Name:
Punctuation: The Comma
Use a comma after every item in a series except the last one.
Example: Ben Vereen is a dance, a singer, and an actor.
Use a comma after words such as first, second, and third when they introduce parts of a series.
Example: First, you must total debts, second, you must total assets, third, you must set up
a budget for yourself.
Use a comma between two or more adjectives of equal rank that modify the same noun.
Example: It was a dark, cold, rainy evening.
Directions: Add commas where necessary.
1. Dicken’s character Ebenezer Scrooge was a mean, stingy, old man.
2. Your paper must include the following: first, an outline; second, three to five pages of text; third,
endnotes; and fourth, a bibliography.
3. The driver stopped, looked both ways, and then proceeded.
4. Emily’s favorite poets are Alice Walker, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Anne Sexton.
5. Sulfur has a strong, unpleasant smell.
6. First, check the card catalog; second, look for the book you want; third, take notes.
Use a comma after introductory words or mild interjections.
Example: Yes, I heard you.
Use a comma after verbal phrases and adverb clauses that begin a sentence.
Example: Before we leave, let’s call Pam.
Use commas to set off nouns of direct address.
Example: Students, please complete your assignment.
Use commas to set off most appositives (an appositive explains/identifies another word-DO NOT use
commas with essential appositives).
Example: The house, a brick ranch, is for sale.
Example: The singer Willie Nelson is very popular.
Directions: Add commas where necessary.
7. Although Natalie likes old movies, she has never heard of James Cagney.
8. Looking up at the night sky, my father pointed out the planet Jupiter.
9. In the morning, before breakfast, Ron runs five miles.
10. Yes Paula, you have three minutes for your rebuttal.
11. A gecko, I believe, is a type of lizard.
12. Exhausted from a hector day at work, Judy laid down for a while.
Use commas to set off explanatory words that precede or follow a director quote.
Example: Michelle said, “Many people have called today.”
“Many people have called today,” Michelle said.
Use a comma before a conjunction that joins the two main clauses of a compound sentence.
Example: Joan is already here, but Maria won’t be flying in until tonight.
Directions: Add commas where necessary.
13. Senator Braun commented, “The bill has a good chance of passing.”
14. Maria overslept, but she still made it to work on time.
15. “Where,” the teacher asked, “is Samoa located?”
16. Los Angeles has a larger area than New York City, but New York has more people.
17. “The New York Times,” said Mr. Schultz, “was first published in 1851.”
18. Did Debra resign, or has she decided to stay?
Use commas to set off nonessential clauses. The sentence would be complete without it.
Example: Rita, who is very talented, won the scholarship.
Do not use commas to set off essential clauses. An essential clause Is necessary for the meaning of the
sentence.
Example: The person who is considered the most important Italian composter of the
nineteenth century is Giuseppi Verdi.
Directions: Add commas where necessary.
19. All the students whom you chose as class officers seem outstanding.
20. The vise-grip, which is a wrenchlike tool, resembles pliers.
21. The water color that Barbara painted shows a lakeside scene in winter.
22. Anyone who is familiar with out subway system will tell you it was well planned.
23. An obelisk commemorates the Battle of Bunker Hill, which actually was fought on Breed’s Hill.
24. “Silent Carl” is the nickname that was bestowed on President Collidge.
Use a comma to separate the day of the month and the year. Do not use a comma when only the
month and the year are given. When a date is part of a sentence, a comma also follows the year.
Example: February 29, 1992
Example: On June 6, 1990, we took a field trip.
Use a comma between the name of a city or town and the name of the state or country. When an
address is part of a sentence, use a comma after each item. Do not use a comma between the state
and the ZIP code.
Example: Los Angeles, California
Example: Our trip to Los Angeles, California, was very exciting.
Directions: Add commas where necessary.
25. What event of national interest occurred on August 8, 1974?
26. It was on October 29, 1929, that America’s first stock market crash occurred.
27. On either side of the handsome pewter dish pans hung gleaming. (what?)
28. Thomas E. Dewey lost the November 1948 presidential election.
29. A few feet beyond the closet doors opened onto a porch.
30. Write your senators at the U.S. Senate, Washington D.C. 20510-2102.
