(1) 2 Independent Clauses joined by a Coordinating Conjunction

• “FAN BOYS” (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)

• You can have only 2 independent clauses (complete thoughts) in one sentence; 3+ would make a Run-On sentence.

• The Coordinating Conjunction joins the 2 independent clauses, not the comma.

• You need to make sure that you have an independent clause to the left of the comma AND to the right of the comma. If you do not have 2 IC, then you do not need a comma.

  • That is, if you have a compound predicate (the subject is performing more than one action), then you do not need a comma before the conjunction.

  • (Exception: separate each verb when you have a predicate with 3+ verbs, items in a series).

• Below, the battery is the subject, the lights are the verbs, the doorbell is the comma; the flow of electricity is blocked by doorbell and cannot light the second light bulb.

For example: I went to the store and bought milk.

• (no comma is required between “store” and “bought,” the “compound predicate”)

For example: I went to the store, and I bought milk.

• (2 subjects and 2 verbs, 2 independent clauses)

(2) ITEMS (3 or more) IN A SERIES

• separate each item in the series

  • between "adjacent parallel items" - now there's a mouthful!

• The Oxford Comma:

  • do not forget the comma before the next to last item/before the coordinating conjunction (“FAN BOYS")

• EXCEPTION:       Use semicolons instead of commas to separate items in a series that have commas within each item;

  • because the items have commas within them already, adding more commas results in confusion and actually negates their purpose to separate clearly each item.

• The following students were ranked at the top of the graduating class:  Mike Smith, 4.0; Janice Zerowe, 4.0; Geoff Freund, 3.9; Kevin Braun, 3.85; Genny George, 3.75; and Francine Belgium, 3.70.

(3) BONUS INFORMATION

• anything added to the sentence that can be extracted without changing the meaning of the sentence

• metaphoric explanation:

  • If your sentence is a stream (of consciousness?) and you reach into it to add or retract some unnecessary material--words that will not change the meaning, with or without them--you will cause ripples on the water on both sides of your hand; those ripples are the commas.

  • What this means is that you must use the commas IN PAIRS with regard to this rule, on both sides of the Bonus Information.

• a.k.a. “interrupters”

  • because they interrupt the “flow” of the sentence

• a.k.a. “nonessential clauses” or “nonrestrictive clauses”

  • because that are not “essential” or necessary to the meaning of the sentence (necessary=no commas)

• (1) IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS:

  • words added for "flavoring"

  • I believe, of course, indeed, in truth
    by the way, on the contrary, on the other hand
    according to, including, excluding
    though, however, in addition to, as well as

• (2) RELATIVE CLAUSES:

  • nonessential clauses; commonly begin with relative pronouns who, which, or that

  • Please note that relative clauses that begin with “which” (but not “who” or “that”) will always be nonessential and, therefore, set off by commas.

  • “Who” clauses can be either nonessential or essential: if the clause offers trivial data not necessary for the meaning of the sentence, then it is nonessential and set off by commas; if, on the other hand, the removal of the “who” clause prompts the reader to ask a question answered by the removed clause, then it is essential and not set off by commas.

    • For ex: The teacher, who is a born-again Christian, returned our biology test today.

      • (Here, the relative clause is not necessary in order for the sentence to make sense, can be removed, and is, thus, set off by commas.)

    • For ex: The teacher who had the car accident cancelled her classes for the week.

      • (Here, the excising of the relative clause would force the reader to ask, “Which teacher?”)

    • For ex: Chapter 5, which was very long, was assigned for homework.

    • For ex: The correct answer, I believe, is 25.

    • For ex: The teacher, of course, gave us a quiz on the assigned reading.

4) INTRO STUFF

• anything—word, phrase, or clause—that is at the start of the sentence that cannot stand on its own will have a comma after it

  introductory expressions	Yes, No, Well
  introductory transitions	However, Further, Also
  introductory adverbs	Suddenly, Next, First
  prepositional phrases	In the beginning of the class
  participial phrases	Rushing to her first class
  subordinate clauses	Because he was late

• For ex:  Yes, you are going to have a quiz on commas now.

• For ex:  Near the end of class, you will have a comma quiz.

• For ex:  When you have completed the quiz, check your answers again.

PLEASE NOTE: Sometimes these introductory fragments function as the subject of the sentence, in which case NO COMMA is necessary. So how do you know?

• If you place the comma after the introductory fragment and what follows the comma is a complete thought with a subject and a verb, then leave the comma in there.

• If, however, you put in the comma and what follows it lacks a subject, then remove the comma.

  • For instance, consider the following sentences:

    • To get to the game proved difficult.  AND

    • To get to the game, we followed the directions closely.

  • The infinitive phrase in the first sentence functions as the subject; if we place a comma after "game," we would not have a subject to go with the verb "proved."

  • In the second sentence, what follows the introductory infinitive phrase and comma is a complete sentence: the subject is "we" and the verb is "followed."