8 Comma Rules | How to Use Commas | English Writing Essentials
8 Comma Rules | How to Use Commas | English Writing Essentials
Learn about 8 basic comma rules for writing in English. I will teach you how to use commas, explain each of these rules, and show you several examples. I’ll give in-depth explanations and then a practice session for each rule. Come learn all about comma usage with Sparkle English!
More Commas Practice:
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► 8 Comma Rules Quiz #1 - • 8 Comma Rules: 20 Question Comma Prac…
Learn all about the Oxford Comma here:
► • How to Use the Serial Comma (Oxford C…
How to Identify and Fix Comma Splices:
► • Comma Splices and How to Fix Them | E…
More Videos in My English Writing Essentials Series:
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► Apostrophe Rules - • Apostrophe Rules | How to Use Apostro…
► Capitalization Rules - • Capitalization Rules - When to Use Up…
► Colon Rules - • Colons: When to Use a Colon in a Sent…
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:29 - Series of Items
03:04 - F.A.N.B.O.Y.S.
06:06 - Dependent and Independent Clauses
08:40 - Unessential Info / Interjections
10:49 - Quotations
13:56 - Introductions
14:55 - City and States
15:41 - Dates
#esl #learnenglish #commarules #punctuation #sparkleenglish
Content
0.26 -> hello everyone welcome to Sparkle
2.669 -> English in this lesson I'm going to
4.529 -> teach you about eight basic comma rules
7.08 -> and these are English writing essentials
9.66 -> it is very important to have proper
11.639 -> punctuation and to use commas correctly
14.429 -> when you're writing in English so let's
16.41 -> get started
17.279 -> I recommend you grab a pen and paper or
20.13 -> something to take notes because we will
22.47 -> be doing a little bit of practice as we
24.6 -> go along for each rule so let's get
26.91 -> started
28.369 -> rule number one use commas to separate
31.83 -> items in a series of three or more
34.2 -> things remember that an item may refer
37.14 -> to a noun verb or adjective phrase and
40.079 -> note that the usage of a comma to
42.75 -> separate the second to last item is
44.94 -> optional we call this an Oxford comma I
47.67 -> like to use it but it's not necessary
50.1 -> so examples I bought cheese and bread as
53.73 -> you can see these are only two different
56.28 -> items so you don't need to put a comma
58.44 -> but if you had three items I bought ham
62.25 -> comma cheese comma and bread then you
65.58 -> would put commas after him and after
68.67 -> cheese again this one is optional
71.82 -> because it's the second last item if you
74.549 -> had another item in here I bought ham
77.04 -> comma cheese comma beef comma and bread
80.79 -> but you'd have to put the comma after
82.77 -> cheese but you wouldn't after beef
85.049 -> because it would be the second last item
88.43 -> more examples we went running comma
91.86 -> swiming comma and biking on the weekend
95.329 -> she wore a red hat comma green scarf
99.03 -> comma and black pants to the party again
102.45 -> this comma here which we call the Oxford
104.909 -> comma it is optional but I like to use
107.759 -> it and if you're going to use the Oxford
110.909 -> comma you should be consistent in your
112.86 -> writing that's the most important so if
114.75 -> you decide to use this comma then always
117.21 -> use it in your entire whatever you're
120.06 -> writing and that way you're concealing
122.43 -> consistency with your style so let's do
125.909 -> a bit of practice where do you need to
128.069 -> place commas in these sentences we drank
131.459 -> water beer and coffee at dinner with our
133.92 -> friends he went swimming wrote a bike
137.19 -> and play tennis at the sports camp
139.91 -> the man was handsome tall and strong so
144.51 -> I'll give you a second if you want to
145.62 -> pause this and now I want to go over the
147.81 -> answers with you so I'll grab my pen
150.6 -> here first these are all in a list so we
153.93 -> have to separate them
155.1 -> he drew we drank water comma B R comma
159.18 -> and coffee at dinner with our friends
161.54 -> remember this comma here is optional but
164.459 -> I like to use this comma the Oxford
166.29 -> comma he went swimming comma wrote a
170.31 -> bike comma and play tennis at the sports
173.459 -> camp finally the man was handsome comma
177.63 -> tall comma and strong okay so rule
184.11 -> number two use a comma to separate
186.569 -> independent clauses complete thoughts
189.06 -> when they are joined by the following
191.1 -> conjunctions for and nor but or yet and
198.209 -> so
198.93 -> so when these words are used as
201.9 -> conjunctions usually in the middle of
204.39 -> the sentence we have to use a comma to
207.06 -> separate independent clauses
209.1 -> now this fanboys is a way you can
