Commas with Direct Speech

Use a comma after the introductory clause.

Example: She said, “I was in London last year.”

If the direct speech is at the beginning of the sentence, put the comma before the final quotation mark. (Don’t use a full stop here.)

Example: “I was in London last year,” she said.

Don’t use a comma after direct speech if the direct speech ends with a question mark or exclamation mark.

Example:

 “Were you in London last year?” he asked. (but: He asked, “Were you in London last year?”)

 “Great!” she replied. (but: She replied, “Great!”)

Commas with Introductory Clauses

Use a comma after introductory infintive clauses.

Example: To improve her English, she practised on ego4u every day.

Use a comma after introductory prepositional clauses.

Example: Before he went to New York, he had spent a year in Australia.

Use a comma after introductory participle clauses.

Example: Having said this, he left the room.

Note: In short introductory sentences, the comma is optional and can be dropped.

Commas between Main Clauses

Use a comma between two main clauses which are separated by and or but.

Example: We ran out of fuel, and the nearest petrol station was 5 miles away.

Use a comma to separate parts of a sentences in a sequence.

Example: She ran down the stairs, opened the door, saw her boyfriend(,) and gave him a kiss.

Don’t use a comma if these parts of the sentence are separated by and or but.

Example: She ran down the stairs and opened the door and saw her boyfriend and gave him a kiss.

Note: Don’t use a comma, but a semi colon, if two main clauses are not separated by and or but.

Commas with Conditional Sentences

Use a comma if the if clause is at the beginning of the sentence.

Example: If I go to London, I will visit the Tower.

Don’t use a comma if the if clause is at the end of the sentence.

Example: I will visit the Tower if I go to London.

Commas with Enumerations

Use a comma to separate items in an enumeration.

Example: Old McDonald had a pig, a dog, a cow, a horse.

The comma before “and” is optional. (Choose the option you like best and stick to it.)

Example:

 Old McDonald had a pig, a dog, a cow and a horse.

 Old McDonald had a pig, a dog, a cow, and a horse.

Don’t use a comma before “and” if two items are a unit (“Ham and eggs” as a dish is a unit and should therefore not be separated by a comma.)

Example:

 Old McDonald had soup, ham and eggs and apple pie for dinner.

 Old McDonald had soup, ham and eggs, and apple pie for dinner.

Don’t use a comma if all items in an enumeration are separated by “and”, “or”, “nor” etc.

Example:

 Old McDonald had a pig and a dog and a cow and a horse.

 Old McDonald had a pig or a dog or a cow or a horse.

 Old McDonald neither had a pig nor a dog nor a cow nor a horse.

Commas with Adjectives

Use a comma if the adjectives are equally important and give similar kinds of information.

Example: It was a cold, windy morning.

Don’t use a comma if the adjectives are not equally important or give different kinds of information.

Example: He was a clever young man.

Note:

To check if adjectives give similar kinds of information or not, put and between the adjectives. (It was a cold and windy morning.)

If adjectives give different kinds of information, the and between the adjectives doesn't sound right. (He was a clever and young man.)

Commas with Adverbs

Use a comma after certain adverbs: however, in fact, therefore, nevertheless, moreover, furthermore, still, instead, too (meaning 'also').

Example: Therefore, he didn't say a word.

If these adverbs appear in the middle of a sentence, they are enclosed in commas.

Example: The thief, however, was very clever.

The comma is optional for the following adverbs: then, so, yet.

Example:

 So, she entered the house.

 So she entered the house.