A sentence adverb—used to express the narrator or viewpoint character’s attitude toward the sentiment conveyed by the sentence—is separated from the rest of the sentence with a comma. Mary needs bread, milk, and butter at the grocery store. When speaking, we often pause while we think of the next word we want to say. A comma alone isn’t strong enough to join them. After opening the new cookie tin, (and eating several of the cookies), Chester had a hard time replacing the lid. I know, right? Cleo’s favorite activities are singing on stage and relaxing in the sunshine. When correcting a comma splice, that is when joining two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction, put the comma before and. (The comma before the and in a list of three or more items is optional. Posey’s Cafe, which Chester recommended, is a fantastic restaurant. Use a Comma After an Introductory Word or Phrase. One way to tell whether the adjectives are coordinate is to try switching the order of them. I, too, like bananas. Semicolons are also used to separate list items that contain internal punctuation such as commas and dashes. Julie loves ice cream, books and kittens. Hello, Chester. However, two saplings were also infected with root rot. On Tuesday, April 13, at three o’clock, there will be a meeting for all staff. You can fix a comma splice by adding a conjunction or changing the comma to a semicolon. “Although” may start a sentence or show up in the middle of a sentence as a conjunction. I’m glad I trained Charlie not to beg for scraps. “Therefore” should always be followed up with a comma. A, bouquet of flowers may be created using more than one type of flower. Spelling mistakes, as well as grammatical errors, are distracting to readers. Please join us on Saturday, June 14, 2010, for the marriage of Annie and Michael. “If you knew what was good for you, you’d sit down and finish that essay right now,” my roommate said. The weather I was happy to see was beginning to clear. Yes. Also, his eccentric plots often reveal hope in the midst of despair. The use of “and” or “but” at the start of a sentence sometimes brings a sense of informality. My mother, Angela, is a wonderful cook. If you are using the day-month-year format, however, commas are unnecessary. Geoff’s cooking skills, if you can call them skills, left something to be desired. We were out of milk. When you use words like “also,” “in addition,” “however,” and “therefore” in the middle of a sentence, you as the writer get to decide if you want to set them off with commas. Example: Whether or not you use the serial comma is a style choice. When addressing another person by name, set off the name with commas. After opening the new cookie tin (and eating several of the cookies), Chester had a hard time replacing the lid. Confused by her sister’s sudden change in mood, Jill stayed quiet. The question I get asked most frequently about however is whether it is OK to use however at the beginning of a sentence, and the answer is yes: it is fine to start a sentence with however. However, the final comma—the one that comes before the and—is optional. If you removed it, there would be no way to tell which restaurant you were talking about. Geoff’s cooking skills if you can call them skills left something to be desired. However, she expects to finish her novel by summer. July 4, 1776, was an important day in American history. When you want to join two independent clauses, you need a conjunction or a semicolon. Let me know if you need further explanation, or if anyone out there can help clarify. In your own writing, you can decide for yourself whether to use it or not—just be consistent. In writing, though, there’s usually no reason to add this pause. The company managers accidentally scheduled the weekly meeting for Saturday. (Without serial comma). (Without serial comma), I still have to buy a gift, pack the suitcases, and arrange for someone to water the plants while we’re at the wedding. (With serial comma), Mary needs bread, milk and butter at the grocery store. The adorable little boy was eating ice cream. Ah, the comma. You can easily think of perfectly acceptable sentences that start with “also.” He sent her a dozen red roses as an apology. Typically, commas are unnecessary with correlative conjunctions. The cafe that Chester recommended is a fantastic restaurant. Therefore, we will … A restrictive clause adds necessary information about something you have mentioned in a sentence. “You have a spider on your nose!” my friend yelled. When an adverbial phrase begins a sentence, it’s often followed by a comma but it doesn’t have to be, especially if it’s short. I meant to buy tickets for Cleo’s show, but ran out of time. …Also, we will take a look at his health. I’ll have an apple. If there is a dramatic pause after remember, you might use a colon and then cap the complete sentence. Behind the building there is enough space to park two limousines. Let’s look at the word “however,” which is often synonymous with “nevertheless.” If you were discussing the likes a… “You have ice cream on your nose,” my friend snickered. When you start a sentence with one of these words, on the other hand, you need to use a comma right after the transitional adverb (2) because you’redefinitely changing course. A nonrestrictive clause offers extra information about something you have mentioned in a sentence, but the information isn’t essential to identify the thing you’re talking about. The phrase “such as” requires commas if it introduces a nonrestrictive clause. Your list might be made up of nouns, as in the example above, but it could also be made up of verbs, adjectives, or clauses. I was born on Sunday, May 12, 1968. Other times, the comma is optional, and there are also times when a comma should not be used. You can start a sentence with all kinds of conjunctions and conjunctive adverbs. Suddenly, an angry black cat sprang from the shadows. Still, “also” is a part of that phrase that makes up the subject complement. The scintillating, sweet aroma of cinnamon buns filled the kitchen. Some Common Errors to Avoid. This comma is called the serial comma or the Oxford comma. We were out of milk; I went to the store. Or, you can simply write the two independent clauses as separate sentences. Restrictive clauses are often introduced by that or who and should never be set off by commas. The weather, I was happy to see, was beginning to clear. Without a serial comma, it looks like “Jane Austen and Albert Einstein” is an appositive, rather than two more elements in a list. Choosing the Right Word When begining a sentence with “also,” do I have to put a comma after “also?”