Hi, I'm Kelsey, and this is Mia!
In this video, we're going to level up your comma knowledge. Are you ready? Let's go!
You've been using commas for a long time now, and you know that a comma indicates a pause in
a sentence, like in the sentence "Although we know a lot about commas, there's still more to learn."
One important thing is that commas are not just about pauses. There are also certain rules to
comma usage. You're pro at some of the simple rules, like where to use a comma in the date
or a place. Those are easy. But do you remember some of the more complex rules?
It's time now to review, refine, and extend what you know about using commas.
For example, why do we use a comma in "I like mangoes, but I don't like avocados." If you're
thinking it has something to do with the coordinating conjunction "but," you are
correct. But then why don't we use a comma in the sentence "I like mangoes but not avocados"?
You remember this one? It's that rule that says we use a comma before the coordinating conjunction
in a compound sentence. That means there has to be an independent clause before the
coordinating conjunction and another independent clause after the coordinating conjunction.
Only use that comma if you're sure you have both independent clauses.
Okay, here's another one you've learned before. Why do we use a comma
in the sentence "When summer time arrives, I like to eat watermelon." If you recognize
that this is a complex sentence with one dependent clause and one independent clause,
you're on the right track. But if we reverse the order of the clauses and say,
"I like to eat watermelon when summer time arrives," we don't use a comma.
That's because the rule is, when a dependent clause precedes the independent clause in a
complex sentence, the dependent clause is followed by a comma. In other words, you
only use a comma when your dependent clause comes first. As a matter of fact, any time you insert
an introductory word, phrase, or clause before your main clause, you add a comma.
So that's why it's "Each summer," comma, "we go on vacation." "To be honest," comma,
"I miss home when we go." And "However," comma, "I still love a good vacation." The rule is
that you use commas after introductory words, phrases, or clauses that precede the main clause.
Let's move on to another comma rule that you've learned. "Pixie, our dog, doesn't like
it when we leave." But don't worry, our neighbor dogsits, and "Pixie gets spoiled by Mrs. Ruiz,
our neighbor." These commas are separating appositive phrases from the main sentence.
Appositives are those words or phrases that rename or define a noun or pronoun.
The rule is that you use commas to offset non-essential appositive words and phrases.
But hold on, what does "non-essential" mean? What's the difference between non-essential
and essential? In the sentence "My grandma's summer home, a cottage in the mountains, is our
favorite spot to visit," that extra information, "a cottage in the mountains," is not necessary.
You could read the sentence just fine without it. "My grandma's summer home is our favorite
spot to visit." That extra information can be lifted out, so you offset it with commas.
However, in the sentence "The legendary author Henry David Thoreau lived in a cabin in the
woods at one time," the added information is essential. If I just said, "The legendary
author lived in a cabin," well, you get it: You wouldn't know which author I was talking about,
so the added information is essential, and in that case, you don't use commas. I like
to remember this rule as non-essential = need commas, and essential = exclude commas. You'll
also hear these referred to as non-restrictive and restrictive – same thing, just a different name.
Now let's talk about commas in a series: you know, like "I packed my jacket, hat, and hiking
boots." You know that we separate the items in a series with commas, but did you know that there's
a name for that comma before a coordinating conjunction? It's called the Oxford comma,
or sometimes the serial comma. You might notice that some writers don't use that Oxford comma.
It's kind of a style choice, but most people agree that it helps clarify your meaning.
I mean, what if you said, “I'm hiking with my sisters, Mom and Dad.” That looks like
your sisters are named "Mom" and "Dad," and maybe they are. But if you actually
mean that you're hiking with your sisters and your mom and your dad, then that Oxford comma
helps clarify your meaning. So the rule is, use commas to separate items in a series, and
we strongly suggest that you go ahead and use the Oxford comma to make sure your meaning is clear.
Okay, one more. Let's talk about quotation marks and commas. If your dad says, "We're ready to
go," and you want to write that in a sentence, it looks like this: Dad said, "We're ready to go.”
Or you could say, "We're ready to go," said Dad. Notice the comma placement.
The comma is attached to whatever comes before it, so in the first sentence,
it comes right after the dialogue tag, and in the second sentence, it's attached to the dialogue.
Where that period was in the speech bubble, we now have a comma, and that comma goes inside the
quotation marks. Of course, if you wait too long to respond, Dad might speak with more emotion,
in which case, you keep the exclamation point and calmly respond, "I'm here and ready to
go." And remember the rule to use commas to separate dialogue from dialogue tags.
Before I hit the road, let's review. First, when you have a compound sentence, put a comma before
the coordinating conjunction. Next, in a complex sentence, use a comma if the dependent clause
precedes, or comes before, the main clause. And third, use a comma after any introductory words,
phrases, or clauses that are added in front of your main clause.
Next, use commas to offset those non-essential appositive words and phrases. They're also called
non-restrictive, and if you remove them, your meaning is still clear. Next, use commas to
separate items in a series, and to be clear, go ahead and use that Oxford comma. And finally, use
commas to separate dialogue from dialogue tags, as in "Remember," says Mia, "to always be clever."