon, you should be able to use a period as well.
You typically use a semi colon to link two thoughts without using a conjunction. For example:
I have to get gas in my car; I'm going to Banff this weekend and it's a long trip.
There is a second use of a semi colon, and that is to set off items in a list where there are already commas present. Let me demonstrate:
This list is easy to figure out: I want peas, carrots, and corn with my dinner.
But this one gets confusing: My sister sent me postcards from Calgary, Alberta, Toronto, Ontario, and Montreal, Quebec.
In this example, if you didn't know that the list is grouping cities and provinces together, you might think Calgary, Alberta, Toronto, and Ontario are all different cities, and you'd be confused when you got to the comma separated item after the word AND. A semi colon can clear this up, like so:
My sister sent me postcards from Calgary, Alberta; Toronto, Ontario; and Montreal, Quebec.
Just make sure that when you do use a semi colon in this way, you use it for the whole list, not just items that have commas in them.
Where does the commas go in a possessive?
Here is an example of a possessive noun: "That is Danny'sbook."
This sentence is expressing that the book belongs to Danny. "Danny" is made possessive by adding an apostrophe and an "s" after "Danny."
(I think you thought the apostrophe was called a "comma." A comma is used to separate phrases, as I just did now. Some people refer to apostrophes as "flying commas" because they look like commas that are flying in the air. However, it is important to remember that commas and apostrophes serve very different grammatical purposes.)
As I showed above, to make a singular noun possessive, add an apostrophe and "s." If you wish to make a plural noun that already ends in "s" possessive, add an apostrophe and omit the "s." For example: "Do not steal the cats' food, for they are very hungry." This avoids the awkward construction "cats's."
Be careful no to apply this rule to plural nouns that do NOT end in "s." For example: "The children's toys are very colorful."
There is some debate when it comes to making a name ending in "s" possessive. For instance, some people prefer to write, "Don't go near the Jones's house!" Personally, I like to write, "Don't go near the Jones' house!" I think the former style has evolved from the fact that we often pronounce the sentence that way, even if it was not originally written as such. As far as I can tell, at the moment both styles are grammatically acceptable, so just pick whichever one suits you best.
You do not need to use a comma directly after the word "in." It is a preposition, so it will be used in a prepositional phrase. If that phrase is at the beginning of a sentence, then you may need to put a comma after the phrase.
EX: In the wee hours of the morning, Donald took his dog for a stroll through the cow pasture. In the pasture, they saw a cow.
However, this has more to do with where the prepositional phrase is placed, not that the phrase uses "in." Look at how commas are not necessary if the sentence is reworded:
Donald took his dog for a stroll through the cow pasture in the wee hours of the morning. They saw a cow in the pasture.
AnswerThe above answer is usually true, but not always. There ARE some sentences in which a comma is used after the word "in." For example:
She doesn't have a pot to pee in, but she's out buying clothes like she's Paris Hilton.
Everybody else wanted to go in, but she refused, on the grounds that the club "looked seedy."
There was a line of people outside waiting to get in, but she took her time opening up the store anyway.
Should a comma be used before IV in a person's name?
No, a person's name with a Roman Numeral does not require a comma.John Smith had a son, to whose name he added the Numeral I.
John Smith I had a son John Smith II (John Smith the second)
John Smith II had a son John Smith III
John Smith III detested Roman Numerals so he called his son, John Smith, Jr. (with a comma), thus ending the Roman Numeral tradition for this family.
If you are listing something and you are using commas do you use a comma right before the and?
It depends on the style guide you are following. In American English, the comma before "and" in a list is known as the Oxford comma, and it's optional. In British English, the Oxford comma is typically not used. It's essential to be consistent in your use of the Oxford comma throughout your writing.
What are four rules for using commas?
Although some of these might seem quite obvious, here are the four main rules that I can think of:
Commas are always used in lists of things.
Example: I like to eat chocolate, steak, pavlova, ice cream and chops.
Commas are either used in lists (like the above example), or when you are saying a sentence and need to pause or take a breath in the middle of it.
Commas always come straight after a word, never a space and then the comma.
Example: word, is correct. word , is not correct.
This is a fairly new rule that was introduced a few years ago, which a lot of people don't actually use:
There is never supposed to be a comma in front of the word 'and', as the word 'and' is supposed to be a pause within itself, although most people do not pay attention to this rule.
Example: I like turtles, dogs, horses, dolphins, and cats. -This sentence would not be 'gramatically correct, although at the moment no one pays much attention to this rule.
I like turtles, dogs, horses, dolphins and cats. -This is the correct way to write it.
Do you use a comma and a conjunction when joining two independent clauses?
