Commas (,) have many uses.
They are used before a conjunction to join two independent clauses:
- Gary loves cycling, and he is a fan of Liverpool.
- I want a job as a software developer, so I am studying at university.
They are used to add extra information not important to a sentence:
- Mr Williams, who is the chairman, is the founder of the company.
- Mike, my sister’s husband, will be late.
They are used to separate items in a list:
- Please buy some beer, crisps and nuts.
- She will visit Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
They are used between two adjectives where you could use and:
- It is a short, simple story.
(It is a short and simple story.) - I have a black, steel bike.
(I have a black and steel bike.)
They are used between three or more adjectives or adverbs:
- I like the old, brown, wooden table.
- He ran quickly, quietly and effortlessly.
They are used after an introductory word or phrase:
- By evening, we were very tired.
- I thought you were wrong. However, I now agree with you.
They are used after an interjection:
- No, it can’t true!
- Yes, I did! I told you twice.
They can be used with numbers over 999 to make them easier to read:
- 1,009
- £20,000,000
They are used for direct address:
- Oi, Jack, get the beers.
- Is that your sister, Micheal?
They are used before a quotation:
- She said quietly, ‘I know.’
- He looked at me and said, ‘I’ve seen it all and done it all.’
They are used for addresses:
- 9 Brompton Avenue, Liverpool, L4 2PB, United Kingdom
- Flat 21, Mansion House, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 2UP
Common mistakes with commas.
