Comma Usage

 

Comma Punctuation: Rules and Examples for Correct Usage

 

Commas

 

Commas with interrupters--Use a comma to set off an expression that interrupts a sentence.

Example: The car, the one with the rusty hood and flat tires, has been in the backyard for years.

                My favorite food, a deep dish everything pizza, is on special at the restaurant.

 

Use a comma to set off an expression or words that interrupt the beginning of a sentence.

Example:  From the back of the room, Sam heard his kitten mewing.

 

Use a comma to set of direct address no matter where it is in a sentence.

Example:  Lincoln, open the door now!

                I told you, Alvin Jones, that you are in big trouble!

 

Use a comma to set off a parenthetical expression.  A parenthetical expression is an expression that connects two ideas, etc.

Example:  The old bike, I really think, should be junked.

                 The cake, on the other hand, is not good at all.

 

Use a comma to separate the parts of a date and the parts of an address.

Example: Jason was born on Tuesday, July 1, 2011.

                I live at 77 Wilshire Avenue, Forest Hills, California.