When joining two independent clauses you use a comma and a conjunction to join them.
This is also known as IC + IC (Independent clause + Independent clause). Example: Jim studied for his exam in the library, and he was very quiet.
You could also have a sentence called an DC + IC (Dependent Clause + Independent Clause). Example: When Jim studied in the library, he saw his old sixth grade teacher from last year.
Does a subortant come after a comma?
A subordinator usually comes before the comma in a complex sentence. Subordinators such as because, if, when, although typically introduce dependent clauses that come before or after the main clause in a sentence.
Can you use a comma before the word or?
You can but do not have to.
It is not wrong if you do.
It is very rare to put a comma(This is what a comma looks like',')after a coordinating conjuntion.
How can use the conjunction whereas?
The conjunction 'whereas' is used when two clauses are contrasted with each other. It carries the idea of 'on the other hand' or 'on the contrary'.
'My wife enjoys shopping for clothes, whereas her sister has no interest in what she wears.'
'Opera is one of my passions, whereas chamber music leaves me cold.'
Do you use a comma with along with?
Not necessarily. There is no word or phrase in English that requires a comma. For example: we went along with the plan, or he brought me along with him etc. When it means "in addition to," its entire phrase may be set off with a comma. For example: Along with tasting bad, it was also ugly, or It was ugly, along with tasting bad.
In the sentence, "Markets are made up of individual merchants who set up shop under a tent on a blanket or behind a stand", commas should be added after "tent" and "blanket". ("Markets are made up of individual merchants who set up shop under a tent, on a blanket, or behind a stand.")
Commas should appear after each item in a list, except the last, but including the second-to-last, even if there is an "and" between the last two items. The "and" does not replace the comma. Some believe that the comma after the penultimate item in the list (before the "and") is unnecessary, and there are even a few style guides which allow that. But it can often create confusion. For example: "The All Star Breakfast comes with eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy or toast and a waffle". This could be interpreted several ways:
1. eggs AND bacon AND ((biscuits AND gravy) OR toast) AND a waffle
2. eggs OR bacon OR (biscuits AND gravy) OR (toast AND a waffle)
3. (eggs AND bacon AND biscuits AND gravy) OR (toast AND a waffle)
4. eggs AND bacon AND biscuits AND (gravy OR toast) AND waffle
5. (eggs OR bacon OR (biscuits AND gravy) OR toast) AND a waffle
Placing a comma after "toast" (or somewhere else if that's where you need it) would eliminate much of the confusion.
Moreover, the word "comma" does not mean "and". It means "pause". Read the sentence "We need milk, bread, butter and eggs" out loud. Whether there's a comma after "butter" or not, you pause after reading "butter", for exactly the same length of time as the pauses after "milk" and "bread". Don't you? If you PAUSE when saying it, you need a COMMA when writing it. Because that's what a comma is - the writing equivalent of a spoken pause.
Again, there are some who disagree with me on this - I'm just making the case for my own point of view.
Where are commas in the following sentence Michael Jessica's brother does not drink?
The sentence should include commas as follows: "Michael, Jessica's brother, does not drink." Placing the commas around "Jessica's brother" sets it as a non-essential clause, providing additional information about Michael without changing the sentence's meaning.
Does the comma go before or after the parthases?
The comma typically goes before the parentheses if it is part of the main sentence. If the parentheses contain a complete sentence, the period or other punctuation mark will typically go inside the parentheses.
Should you put a comma before the word but?
Not necessarily. There is no word in English that requires a comma. Use a comma when but introduces a new clause.
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yes, but that is only because it is good English :) x
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Is the word before separated by a comma?
No. There is no word or phrase in English that requires a comma.
Do you need commas with as needed?
Yes, when using "as needed" as an adverbial phrase in a sentence, you do not need commas unless the phrase interrupts the flow of the sentence. For example, "Medication should be taken as needed for pain relief."
comma splice
Do you use a comma after the word 'because?
Yes, typically a comma is used after the word "because" when it is used to introduce a dependent clause in a sentence. For example: "I went to the store, because I needed some milk."
Is there a comma with specifically?
Yes, the word "specifically" can be used with a comma when it is used to introduce more specific information or examples in a sentence. For example: "I enjoy many outdoor activities, specifically hiking and camping."
Where does the comma go in but?
The comma in the word "but" is typically not included unless it is used at the beginning of a sentence to introduce a contrasting idea. For example, in the sentence "I wanted to go to the movies, but I had to study," the comma follows "movies" before "but."
Is there a comma before and in a list?
No. Usually in a list there is/are no comma(s). The list would instead go something like this:
Mum's Shopping List:
#Bread
#milk
#soup
etc, etc.
