Comma Usage by Miles Murphy https://padlet.com/2020mimurphy/1yiupcmaonu Murphy and Coley en-us 2019-01-07 18:19:40 UTC 2025-10-22 21:02:17 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Condos.png Comma - (,) 2020mimurphy https://padlet.com/2020mimurphy/1yiupcmaonu/wish/318018558  A punctuation mark indicating a pause between parts of a sentence. It is also used to separate items in a list and to mark the place of thousands, millions, billions, trillions and etc.

]]> 2019-01-07 18:33:21 UTC https://padlet.com/2020mimurphy/1yiupcmaonu/wish/318018558 BAD 2020mimurphy https://padlet.com/2020mimurphy/1yiupcmaonu/wish/318023127 No comma after introductory clause:
- EX. After eating your brother will do the dishes.
-This makes it seem like the brother is going to be eaten.

Commas setting off restrictive clauses:
- EX. Basketball players who win championships should be paid millions of dollars.
-The meaning of the sentence changes without the commas.

Comma Splice:
- EX. The beach was nice today, the water was warm.
- The sentence is incomplete due to the lack of coordinating conjunction.

No comma before coordinating conjunctions:
- EX. The sun was bright but I brought my sunglasses. 
-The comma needs to stop an independent clause and start another.

Commas setting off restricting appositive:
- EX. We listened to a symphony by the world famous Russian composer, Rachmaninoff.
- It limits the sentence to only one musician.
]]> 2019-01-07 18:41:55 UTC https://padlet.com/2020mimurphy/1yiupcmaonu/wish/318023127 GOOD 2020nwalters https://padlet.com/2020mimurphy/1yiupcmaonu/wish/318023261 Use a comma after a dependent clause that starts a sentence.
Use a comma before any coordinating conjunction (and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet) that links two independent clauses.
For example:
-It is nearly half past five, we cannot reach town before dark. The comma splice is sometimes used in literary writing to convey a particular mood of informality.

-After eating, your brother will do the dishes. (As you can see, the second sentence is much more clear and logical—and less frightening.)

-Basketball players, who win championships, should be paid millions of dollars. (These sentences differ in meaning. The first sentence says only the basketball players who win championships should be paid millions of dollars. The second sentence suggests that all basketball players should be paid millions of dollars, regardless of the amount of championships they win.)

-The sun was bright, but I brought my sunglasses. (Without the comma it seems someone was interrupted mid sentence and continued with a different thought.)

-Hunters please use caution when hunting, Pedestrians please stay on designated trail. (Without the comma it would make it seem the pedestrians are being hunted.)]]> 2019-01-07 18:42:12 UTC https://padlet.com/2020mimurphy/1yiupcmaonu/wish/318023261 Comma Splices 2020nwalters https://padlet.com/2020mimurphy/1yiupcmaonu/wish/318025529 A comma splice or comma fault is the use of a comma to join two independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction.  

Example:  Koala bears are not actually bears, they are marsupials.]]> 2019-01-07 18:45:44 UTC https://padlet.com/2020mimurphy/1yiupcmaonu/wish/318025529 WHICH choice displays correct comma usage? 2020mimurphy https://padlet.com/2020mimurphy/1yiupcmaonu/wish/318471334 1. 
a. Man bacon makes everything better.
b. Man, bacon makes everything better.
2.
a.  Jenna, who is our boss, wanted daily reports later on today.
b. Jenna who is our boss wanted daily reports later on today.
3.
a. It is chilly today I am wearing a sweater. 
b. It is chilly today, I am wearing a sweater.
4. 
a. I drank the water but it was poisoned.
b. I drank the water, but it was poisoned.
5.
a. My brother David likes spaghetti.
b. My brother, David, likes spaghetti.]]> 2019-01-08 18:20:54 UTC https://padlet.com/2020mimurphy/1yiupcmaonu/wish/318471334 Independent Clause 2020mimurphy https://padlet.com/2020mimurphy/1yiupcmaonu/wish/320445909 A group of words that can stand alone as a sentence, containing a subject and a verb.

Example: He likes to pet dogs.]]> 2019-01-14 18:19:29 UTC https://padlet.com/2020mimurphy/1yiupcmaonu/wish/320445909 Coordinating Conjunctions 2020mimurphy https://padlet.com/2020mimurphy/1yiupcmaonu/wish/320448008 A conjunction used to combine independent clauses, phrases, sentences, and words.

Examples: FANBOYS
For
And
Nor
But
Or
Yet
So]]> 2019-01-14 18:22:19 UTC https://padlet.com/2020mimurphy/1yiupcmaonu/wish/320448008 Restrictive Appositive 2020mimurphy https://padlet.com/2020mimurphy/1yiupcmaonu/wish/320448281 The words or phrase in a sentence that is needed to create a meaning for the sentence. It should NOT be separated by commas.

Example: In the following sentence, Mary is the restrictive appositive.

Correct:
My sister Mary has four dogs.
Incorrect:
My sister, Mary, has four dogs.]]> 2019-01-14 18:22:44 UTC https://padlet.com/2020mimurphy/1yiupcmaonu/wish/320448281 Introductory Clause 2020mimurphy https://padlet.com/2020mimurphy/1yiupcmaonu/wish/320448727 A clause at the beginning of the sentence that provides background information for the rest of the sentence.

Example: Due to the dogs barking, we threw the ball for him.]]> 2019-01-14 18:23:31 UTC https://padlet.com/2020mimurphy/1yiupcmaonu/wish/320448727