7 Tips on How to Use Commas in English

1. The seven coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet demand a comma to separate an independent clause. Example:

“He climbed to the top of the mountain, but he still couldn’t see the sea.”

2. When we put an introductory phrase before a main clause, we use a comma. Example:

“Early one morning, Maria decided to climb Everest.”

3. When we want to add extra (non-essential) information in the middle of a sentence, we use commas to separate this idea from the main sentence.

Maria, who had never climbed a mountain before, decided she would like to climb Everest.”

4. We use commas to separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses written in a series.

“Maria packed a rope, a tent and a compass for the trip”

5. We use a comma to separate adjectives describing the same noun.

“She took a big, old, red tent with her.”

6. We use a comma near the end of a sentence to separate a contrasting part of the sentence. This is usually used to reflect spoken English. Example:

“You haven’t ever climbed a mountain before, have you?”

7. We use a comma to shift between the main sentence and a quotation.

She looked at the sherpa and said, “Can you please show me the way?”

These tips have been adapted from Purdue Owl (Grammar: Articles)

This video came from Ted-ed (English Grammar Video Lessons)

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