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You may have heard it said, “put a comma where you take a breath in a sentence,” but this is an ineffective rule that can lead to more comma errors. Instead, follow the comma guidelines in this handout to separate introductory phrases, listed items, independent and dependent clauses, and parenthetical expressions.
Use a comma after introductory phrases to indicate the main thought of the sentence is beginning.
Use commas to separate three or more items that appear in a list. This includes a comma before the coordinating conjunction (e.g., “and”), which is called the Oxford comma.
Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) to separate independent clauses.
Keep in mind that independent clauses can stand on their own as a complete thought and contain both a subject and a predicate.
Use a comma after dependent clauses that appear at the start of a sentence. *Keep in mind that dependent clauses cannot stand on their own as a complete thought because they rely on an independent clause to make sense
However, do not use a comma before a dependent clause that appears at the end of a sentence.
Put commas around expressions that can be removed from the sentence without changing the meaning of the sentence.
For more information about grammar, consult the following handout from Writing Services:
In addition, see Maxine Ruvinsky’s book, Practical Grammar: A Canadian Writer’s Resource.
Writing Services, Wilfrid Laurier University, CC By-NC 2023