Contributor: Jennifer Blanchard. Lesson ID: 13894
We need commas to separate some words from other words in sentences. Learn how to separate the words yes and no, names, and a tag question from the rest of a sentence.
Take a look at this popular joke:
Both of those sentences have the same exact words. The only difference is that there is a comma in one of them. The comma can totally change what the sentence is saying.
Keep reading to find out!
In the first sentence, the speaker was telling Grandma it was time to bake. In the second sentence, however, the speaker was saying it was time to bake Grandma. That would not taste good!
Commas have many important uses.
This lesson explores these three specific uses:
Let's look at each one of these uses more closely.
Using a Comma to Set Off the Words Yes and No
When you are responding to a yes-or-no question, but you want to give more information than just yes or no, you need to use a comma after the yes or no before the other words in the sentence.
Examples:
Using a Comma to Set Off a Tag Question from the Rest of the Sentence
A tag question is a few very short words at the end of a sentence that turns a statement into a question.
When you include a tag question, you need to put a comma before the tag question.
Examples:
Using a Comma to Indicate a Direct Address
When the speaker in a sentence names the person, people, or group he/she is speaking to, otherwise known as a direct address, use a comma to separate who is being addressed from the rest of the sentence.
If the direct address is at the beginning, use a comma after the direct address.
Example:
If the direct address is at the end of the sentence, use a comma right before the direct address.
Example:
If the direct address is in the middle of the sentence, use a pair of commas around the direct address.
Example:
If so, head to the Got It? section for practice!
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