213.239 -> remember it so F for a and and nor B but
218.1 -> o or Y yet s so fanboys okay the most
222.72 -> common ones you'll run into and but or
226.079 -> and so and note that the comma comes
230.1 -> before the conjunction so some examples
234.35 -> so this would be incorrect I want to
237.359 -> quit my job but I need the money correct
240.209 -> would be I want to quit my job comma but
243.87 -> I need the money in this example there
246.9 -> are two independent clauses I want to
250.019 -> quit my job that is a complete thought
252.66 -> an independent clause is a complete
254.85 -> thought it's a sentence that can stand
257.519 -> by itself I want to quit my job it's a
260.07 -> complete sentence and the second
263.07 -> independent clause the second complete
265.59 -> thought I need the
267.22 -> so these clauses are separated by a
270.04 -> comma before the conjunction but because
272.83 -> they are two independent clauses so more
277.03 -> examples we can go to a basketball game
280.24 -> on Saturday , or we can see that new
283.63 -> James Bond movie again this is a full
286.63 -> sentence of complete thought and this is
290.05 -> well we can see that new James Bond
291.85 -> movie it's also a complete thought so we
294.4 -> need to have a comma before the
296.44 -> conjunction
297.16 -> I'm really tired today so I'm not going
300.58 -> to go to the party tonight again this is
303.19 -> a complete thought it's an independent
304.66 -> clause and so is this I'm not going to
307.42 -> go to the party tonight the weather was
309.85 -> cold comma yet we had a great time ok so
315.07 -> again we'll do some practice where do
316.87 -> you need to place commas in these
318.25 -> sentences Jack had an argument with
321.1 -> Daniel and he got fired from his job I'm
324.18 -> good at writing short stories yet I
326.74 -> prefer reading novels
328.27 -> it was raining so I took an umbrella so
333.1 -> again let's get my little pen out Jack
335.8 -> had an argument with Daniel comma and he
339.4 -> got fired from his job again complete
342.49 -> thought and this also a complete thought
344.919 -> I'm good at writing short stories comma
348.64 -> yet I prefer reading novels it was
352.51 -> raining
353.37 -> comma so I took an umbrella ok let's go
359.02 -> on to the next one number three use a
363.79 -> comma to separate a dependent clause
365.98 -> which is an incomplete thought from an
368.8 -> independent clause which is a complete
371.32 -> thought so example when I move to Spain
376.99 -> comma you can come visit me so when I
381.46 -> moved to Spain is not an independent
383.89 -> clause it's you can't just have a
386.2 -> sentence that says when I move to Spain
388.47 -> you need to have this independent clause
391.48 -> when I move to Spain comma you can come
394.87 -> visit me because you can come visit me
396.789 -> is a complete thought if you
400.02 -> your reports by Thursday , I'll give you
403.259 -> Friday off again if you finish your
406.59 -> reports by Thursday is a dependent
409.11 -> clause it's an incomplete thought it
411.75 -> needs this part of the sentence the
414.33 -> second part to make sense so you have to
416.729 -> put a comma here to separate the
418.62 -> dependent clause and the independent
421.5 -> clause if you finish your reports by
424.02 -> Thursday
424.74 -> comma I'll give you Friday off so again
429 -> let's do some practice because he is
432.09 -> only 17 he can't buy beer at the store
434.819 -> if you keep procrastinating you'll never
437.729 -> finish your work on time when I grow up
440.819 -> I want to be a doctor so again we're
444.81 -> starting with the dependent clause
446.19 -> because he is only 17 comma he can't buy
450.15 -> beer at the store if you keep
452.46 -> procrastinating comma you'll never
455.219 -> finish your work on time when I grow up
458.27 -> comma I want to be a doctor okay now one
463.469 -> thing that's important to note is this
465.84 -> begins with the dependent clause okay
468.84 -> all of these begin with the dependent
470.61 -> clause I'll just put a D so we know
472.38 -> dependent dependent and all of these on
476.58 -> this side are the independent clauses
478.46 -> now if you switched these around if you
481.8 -> said I want to be a doctor when I grow
484.469 -> up you would not need to put a comma you
488.069 -> would not need to put a comma if it said
489.93 -> he can't buy beer at the store because
492.18 -> he is only 17 or you'll never finish
495.419 -> your work on time if you keep
496.889 -> procrastinating all of these sentences
498.99 -> we can switch around but if we switch
501.659 -> them around and start with the
503.43 -> independent clause we do not need to put
505.949 -> a comma as these words here because if
508.979 -> and when they make it so we don't need
