Commas when to use them

4 types of commas:

Listing

Joining

Gapping

Bracketing

LISTING

A listing comma replaces ‘and’ & ‘or’.

I like fish and chips and peas.

Choose an article from the Guardian

or the Independent or the Times.

LISTING

A listing comma replaces ‘and’ & ‘or’.

I like fish and chips and peas.

Choose an article from the Guardian

or the Independent or the Times.

LISTINGA listing comma replaces ‘and’ & ‘or’.

I like fish, chips and peas.

Choose an article from the Guardian,

the Independent or the Times.

JOININGA joining comma is used to join two complete sentences into a

single sentence, and it must be followed by one of these

Connecting words:

But

Or

While

And

Yet

JOINING

I ordered a book . It has not arrived yet.

I ordered a book, but it has not arrived yet.

GAPPINGThe gapping comma is one of the easiest.

It is used to show that one or more words have been left out.

GAPPING

Jupiter is the largest planet. Pluto is

the smallest planet.

GAPPINGJupiter is the largest planet and

Pluto, the smallest.

BRACKETINGThe bracketing comma is the most frequently used comma.

They usually come in pairs, and are used to mark off a weak

interruption of the sentence.

If you were to take this interruption out the sentence it

would still make sense.

BRACKETING

The book published in 1906 is one of the

greatest masterpieces of all time.

BRACKETING

The book, published in 1906, is one of

the greatest masterpieces of all time.

BRACKETING

The part of the sentence in brackets can be taken

away:

The book is one of the greatest

masterpieces of all time.

NOT SURE?

1. Can the comma be replaced by and or or?

2. Is it followed by one of the connecting words: but, or, while, and, yet?

3. Does it represent the absence of repetition?

4. Does it form one of a pair of commas setting off an interruption which could be removed from the sentence?