Grammar Comma Lesson |
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation

Comma Lesson

Rule: Use a comma to separate two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction–and, or, but, for, nor.
Example: He thought quickly, but he still did not answer correctly.

Now, let’s look at a slightly different situation.
Rule 1 – If the subject does not appear in front of the second verb, do not use a comma.
Example: He thought quickly but still did not answer correctly.

Rule 2 – Use commas to introduce or interrupt direct quotations shorter than three lines.
Examples:
He actually said, “I do not care.”
“Why,” I asked, “do you always forget to do it?”

Pop Quiz
Choose the correct sentence.
1A. She went to the mall and she found the perfect pair of shoes to wear at the wedding.
1B. She went to the mall, and she found the perfect pair of shoes to wear at the wedding.

2A. She went to the mall and found the perfect pair of shoes to wear at the wedding.
2B. She went to the mall, and found the perfect pair of shoes to wear at the wedding.

3A. “Baseball” Yogi Berra said “is ninety percent mental, and the other half is physical.”
3B. “Baseball” Yogi Berra said, “is ninety percent mental, and the other half is physical.”
3C. “Baseball,” Yogi Berra said, “is ninety percent mental, and the other half is physical.”

Pop Quiz Answers
1B. She went to the mall, and she found the perfect pair of shoes to wear at the wedding.
2A. She went to the mall and found the perfect pair of shoes to wear at the wedding.
3C. “Baseball,” Yogi Berra said, “is ninety percent mental, and the other half is physical.”

If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page.

6 responses to “Comma Lesson”

  1. Reji K. says:

    Can these sentences
    He thought quickly, but he still did not answer correctly.
    In this sentence can it also be assumed that the he are two different people

    He thought quickly but still did not answer correctly.
    and here the he is one and the same person

  2. Lawrence F. says:

    Greetings, very useful website, and at the top of Google’s hit list.

    I was looking for confirmation that a colon should be used in writing direct discourse. He said: “This is what I want to do.”

    Maybe I’m old fashioned. Don’t bother to tell me.

    • A comma is usually sufficient to introduce concise direct quotations. He said, “This is what I want to do.” (Please see Rule 13a of our Commas section online or in The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation.)
      A colon is generally used to introduce a long quotation. (Rule 5 of Colons)

  3. DebLace says:

    Remarks, such as “Oh there’s my good boy,” or “Look at my big helper!” dishonor his integrity.

    Should there be a comma, a period, or nothing after BOY, but before the quotation mark?

Leave a Reply to Lawrence F. Cancel reply

Please ensure that your question or comment relates to the topic of the blog post. Unrelated comments may be deleted. If necessary, use the "Search" box on the right side of the page to find a post closely related to your question or comment.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *