.gif)
Punctuation: Commas
Welcome to the ESL HELP! Desk,
where all activities and exercises are authentic English,
from learners of English. Be sure to check out
our many aspects of our website, including our blog, our
Vocabulary lessons, and our Library, by clicking on the
many links above.
To view
the previous lesson, Sentence Structure and Its
Relationship to Punctuation, click here.
Which Sentence Below Is Correctly Punctuated?
Juan de Pareja had
been a slave, had lived in Velazquez' house and had served
Velazquez for many years.
Juan de Pareja had been a slave, had lived in Velazquez'
house, and had served Velazquez for many years.
The Serial Comma: Commas with a List of Objects
To Use a Comma or Not?
This is a question that every writer faces.
When you have a list of three or more objects
in one sentence, the American standard is to place
a comma before the conjunction. Such a comma is
called "a serial comma".
-
Manta City has bushes, flowers, and fruit trees such as mango, banana, papaya, watermelon, and apple.
Always? Are there exceptions
to this?
As a writer, you can choose to omit
the serial comma if leaving it in creates confusion
as to the meaning of what you're writing.
Be consistent.
-
The skin is dark, the lips are plump, the hair is black and curly, the forehead is tall, and the face is round. Juan has kind, brown eyes with a concerned look. He seems intelligent, noble, curious, and proud.
Newspapers and journals do
not follow this punctuation standard.
If you are writing an article to
be printed or published in a newspaper or journal, leave
the comma out.
If you are writing for school or
writing a resume or employment cover letter, be conservative
and put the comma in.
If you are following British and
Canadian standards, omit the serial comma.
Next...
NEXT LESSON:
Commas in Compound Sentences
