If you are writing for a british audience, put the comma after the closing quotation mark. Aug 18, 2015 ive recently received a handful of questions asking for clarification about rule governing the use of commas with names and titles. The good news is that questions testing this rule dont show up. When addressing another person by name, set off the name with commas. A comma used in such a position is variously called a serial comma, an oxford comma, or a harvard comma after the oxford university press and harvard university press, both prominent advocates of this style. My estate goes to my husband, son, daughterinlaw, and nephew.
It is also standard practice to put a comma after the name of the person youre addressing. The zero tolerance approach to punctuation also by lynne truss. Oxford comma esl lesson plan breaking news english lesson. You do not need commas here because the book title is essential information. If the ellipsis is part of the title, we add the period or comma after the. Comma before which use a comma before which when it introduces a nonrestrictive phrase. That explains an exception to the onlythingintheworld rule.
A comma with hi or hello when the salutation in your letter or email starts with hello or hi, then you should put a comma before the name of the person youre addressing. Use commas to separate words and word groups in a simple series of three or more items. Could you please explain when to use a comma before as and because. The following book was published by verso in london, so the serial comma is not added. Putting a comma after dear would be as bad as putting one after red in red bus. Before we look at the details of punctuation in german, lets define some our terms. One way to figure out whether to use a comma is to look at the titles grammatical function in the sentence. We use commas while combining multiple phrases in one sentence or writing about different items in a list. When the title of a poem is used as a direct object or as the object of a prepositional phrase, dont place a comma before it. The rule is either have the commas both before and after a name, or dont.
Dont use a comma before which when its part of a prepositional phrase, such as in which. She was reading a book, a thousand splendid suns, which is quite a classic read. But in the example below, no commas are used around the by phrases because the authors names. Rules for comma usage guide to grammar and writing. Commas should sometimes be placed before and after names and titles. When the last comma in a series comes before and or or after daughterinlaw in the above example, it is known as the oxford comma. Commas before and in a series grammar and punctuation. We are honoured to publish commas first novel, dear jane by awardwinning author, pratiwi juliani. Is the sentence below correct, or should i omit the comma before of which. Normally there might be a slight pause at the commas when reading the sentence, but a slight pause when reading is not a reason to introduce a comma when the grammar does not require it. In uk english, there isnt normally a comma before and. A nonrestrictive phrase adds a little bit of extra but not essential information about a noun phrase that youve already mentioned in your sentence. Philip roth, author of portnoys complaint and many other books is a.
The first thing to knowis that there are generally only two correct options. German punctuation zeichensetzung punctuation marks part 1. Commas with names and titles, simplified the critical reader. Comma test learnenglishonline improve your english for. Putting commas before and and but may be acceptable in american english, but it is not in aussie english, although there are times you might have a comma before them. If teachers have ever told you, that you dont put a comma before that, they were right. Here are some of the more common punctuation marks in german and english. When the identifier makes sense in the sentence by itself, then the name is nonessential and you use a comma before it. Ampersands in relatively formal text may be used to form a compound name e. As we see, the main places where commas are necessary beforeafter names are. For instance, in the below sentence, the oxford comma is placed before and. Shaw, i have indicated the american ae and british be terms for items that differ. Grammarly, the worlds best grammar checker commas are used as grammatical markers to help convey meaning in sentences.
When do we use commas in english explanation and examples grammar reference. If you dont feel the need to put the clause starting with because in parentheses, dont use a comma. The comma after the name also tells us that the information after the name is essential to identify the person. I literally got a ba in english, but for the life of me i cant figure this out. Use a comma when the first word of the sentence is a freestanding yes or no.
There are wonderfully funny drawings on each page to emphasize exactly what each sentence means so readers can grasp exactly what is wrong. The comma before the if is syntactically not necessary, but it helps break out a long sentence in a logical place. In the second sentence, the comma before and after the name indicates we are talking about a specific scientist of akl university. In british english, however, the convention is the opposite.
The oxford comma, also called the serial comma or harvard comma, is a muchdebated piece of punctuation that occurs just before a coordinating conjunction in a series of three or more items. Some english style guides recommend that a comma be used before the final conjunction and, or, nor in a list of more than two elements. Hardcover books are more expensive, than paperback books. The fact that your last sentence looks unnatural, despite having correct commas, is evidence that you shouldnt use an ampersand like that. We could argue that the name eleanor is not essential to the meaning of the sentence assuming he has only one wife, and that would suggest that we can put commas both before and after the name and that would also be correct, but his wife and eleanor are so close that we can regard the entire phrase as one unit and leave out the commas. The good news is that questions testing this rule dont show up very often. In each of these cases, we can remove what comes between the commas or what comes before the only comma without damaging the basic sentence they discussed the problem for hours but found no solution. Commas should sometimes be placed before and after. The correct way to use commas with names and titles. This number was reduced to 33, of which only 16 reported an empirical research study using focus groups. Common starter words for introductory clauses that should be followed by a comma include after, although, as, because, if, since, when, while. Should there be a comma before the title, as in the book.
Still, there are some punctuation mark uses you might still not know about despite using and seeing them on a regular basis. Aug 08, 2015 when do you use a comma before as or because. You need a comma after movie because this and only this is mr. Do you place a comma before a poems title in a sentence. From cambridge english corpus when a word or phrase is placed in inverted commas, it allows us a provisional use of it. The serial comma is an extra comma you will often see placed before andor in us based english. Note that but and and do not take a comma when both are relatively short. Lets start with the fact that unless a name or title is the last words in a sentence, it can either be used with no commas at all, or with a comma both before and. Comma test learnenglishonline improve your english. Ive recently received a handful of questions asking for clarification about rule governing the use of commas with names and titles. Use a comma to shift between the main discourse and a quotation. You can also use a comma before and to connect two unrelated clauses. Apr 20, 2015 then you should put a comma after each item of the list.
