Items in a series
Many of us have agonized
about whether or not to place a comma after the next-to-last item in a
series, before the "and." We've heard it's a rule to put
it in; we've also heard the rule dropped away, and the comma's not
necessary.
Most current reference
books, while not requiring this serial comma, strongly recommend putting
it in, especially if the meaning would be unclear without it.
|
Example: |
The
following positions are available: clerk, accountant,
receptionist and statistical typist. |
How many jobs are
available? Three? Four? Without the comma, it's
possible to misread it. It might seem as though one person is
being asked to perform the duties of receptionist and statistical
typist. (Yes, of course, we can always rewrite it to make it even
clearer!)
|
Example: |
The
following positions are available: clerk, accountant,
receptionist, and statistical typist. |
Here, it's easier to
understand there are four jobs available.
Coordinate Adjectives
Learning when to put a
comma between two or more adjectives takes practice. There is a
rule, but it's not always easy to decide if it applies. The test is to see if and
fits between the adjectives; if it does, logically and easily, they are
coordinate. If you leave and out, you need a comma to take
its place. This is not an absolute science, however; it's possible to
disagree about whether you would have used and in the first
place.
|
Example:
The old stone wall is crumbling. |
Few of us would say
it's an old and stone wall. Most of us would say that stone
wall is a compound noun and old modifies it; therefore, no
comma is necessary.
|
Example: |
The
dry, dirty ditch will be filled with water when it rains. |
Here, most of us would probably say the dry and
dirty ditch; a ditch could be dirty one week and clean the next.
It's unlikely anyone would call dirty ditch a compound
noun.
Direct
Address
When introducing someone's directly quoted words, we usually place a
comma just before the quotation marks. Do not use quotation marks
if the words are paraphrased or not exactly quoted.
|
Example: |
Sam
asked, "Where are my red mittens?" |
|
But: |
Sam
asked where his red mittens were. |
MORE
COMMAS
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