511.409 -> to use that comma but when it begins
514.68 -> with a dependent clause we have to use
516.93 -> the comma okay rule number four use a
522.899 -> comma to separate any word or phrase
524.97 -> from the rest of the sentence that isn't
527.91 -> essential to this sentences meaning so
531.329 -> for example Jane my girl
533.43 -> friend is coming to the party tonight
535.23 -> this part here my girlfriend it doesn't
538.35 -> change the rest of the sentence it's not
541.1 -> important to the sentence so you could
545.07 -> you could say Jane is coming to the
547.23 -> party tonight but my girlfriend is just
549.959 -> a little bit of extra information so we
552.839 -> put Jane comma my girlfriend is coming
555.57 -> to the party tonight more examples my
559.05 -> great-aunt who is 80 walks three miles
561.779 -> every day
563.06 -> red wine my favorite drink is good for
566.64 -> heart health
567.36 -> so these two sentences as well if we
571.02 -> take out what's in between the commas
573.66 -> who is 80 the sentence still makes sense
577.589 -> and it still is this isn't it's just a
581.01 -> little bit of extra information it's not
583.11 -> imperative or very important to this
585.779 -> sentence so we're for adding extra
588.089 -> information maybe sometimes it's a word
590.25 -> or a phrase like this then you put
593.85 -> commas because it's not essential okay
597.32 -> so let's do some practice
599.48 -> dr. Jones my family doctor only works on
602.7 -> Tuesdays at her clinic fresh food items
605.58 -> especially fruits and vegetables are
607.41 -> good to eat on a daily basis so again
610.14 -> look at this and think okay what's the
612.72 -> meat of the sentence what's the most
614.82 -> important part of the sentence and then
616.8 -> what's just a little bit of extra
618.51 -> information that's not changing the
621.3 -> sentence are not extremely important to
623.76 -> the sentence okay so dr. Jones my fam
627.42 -> comma my family doctor only works on
630.06 -> Tuesdays at her clinic because dr. Jones
632.82 -> only works on Tuesdays at her clinic
634.529 -> that's the main part of the sentence
637.14 -> this is just extra information fresh
639.9 -> food items comma especially fruits and
642.54 -> vegetables comma are good to eat on a
645.089 -> daily basis okay rule 5 use a comma to
650.25 -> separate a quotation from the rest of a
652.38 -> sentence so in American English commas
655.44 -> always go before closing quotation marks
657.899 -> in British English usually it's after
660.24 -> words but we're gonna focus on American
662.52 -> English in this lesson so examples I am
665.88 -> exhausted
667.29 -> he said okay so because this is not if
671.4 -> this sentence ended and it was just I am
673.74 -> exhausted and this wasn't here that he
676.2 -> said this would end in a period but
678.63 -> because this is part of a sentence we
681.24 -> have to have a comma here before the
683.52 -> quotation and then put he said Jack's
686.91 -> boss yelled comma quotation get back to
690.21 -> work remember of course to have a space
692.01 -> in between as well again this is because
695.13 -> this quotation here is part of this
697.92 -> sentence so if you're beginning with a
700.32 -> quotation and then you have this little
701.94 -> tag at the end you'd have the comma
704.97 -> after the final word before the
706.86 -> quotation but if you're beginning with
709.29 -> this little tag here Jack's boss yelled
711.42 -> then you have comma get back to work
713.82 -> okay finally this one is a little bit
717.18 -> more difficult because we have a tag the
719.73 -> attributive tag in between so we have to
723.54 -> go when you leave the room
725.61 -> comma my mother yelled comma turn off
728.31 -> the lights so when you leave the room
731.04 -> turn off the lights is the full sentence
734.13 -> but because we have this little tag here
735.72 -> in the middle we that's all still one
738.39 -> sentence so we have to put a comma then
741.27 -> the quotation and this is not a part of
743.73 -> the quotation the mother didn't yell
745.65 -> this it's the mother who's yelling the
747.87 -> words that are in the quotation so then
750.24 -> we put another comma turn off the lights
752.42 -> okay very important if a quotation
755.64 -> before an attribute of tag ends in a
757.92 -> question mark or exclamation point don't
760.35 -> use a comma so we mean by these tags
763.95 -> were mean we mean this he said Jack's
766.98 -> boss yelled my mother yelled so for
770.1 -> example where are you he asked not where
773.19 -> are you question mark comma this one we
776.31 -> would not write okay we would not need a
778.29 -> comma here because this ends in a
780.24 -> question mark and if it also ended in
783.8 -> exclamation mark we would not put a
785.73 -> comma here because it already has a
