Connecting Sentences with Commas and Semicolons
|
|
Many of you have been asking for help with punctuating between clauses and phrases within sentences. You want to know when you should use a comma and when you need a semicolon. Here are a few rules with examples that we hope you find helpful.
Commas
Rule: Use a comma between two independent clauses when the conjunctions and, or, but, for, nor, yet, so connect them.
Example: I have painted the entire house, but Terrell is still working on sanding the floors.
Rule: If the clauses are short (your call), then leave out the comma.
Example: I painted and Terrell sanded.
Rule: If you have only one clause (one subject and verb pair), you generally won't need a comma in front of the conjunction.
Example: I have painted the house but still need to sand the floors.
This sentence has two verbs but only one subject, so it has only one clause.
Semicolons
So when does the semicolon get to have its time in the spotlight?
Rule: Use the semicolon if you have two independent clauses you are connecting without a conjunction.
Example: I have painted the house; Terrell still needs to sand the floors.
Rule: Also, use the semicolon when you have commas for smaller separations, and you need the semicolon to show a bigger separation.
Example: We had a reunion with family from Salt Lake City, Utah; Los Angeles, California; and Albany, New York.
|
View and comment on this
article on our website.
|
|
Pop Quiz
Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
1a. I attend the fashion shows and my husband goes to the jazz clubs.
1b. I attend the fashion shows, and my husband goes to the jazz clubs.
1c. I attend the fashion shows; and my husband goes to the jazz clubs.
2a. I love fashion and he loves jazz.
2b. I love fashion, and he loves jazz.
2c. I love fashion; and he loves jazz.
3a. I attend the fashion shows but not the jazz clubs.
3b. I attend the fashion shows, but not the jazz clubs.
3c. I attend the fashion shows; but not the jazz clubs.
4a. I attend the fashion shows my husband goes to the jazz clubs.
4b. I attend the fashion shows, my husband goes to the jazz clubs.
4c. I attend the fashion shows; my husband goes to the jazz clubs.
5a. I buy cheese, milk, and eggs at my neighborhood market apples, oranges, and grapes from the farmers' market and aspirin, shaving cream, and deodorant from the pharmacy.
5b. I buy cheese, milk, and eggs at my neighborhood market, apples, oranges, and grapes from the farmers' market, and aspirin, shaving cream, and deodorant from the pharmacy.
5c. I buy cheese, milk, and eggs at my neighborhood market; apples, oranges, and grapes from the farmers' market; and aspirin, shaving cream, and deodorant from the pharmacy.
|
Offer Extended One More Month!
A Note to Teachers and Parents
We at GrammarBook.com want to help make teaching English grammar and punctuation less stressful during this potentially difficult period when many students are sheltering in place and schools are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From March 25, 2020, through July 31, 2020, we are cutting the price in half for any new Quiz Subscriptions for Teachers, Parents, and Employers. Click on Subscription Quizzes for the details.
|
Free BONUS Quiz for You!
[[firstname]], because you are a subscriber to the newsletter, you get access to one of the Subscribers-Only Quizzes. Click here to take a Commas Quiz and get your scores and explanations instantly!
We will be adding many more quizzes this year to our already substantial list of quizzes. If you have suggestions for topics we have not yet covered, please send us a message at help@grammarbook.com.
|
Hundreds of Additional Quizzes
at Your Fingertips
Subscribe now to receive hundreds of additional English usage quizzes not found anywhere else!
Teachers and Employers
Save hours of valuable time! You may assign quizzes to your students and employees and have their scores tallied, organized, and reported to you! Let GrammarBook.com take the hassle out of teaching English!
"Fun to test my skills."
"The explanations really help ... thanks!"
"I can select the quizzes to assign to my students, and then the results are reported to me automatically!"
|
|
Don't need all the quizzes?
You can now purchase the same quizzes individually for ONLY 99¢ each.
Purchase yours here. |
If you think you have found an error in a quiz, please email us at help@grammarbook.com
|
 |
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
by Jane Straus, Lester Kaufman, and Tom Stern |
The Authority on English Grammar! Eleventh Edition Now Available
An indispensable tool for busy professionals, teachers, students, homeschool families, editors, writers, and proofreaders.
Available in print AND as an e-Book! Over 2,000 copies are purchased every month!
The publisher of The Blue Book, Jossey-Bass, A Wiley brand, is offering a 35 percent discount for those of you who order the book through Wiley.com. Shipping and tax are not included. Simply go to bit.ly/1996hkA and use discount code E9X4A.
Offer expires December 31, 2020.
|
Wordplay
Pop Quiz Answers
1b. I attend the fashion shows, and my husband goes to the jazz clubs.
2a. I love fashion and he loves jazz. [Also acceptable: 2b. I love fashion, and he loves jazz.]
3a. I attend the fashion shows but not the jazz clubs.
4c. I attend the fashion shows; my husband goes to the jazz clubs.
5c. I buy cheese, milk, and eggs at my neighborhood market; apples, oranges, and grapes from the farmers' market; and aspirin, shaving cream, and deodorant from the pharmacy.
|
 |
English In A Snap:
68 One-Minute English Usage Videos FREE |
Learn all about who and whom, affect and effect, subjects and verbs, adjectives and adverbs, commas, semicolons, quotation marks, and much more by just sitting back and enjoying these easy-to-follow lessons. Tell your colleagues (and boss), children, teachers, and friends. Click here to watch.
|
|
