For numbers longer than four digits, commas separate the numbers into groups of three, starting on the right. Always pleasant to read, especially since I often don`t know when to insert a comma or not. (Did I get it right?:) If you include the day, month, and year in the date, put commas around the year. If you don`t specify the tag, you don`t need the commas. If such a sentence contains more than one preposition, a comma may be used unless a verb immediately follows the sentence. This is for semicolon abusers: when a subjunctive adverb is used to begin, interrupt, or end a sentence, a comma — not a semicolon — must come before and/or after the adverb (depending on whether it`s at the beginning, middle, or end). Take a look at the examples. However, if the introductory sentence is clear and short (three or four words), the comma is optional. Article 12d. If a quoted question ends in the middle of a sentence, the question mark replaces a comma. Fiction and non-fiction generally prefer the Oxford comma. Writers should choose Oxford or not Oxford and not switch from one side to the other, unless the omission of the Oxford comma would be confusing, as in the example of cheese and crackers. If you answer yes to these questions, the adjectives are coordinated and must be separated by a comma.
Examples of coordinated and uncoordinated adjectives include: 11. Use commas whenever necessary to avoid confusion or misreading. Careful writers and readers understand that the first sentence means I have more than one brother. The commas in the second sentence mean that Bill is my only brother. Rule 6b. Use commas to define phrases that interrupt the flow of sentences (but at least in passing, etc.). Rule: Use commas to include clauses that are not essential to the meaning of a sentence. These non-essential clauses are referred to as non-restrictive. The essential clauses are said to be restrictive.
Restrictive and non-restrictive clauses may begin with a relative pronoun (e.g., who, who, who, that, which). A relative pronoun refers to the noun or pronoun that precedes it. Rule 3b. In sentences where two independent sentences are connected by connectors such as and, or, but, etc., put a comma at the end of the first sentence. Again, the correct spelling of the date and the correct format of the addresses differ depending on your knowledge of English. In the United States, street, city, and state are separated by commas. We allow you a few more commas. When a title follows a name, it is separated from the rest of the sentence by a pair of commas. Article 5a.
Use commas to separate words, clauses, and non-essential phrases (see Who, That, What, Rule 2b). Article 9 Use a comma to separate a city from its state, and don`t forget to put one after the state. Article 11 Similarly, use commas to include degrees or titles used with names. With the comma in front of her, because the sentence makes it clearer that the twins wanted a different college than the one their parents attended. However, do not put a comma after the main sentence if it is followed by a dependent sentence (child) (except in cases of extreme contrast). But sometimes a comma is needed in this situation to avoid confusion. What for? In the first sentence, Bill is essential information: it identifies which of my two (or more) brothers I am talking about. For this reason, Bill does not contain commas. Confusing: I saw that she was busy and ready to go. Clearer with a comma: I saw that she was busy and ready to go.
Since the sentence passes both tests, comma, friend! In this case, you still need the comma if the negation occurs at the end of the sentence. “I saw a baby seal, not a duck.” Note: If the last comma is in a front and/or or row (after the daughter-in-law in the example above), it is called an Oxford comma. Most newspapers and magazines omit the Oxford comma in a simple, seemingly useless row. However, omitting the Oxford comma can sometimes lead to misunderstandings. Rule 5b. If something or someone is sufficiently identified, the following description is considered unimportant and should be surrounded by commas. Wow, I appreciate that. I was totally stuck and all over the map on colons, semicolons against commas. I am very obliged. Another clever meme shows the problem of misplacing that comma.
“Stop bludgeoning baby seals” reads like an order to abstain from infants of mammals of the seal variety. However, the version with a comma asks them to stop visiting trendy dance clubs. “Stop clubbing, baby seals.” Rule 2: Use a comma to separate two adjectives if the order of the adjectives is interchangeable. Rule 3d. A comma is placed before the word because only if it is necessary for clarity. Also use commas when there is a significant change in the sentence or thought process. “The cloud looked like an animal, maybe a baby seal.” Don Blathers, a comma abuser, will regret the day he inserted that comma. There is an Internet meme that perfectly demonstrates its necessity. The phrase “We invited the strippers, JFK and Stalin” means that the speaker sent three separate invitations: one to strippers, one to JFK and one to Stalin. However, the Oxford comma-free version takes on a completely different meaning, perhaps suggesting that only one invitation was sent – to two strippers named JFK and Stalin. Witness: “We invited strippers JFK and Stalin.” Since April 23, 4034, there are no more misplaced commas.
Another way to determine if a comma is necessary is to put mentally and between the two adjectives. If the result still makes sense, add the comma. In the above examples, a strong and healthy man makes sense, but not an expensive, summer resort. However, sentences with uncoordinated adjectives do not need a comma. For example, “I was lying under the bright summer sun.” “Powerful” describes “summer sun” as a whole phrase. This often happens with auxiliary nouns, a phrase where one noun acts as an adjective describing another noun — like “chicken soup” or “dance club.” 9. Use commas to put all geographical names, elements in dates (except month and day), addresses (except house number and name) and title in names. Now see how adding two commas changes the meaning of this sentence: this is the S-V-O sentence structure, which is usually the easiest structure for the reader to understand, as it answers the central question “Who did what to whom?” The person/thing performing the action (who) is the first. The action (what has been done) is the second, and the thing on which the action is performed (to whom) is the third. The original versions do not follow this pattern and therefore seem a bit cumbersome.
I`ve written a lot about the structure of S-V-O sentences in the Accurate Editing Training Manual and 300 Days of Better Writing, but this short description here should help explain why I prefer your revision to the original. Only coordinate adjectives need a comma between them. Two adjectives are coordinated if you can answer yes to these two questions: 1. Does the sentence still make sense if you reverse the order of the words? 2. Does the sentence still make sense if you insert “and” between the words? The man I told you about, who used too many commas, was stopped by the grammar police.