Unit 11.1
Comma
Introduction
A comma is a punctuation mark used to indicate division.
Form
The comma mark is: ,
Example
- Coordinating clauses with different subjects
- Monica went to church, and John stayed at home.
- I will do the shopping for my grandmother, or someone else will help her.
- I was afraid to do a bungee jump, but my boyfriend convinced me to do it.
- Writing direct speech
- He replied, ‘I didn’t do it’.
- ‘I don’t want to spend all summer at home’, she said.
- ‘I’ve never seen such a beautiful woman before,‘ he whispered.
Use
Commas can be used
- in coordinated clauses separated by ‘and’, ‘or’, ‘but’ only when both clauses have different subjects.**
- in writing direct speech to separate normal speech from direct speech. When normal speech is placed before the direct quote, the comma goes at the end of the normal speech part; when normal speech is placed afterwards, the comma is just after the end of the quote.
**A comma is never written when the sentences share the subject