787.59 -> punctuation so let's do some practice if
790.95 -> you don't go to sleep now she whispered
793.71 -> you'll be very tired tomorrow finish the
797.01 -> report by tomorrow morning the manager
799.14 -> ordered so the first one
801.15 -> a little bit more difficult if you don't
802.86 -> go to sleep now , she whispered and
806.46 -> remember the commas going after the
808.53 -> final letter before the quotation marks
810.69 -> she whispered , you'll be very tired
814.11 -> tomorrow because again if you don't go
816.54 -> to sleep now you'll be very tired
819.03 -> tomorrow is a false sentence so we have
821.58 -> to place the commas in between this tag
824.31 -> here finish the report by tomorrow
827.43 -> morning , the manager ordered ok so rule
835.2 -> number 6 use a comma to separate an
837.75 -> introductory element from the rest of a
840.03 -> sentence so this is quite easy examples
843.06 -> hey how are you today sorry you're not
846.15 -> invited to my party wait what time does
849.12 -> the meeting start and oftentimes you'll
851.64 -> know it's to put a comma because you
853.68 -> have a little pause when you say this
855.45 -> anyways you don't go hey how are you
856.89 -> today you go hey how are you today okay
859.56 -> so these are all introductory words that
862.38 -> we have to separate from the rest of the
865.26 -> sentence practice unfortunately I didn't
870.93 -> finish my work on time yes I am able to
873.48 -> come to the meeting tomorrow oh I'm not
875.52 -> sure I can make it on Tuesday
877.7 -> unfortunately comma I didn't finish my
881.01 -> work on time yes comma I am able to come
884.82 -> to the meeting tomorrow
885.93 -> oh I'm not sure I can make it on Tuesday
890.3 -> okay so rule number seven use a comma to
895.83 -> separate the name of a city from a
897.75 -> country or state so examples I lived in
901.11 -> Madrid comma Spain for nearly a decade
903.45 -> the conference will be in Paris France
906.51 -> next spring he is offering me a position
909.06 -> in Toronto Ontario again this is very
911.82 -> easy if you're separating a city from a
914.55 -> country or a city from a state you have
917.04 -> to put a comma so practice I think he
922.29 -> lives in Lisbon Portugal the business
924.81 -> conference will take place in Nashville
926.76 -> Tennessee I think he lives in Lisbon
929.55 -> comma Portugal separating the city and
931.92 -> the country the business conference will
934.41 -> take place
934.98 -> Nashville comma Tennessee separating the
938.19 -> city and the state and our last rule for
942.779 -> the basic eight basic comma rules is use
945.42 -> a comma to separate the day of the week
947.459 -> the day of the month and the year so for
950.67 -> example today is Wednesday comma March
953.519 -> 11th comma 2020 Lauren was born on
957.389 -> Sunday comma June 16th comma 1985 please
962.13 -> join us on Saturday comma April 4th
964.649 -> comma 2020 comma for the wedding of
967.05 -> Sawyer and Jennifer as you can see in
969.959 -> this last one because the date is in the
972.51 -> middle of the sentence we have to put a
974.73 -> comma place a comma after 2020 as well
978.149 -> whereas these other ones end in the year
981.48 -> so we just put a period so let's do some
985.41 -> practice tomorrow will be March 12 2020
989.04 -> the annual award ceremony will take
991.5 -> place on Tuesday December 7 2021
994.91 -> so first one tomorrow will be March 12th
998.67 -> comma 2020 separating the date and the
1002.959 -> year the annual award ceremony will take
1005.899 -> place on Tuesday comma December 7th
1010.04 -> comma 2021 okay so congratulations
1017.48 -> you've just finished your first lesson
1019.519 -> with Sparkle English on eight different
1021.769 -> comma rules let me know in the comments
1024.169 -> section how you did if the video is easy
1026.809 -> for you if you it was difficult what
1029.419 -> part you had the most trouble with and
1031.189 -> how you did if you decided to test
1033.589 -> yourself how many did you get correct
1035.15 -> how many did you not get correct please
1038.39 -> in the comments also let me know what is
1040.49 -> most difficult for you when you're
1042.29 -> learning English or writing English do
1044.54 -> you have problems listening problems
1046.37 -> writing problems with grammar with
1048.74 -> conversation let me know so I can decide
1051.47 -> what kinds of videos I will release I do
1054.679 -> plan on releasing more videos regarding
1056.809 -> punctuation capitalization apostrophes
1060.79 -> abbreviations etc so please subscribe to
1064.04 -> Sparkle English by clicking on the
1065.63 -> button under the arrow and I will see
1068.419 -> you in your
1068.97 -> lesson thanks for watching
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLlfuIAjaC0