| Rules |
Examples |
| The comma is used to mark off words in apposition: |
Mr Brown, our new teacher, has a red car. |
| Commas are used to mark off the nominative of address: |
John, what are you doing? |
| ...to mark off absolute phrases: |
The day being fine, we went for a picnic.
The shops having closed, we went home. |
| ...to mark off adverbs and adverbial phrases that are used absolutely: |
John, however, could not come.
In conclusion, I feel that much more can be done. |
| ...to mark off adverbial clauses that precede the words they modify: |
Whenever I have enough time, I clean my car. |
| ...to separate similar parts of speech: |
My brother seems to be always reading long, dull, complicated books. |
| ...to mark off parenthetical clauses that interrupt the thought of a sentence: |
There was no cause, the report stated, for anyone to be unemployed. |
| ...to mark off non-defining adjectival clauses: |
I lost my copy of "To Kill a Mockingbird", which my father bought for me last week. |
| ...to mark off phrases that precede the words they qualify or modify: |
Returning home after the pictures, I met two of my friends. |
| ...to separate complete principal clauses, unless the clauses are very short or have the same subject: |
I shall go in Tom's car, and you will go in Peter's.
Tom stood up and walked out of the room.
I sang and Peter played the piano. |
| ...to separate short principal clauses that are not joined by conjunctions: |
I came, I saw, I conquered.
He entered the room, looked round at everyone, noticed me, and walked towards me. |
| ...to indicate parenthesis: |
The author of this book believes, and I agree with him, that most people today do not derive enough satisfaction from their work. |
| ...to mark off clauses that break into direct speech: |
"Our country," he said, "has unlimited resources." |
| ...before which introducing a principal clause |
He trains for two hours every day, which means that he rarely has time to go out. |
