| A. We use a comma to set off adverbial clauses. | 1. Of course I’d like to help, but things are not so simple. |
| B. When a direct quotation is punctuated with a question mark, no comma is used. | 2. ‘Can I ring you back in a minute?’ ‘Yes, of course.’ |
| C. We use a comma to separate independent clauses. | 3. Things like glass, paper, and plastic can be all recycled. |
| D. We use a comma to set off phrases that express contrast. | 4. I’d like a cheeseburger, please. |
| E. We use a comma to set off words such as yes, no, wellwhen one of these words is at the beginning of a sentence. | 5. ‘Did you enjoy the trip?’ asked Jack, helping her out of the bout. |
| F. We use a comma to separate items in a list. | 6. I discussed it with my brother, who is a lawyer. |
| G. We use a comma to set off “please” at the end of the request. | 7. The dresses were lovely, and the colours were so pretty. |
| H. We use a comma to separate tag questions. | 8. We need to rethink the way we consume energy. Take, for instance, our approach to transport. |
| I. We use a comma to set off an introductory phrase from the rest of the sentence. | 9. When we worked in the same office, we would often have coffee together. |
| J. We use a comma to set off introductory adverbial elements. | 10. ‘What’s your name?’ she asked. |
| K. We use a comma to set off non-restrictive appositives. | 11. You stayed the night at Carolyn’s, didn’t you? |
| L. We use a comma to set off verbal phrases. | 12. Outside, the children were playing cowboys and Indians. |
| M. We use a comma to indicate the omission of a word. | 13. Happily, his injuries were not serious. |
| N. We use a comma to set off interrupters. | 14. Ooh, that’s nice. |
| O. We use a comma to set off interjections. | 15. In 1963 we moved to Boston, where my grandparents lived. |
| P. We use a comma to set off a subordinate clause. | 16. Lonely, she was strolling along the riverbank. |
| Q. We use a comma to set off titles and degrees. | 17. It’s an old city with about 200,000 residents. |
| R. We use a comma to set off introductory modifiers. | 18. My sister is Jacqueline Hope, PhD. |
| S. We use a comma to group the digits in thousands in figures of four digits or more. | 19. Claire was young, lovely, but shy. |
| T. We use a comma to separate adjectives in predicative position. | 20. Buy some tasty cheap biscuits. |
| U. We do not use commas between adjectives which give different kinds of information. | 21. Peter, where are you going? |
| V. We use a comma to set off words in direct address. | 22. Sincerely yours, |
| W. We use a comma to set off the salutation in correspondence and the complimentary close of a letter. | 23. To Sam, Jane was very dear. |
| X. We use a comma to separate adjacent words or two identical words to avoid ambiguity. | 24. I decided to spend my holidays in Germany and my sister, on the west coast of Africa. |