When to use a comma: series and adjectives
This is the fourth and final article of the series on how to use a comma. In this article, we talk about separating independent items in a series and independent adjectives with commas.
When to use a comma: more about phrases and clauses
In this article, we explain how the comma is used to form certain grammatical constructions, including introductory phrases, transitional phrases, conditional clauses, and correlative conjunctions.
When to use a comma: independent clauses
When a phrase forms a complete sentence, it’s called a clause. And like a non-restrictive (another word for independent) phrase, we use commas to show if a clause is independent.
When to use a comma: non-restrictive phrases
To check if you need a comma, remove the phrase from the sentence, and if the meaning of what remains is unchanged, then it’s grammatically independent and needs a comma or two.
The Oxford comma
Also called a serial comma, the Oxford comma goes before the final conjunction ("and" or "or") in a series. It's not always necessary, but it is often essential to prevent misreading.