British english vs american english the serial comma. Hi, a dash has its place in other contexts, but i would use a comma after dave, which is a more acceptable practice. When the last comma in a series comes before and or or after. But there, itd mean on the contrary or on the other hand. Generally, british english does not make use of this extra comma, but most publications on the us do. But i didnt agree with it and my logic, that john is essential appositive and thats why we shouldnt put comma before it. Parentheses are used to give additional information to the readerinformation that would disrupt the flow of the sentence if written as a nonrestrictive clause. The title should be in italics how i became a millionaire. Okay, so my brothers gotta find the nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and verbs in this passage from the black arrow. You may have learned that the comma before the and is unnecessary, which.
At one time the brits did use it, but without wanting to get. Jun 09, 2009 in this lesson, i look at comma use in the english language. Dependent clauses clauses introduced by words like that, which, who, where, how, etc. In this article let us understand how to correctly use commas with names. Oxford comma esl lesson plan breaking news english. Sep 02, 2007 my colleague has put a one comma before the name john, explaining that an above average student and talented musician is a nonessential appositive and should be separated by comma. Clear explanations of natural written and spoken english. Where did the oxford comma come from, and why is it so. Many people learn that a comma should be placed before a name or title, but that is not entirely true. We want to visit big ben, and then see tower bridge on thursday. We need two cucumbers and four tomatoes and some onions and a lettuce. Should commas be used around by and an authors name after a title.
Use commas to set off the name, nickname, term of endearment, or title of a person. Lets start with the fact that unless a name or title is the last words in a sentence, it can either be used with no commas at all, or with a comma both before and after. There are more usages of a comma, for example, how adding or removing comma before and after a name changes the meaning of the sentence. While a comma after the title may be correct on rare occasions which dont concern. Im copyediting and can only alter the text for correct punctuationgrammar. Homer wrote two books that are set against the backdrop of the. Most newspapers and magazines drop the oxford comma in a simple series, apparently.
Learn the essentials about commas in english quickly. English also has many irregular nouns child, nucleus, tooth, etc. In each of these cases, we can remove what comes between the commas or what comes before the only comma without damaging the basic. It is used before the final and or or in a written list of three or more items. My colleague has put a one comma before the name john, explaining that an above average student and talented musician is a nonessential appositive and should be separated by comma. The first novel we read lingers throughout our entire life, and so does the first novel we write. As you can see, the use of a comma before and is more important than youd think. It would be nonessential if i have only one friend in the universe. The comma has several uses in english grammar, all related to markingoff separate. General purpose of a comma is to establish a pause in extensive contexts, or to look at it another way. The most important rules for using commas without looking. May 12, 2018 the english language has many punctuation marks, and you will usually learn to use many of them as you master the language. If something or someone is sufficiently identified, the description that follows is considered nonessential and should come after a comma.
Of all the comma rules tested on the sat and act, this is probably the subtlest. We also use where as a conjunction and there it takes a comma. Commas are used as grammatical markers to help convey meaning in sentences. In your sentence, its actually necessary information to identify the book and is not parenthetical at all. If you are looking to get into university, or simply want to improve your. Usage of commas before names of peopletitles english. Use commas wherever necessary to prevent possible confusion or misreading. In this lesson, i look at comma use in the english language. Normally there might be a slight pause at the commas when reading the sentence, but a slight pause when reading is not a reason to introduce a comma when the grammar does not require it the book title, book, is not parenthetical content in your sentence. Then you should put a comma after each item of the list. In american english usage, many writers and editors feel that a comma should precede and with three or more items in a series. May 21, 2012 when the identifier makes sense in the sentence by itself, then the name is nonessential and you use a comma before it. The celebrated british artist david hockney is a master of color.
Dont use a comma before which when it introduces an indirect question. These nouns become plural by changing their spelling, sometimes becoming quite different words. In english language punctuation, a serial comma, or series comma is a comma placed. Comma test asks you to answer multiple choice questions to test your understanding of how to use commas in english. What distinguishes english from most other languages is its use of commas before a dependent subordinate clause. There is one important class of exceptions, however. This means we have to look at the function of because in the sentence. Commas punctuation rules the blue book of grammar and. Use commas to set off all geographical names, items in dates except the month and day, addresses except the street number and name, and titles in names. Perhaps we shouldnt give up on paper books just yet.
When where serves as an adverb, it generally does not take comma before it. Jul 09, 2018 you can also use a comma before and to connect two unrelated clauses. The oxford comma gets its name from the oxford university press, which makes common use of the punctuation mark. I would like to order a salad, a sandwich, and dessert. Commas, uses of grammar and style in british english. While a comma after the title may be correct on rare occasions which dont concern us here, a comma only before a name or title is wrong. The comma in option two indicates that what follows the comma is nonessential information. I think the nouns are bustle, bier, stains, spectacle, marriage, ecclesiastics, and ceremony and all that of church officers, to the deadhouse type stuff would be adjective. Since america and britain are two countries separated by a common language g. Keyboardwarrioryes dave i do have your car keys, they were behind the couch. When do you use a comma before as or because could you please explain when to use a comma before as and because free trial.
Traditionally, if a persons name is followed by sr. Like and but is a conjunction, a word to join phrases into a sentence. The novel was included in the fiction category of the new york times outstanding book of the year listing the forerunner to the new york times s current 100 notable books of year listing from which the best book of the year is selected. Jan 29, 2017 the fact that your last sentence looks unnatural, despite having correct commas, is evidence that you shouldnt use an ampersand like that. Its a whole world, built out of a persons heart, memories, longing, and hope.
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