The Grammar Doctor

More Comma Rules

Clarity

Sometimes we need a comma to let the reader know that there is a pause in a particular place in the sentence. Without the pause, the sentence will be misread. Look at the following sentences, for example:
  1. After eating the horse went out to pasture.
  2. Soon after Miss Sweatcakes discovered that Mac had been two-timing her.

With the commas added, the sentences become more clear:

  1. After eating, the horse went out to pasture.
  2. Soon after, Miss Sweatcakes discovered that Mac had been two-timing her.


Series

Words or groups of words in a series are separated by commas:

  1. He was surrounded by sycophants, liars, and thieves.
  2. McScrooge had money hidden in the mattress, under the rug, and in the urn containing his mother's ashes.


Conventions

Commas are used to separate groups of numbers into units of threes, in dates and addresses, in titles and degrees, and with phrases identifying direct quotations. Notice that if dates or addresses appear within a sentence, a comma is required after the year and after the date.

Aristotle Mongoose, Ph.D., of St. George, New Hampshire, said, " From October 1, 1992, to September 30 of the next year, Americans consumed 7,340,000 pounds of chocolate."

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