Commas

1. Use a comma with and, or, yet, but, so to join two sentences:
   She walked home, and Monet took a bus.
2. Set off long introductory phrases and clauses with a comma:
   After the team lost the game, we went home.
3. Use commas to set off absolutes:
   Built for speed, the car was streamlined.
4. Set off non-restrictive clauses that add extra information:
   Lee, who wants to lose weight, should exercise.
5. Add commas to prevent reader confusion:
   When I eat, my cat gets hungry.
   vs.
   When I eat my cat gets hungry.
6. Set off quotations with commas:
   He said, "Let's go."
7. Use commas to separate city and state, day and month:
   He was born in Chicago, Illinois, on June 5, 1978.
8. Set off parenthetical elements in commas:
   Our teacher, Ms. Jones, is a television commentator.
9. Place commas between elements in a series:
   We brought soda, candy, and crackers.