Commas are tricky things. Through my years of teaching English to middle and high school students and writing romance, I’ve found that there are eight comma rules that writers may come across while writing. Keep in mind that these are the basics. Of course commas can get much more complicated than this. There are always exceptions to the rules, but hopefully this will help those who are struggling!

Whatever make us better writers, right?

8 Simple Comma Rules for Writers

1. Before a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) with two independent clauses

Examples:
Right: He left home, and he went to work.
Before and after the conjunction can be separated into two proper sentences that can stand on their own.

Wrong: He left home, and went to work.
Wrong: He left home, he went to work.
This is called a comma splice. The comma is in place of a period and separates to complete sentences.
“Because” is not a coordinating conjunction. Do not put a comma before it.

2. Separate items in a series

Examples:
The writer experimented with plot, setting, characters, and dialog.
I am a big supporter of the Oxford comma.  It keeps things clear and avoids confusion.

See what I mean?

The exception to this is if you want to show emphasis.
For finals, she studied English and Math and History.

3. To set off extra information (also known as appositives)

Examples:
My best friend, Joe, is a great musician.
Joe, my best friend, is a great musician.

4. After an introductory clause

Examples:
Before the movie, we eat dinner at my aunt’s house.

5. After a conjunctive adverb that follows a semi-colon

Examples:
Mary went to the fanciest restaurant in town; however, the food tasted awful.

6. To separate two adjectives

Examples:
Comma needed: It was a cold, windy afternoon.
He is a strong, healthy man.

Comma not needed: We stayed at an expensive summer resort.
My aunt lives in a white frame house.

If the comma can be replaced by an “and” and the sentence still make sense, the comma is needed. If the sentence does not, no comma is needed. This rule is the trickiest–I think.

7. To set off elements

Examples:
I was born on October 31, 1986, and I grew up in Salem, Massachusetts.

8. Quotations

Examples:
“I love you,” he said, “and I will do anything for you.”
“I love you too,” she replied.

I hope this helps!

~H.A.B.