Using which properly

Fans who can , come each year to see the annual To Kill a Mockingbird performance. Help Creative Commons. Creative Commons supports free culture from music to education. Their licenses helped make this book available to you. Help a Public School. Previous Section. Table of Contents. Next Section. Use commas to isolate words that are not essential to a sentence. Use commas with adjectives, quotations, and details. Using Commas with Introductory Words, Phrases, and Clauses Commas set introductory words, phrases, and clauses apart from the rest of a sentence.

Examples Single-word example: Afterward , fans came backstage and surrounded the actors and actresses. Using Commas in Compound Sentences When a sentence is made up of two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction A word used to link two independent clauses in a compound sentence e.

Examples Example of a compound sentence with two independent clauses: Mitch arrived an hour early for the first rehearsal , and he spent the time looking through the costume closets.

Using Commas to Isolate Nonessential Words within a Sentence To create interest and increase clarification, you may want to add words and phrases to basic sentences. Adjective Phrases and Clauses Some adjective phrases and clauses are essential to the meaning of a sentence and some are not. Example Commas not needed: Actors who give constant effort can inspire others in the cast to do well. Words of Direct Address Some sentences name the person being spoken to.

Example Your performance , Penny , was absolutely amazing! Interjections Some words interrupt the flow of a sentence but do not actually change the meaning of the sentence. Yes , I am going to the Saturday matinee performance. There is a chance , drat , that I might miss the first few minutes. Appositives Appositives A noun or noun phrase that restates an immediately preceding noun or noun phrase.

Example Sentence with coordinate adjectives: Atticus is a good role for Malik since Malik is a tall , stately guy. Example Sentence with cumulative adjectives: Atticus Finch is a dedicated defense attorney. Using Commas with Dialogue and Direct Quotations You should use a comma prior to or just after the quotations in dialogue. Using Commas When Inserting Details into Text Details such as dates, addresses, geographic names, company names, letter and e-mail components, titles that go with names, and numbers all require commas when used in text and sometimes when used alone.

Dates When a date is written in month—day—year order in isolation, you need to use a comma between the day and year. December 25 , When a date is written in month—day—year order within a sentence and does not fall at the end of the sentence, you need to use a comma between the day and year and between the year and the rest of the sentence.

Addresses When an address is written in mailing format, commas are needed between the city and state. Geographic Names Use a comma after each item within a place name when the place name is used in running text, even when it is not part of a complete address. Replacements, Ltd. Citizens Inc. Letter and E-mail Greetings and Closings Commas are used to separate letter and e-mail components both in isolation and within running text.

Titles That Go with Names Use commas to set off descriptive titles that follow names. Numbers In numbers with more than four digits, begin at the right and add a comma after every third digit.

Using Commas to Avoid Confusion Sometimes you simply have to use a comma to avoid confusion. Key Takeaways You must use commas with introductory words, phrases, and clauses; between the words in a series; and between compound sentences.

You should use commas to separate from the rest of a sentence words that are not essential to the sentence, such as adjective phrases and clauses, words of direct address, interjections, and appositives. You should place commas between side-by-side adjectives that independently and interchangeably modify a noun, between quotations and the rest of the sentence, and in a variety of detail-specific situations, such as dates, addresses, geographic names, company names, letter and e-mail greetings and closings, titles that go with names, and numbers.

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Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Determine what a restrictive clause is. A restrictive clause is one that sets limits on the subject of the sentence. Determine what a non-restrictive clause is. These are usually separated by commas before and after the clause.

They may also be distinguished by dashes or parentheses. The car will still be totaled, whether we know its color or not. In the sentence "Jimmy likes apples that are red" taking out "that are red" changes the meaning of the sentence; we might think Jimmy likes all apples and not just the red ones. We still learn that apples are Jimmy's favorite fruit, and therefore "which grow on trees in his yard" is a non-restrictive clause.

Part 2. Determine where you should place commas. In some cases, though, you may also use dashes or parentheses to separate a non-restrictive clause. Your sentence should still make sense if you take out the words surrounded by commas. Is it U. Co-worker or coworker? Though these examples implicate punctuation marks the use or omission of periods, hyphens, or apostrophes , the correct form can be easily determined with a good dictionary. The easiest way to solve a vexing punctuation problem is to avoid it.

Perhaps as more than one sentence. Example She nonchalantly told us she would be spending her birthday in Venice Italy, not California.

Example The hastily arranged meeting came on the heels of less-than-stellar earnings. Semicolon Only a third of Americans have a passport; the majority of Canadians have a passport. Colon Only a third of Americans have a passport: for most, foreign travel is either undesirable or unaffordable. Correct Please bring the following items: a flashlight, a comfortable pair of hiking boots, and a jacket.

Please bring a flashlight, a comfortable pair of hiking boots, and a jacket. Incorrect Please bring : a flashlight, a comfortable pair of hiking boots, and a jacket. Correct The novelist Don DeLillo seldom gives interviews.