. If you could remove the appositive without changing the meaning of the sentence, it is said to be nonessential and should be set off with commas. Today's topic is how to use the word however in a sentence. After opening the new cookie tin, Chester had a hard time replacing the lid. It cannot end a sentence. Grabbing her umbrella, Kate raced out of the house. It’s also important to make sure you essentially always follow however with a comma. In American English, commas always go before closing quotation marks. A. Punctuation is not so simple that you can make a rule that a comma “always” follows a given word or phrase. (With serial comma), I still have to buy a gift, pack the suitcases and arrange for someone to water the plants while we’re at the wedding. Cleo spotted the man who entered the diner, and waved. If “also” is part of a complement in an inverted sentence pattern, then you do not need to put a comma after it. The phrase “as well as” usually doesn’t require commas unless it’s part of a nonrestrictive clause. The clause “that Chester recommended” is essential information in the sentence above. The company managers accidentally scheduled the, weekly meeting for Saturday. You certainly wouldn’t want a comma in the first one; the second one is exactly the same sentence. I am a lower-school teacher and need to clarify this. Can You Start a Sentence with the Word "However"? A question tag is a short phrase or even a single word that is added to the end of a statement to turn it into a question. An interjection at the start of a sentence can be followed by a comma or an exclamation mark. The professor remarked, “How attentive you have been today!” With few exceptions, a comma should not separate a subject from its verb. The adorable, little boy was eating ice cream. Don’t use a comma in compound predicates unless there is a chance of misreading: In the sentence above, you need the comma to make clear that it was Cleo who waved, not the man. Identifying it as the restaurant recommended by Chester doesn’t narrow it down any further. The adverb’s purpose is to modify the whole sentence or a clause. Interrupters are little thoughts that pop up in the middle of a sentence to show emotion, tone, or emphasis. Follow “therefore” with a comma. Note that without the comma, the sentence is confusing. Punctuation is simply a written indication of HOW to say the sentence. You can also use a comma with a shorter phrase when you want to emphasize it or add a pause for literary effect. Navigating through snow, sleet, wind, and darkness, is a miserable way to travel. I meant to buy tickets for Cleo’s show but ran out of time. We were out of milk, I went to the store. She omitted the commas, and no one understood her sentence, to her regret. In neither of the sentences above is there a need for a comma. In 1816 life was very different. In general, the longer the prepositional phrase, the … Imagine, for a moment, that you have just finished doing three chores. Cleo’s favorite activities are singing on stage, and relaxing in the sunshine. Different types of writing call for different approaches. If you are writing for a British audience, put the comma after the closing quotation mark. But you don’t need a comma when you’re simply listing two items. After the show, Cleo will be signing autographs. The things that cause me joy, may also cause me pain. Use the following tips: Go through your first draft and circle the first word in every sentence. Also, his eccentric plots often reveal hope in the midst of despair. Attributive tags can come before, after, or even in the middle of a quote. If “also” is part of a complement in an inverted sentence pattern, then you do not need to put a comma after it. Comma Splices. 2. Correlative conjunctions are conjunctions that come in pairs (such as either/or, neither/nor, and not only/but also) and connect words or phrases in a sentence to form a complete thought. The clause “which Chester recommended” is nonrestrictive because “Posey’s Cafe” is already specific. Sometimes a comma is necessary after an introductory phrase. Some common subordinating conjunctions are: after, as, before, once, since, until, and while. It's probably more complicated than you think it is. In British English, however, unquoted punctuation typically follows the quotation marks. A comma normally follows participial phrases that introduce a sentence: When an adverbial phrase begins a sentence, it’s often followed by a comma but it doesn’t have to be, especially if it’s short. The chores were: If you were to list these three chores in a sentence, you would write: As mentioned above, when you are listing three or more items, commas should separate each element of the list. If the sentence would not require any commas if the parenthetical statement were removed, the sentence should not have any commas when the parentheses are added. See below under Serial Comma for more information.). “When you leave the house,” my mother yelled, “don’t slam the door!”. That man is a pompous, self-righteous, annoying idiot. Yikes, that was a hard one to explain. When you start a sentence with adverbs such as however, therefore, furthermore, or moreover, there is always a comma after the adverb. If a quotation before an attributive tag ends in a question mark or exclamation point, however, there’s no need for a comma. While a period ends a sentence, a comma indicates a smaller break. Another common “rule” conjunctions follow is when they are used to begin a sentence there is no comma following the conjunction. Cleo is a good singer, but she’s an even better dancer. When you have a list that contains more than two elements, use commas to separate them. 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