Punctuation

A collection of 138 posts

Do You Need a Comma Before 'So'?

Add a comma before "so" when meaning "therefore". Omit the comma to explain why something happened.

Commas With Academic Degrees and Titles

Abbreviations for academic degrees or titles that follow a name should be surrounded by commas. When preceding a name, however, the abbreviation (or title) must not be followed by a comma.

Commas With Names and For Direct Address

Enclose names between commas when speaking to someone directly (e.g., in dialogue). In general, do not use commas when talking about someone (instead of talking to someone).

When to Use a Comma with 'SINCE'

When starting a sentence with the word "since", add a comma after the first clause (group of words containing a subject and a verb).

Comma Use With 'WHILE' and 'WHEREAS'

When using "while" or "whereas" at the beginning of a sentence, place a comma after the first clause. In the middle of a sentence, place a comma before "whereas".

When to Use Commas in a 'DESPITE' Sentence

If "despite" (or "in spite of") comes at the start of the sentence, use a comma to separate the phrase starting with "despite" from the rest.

Comma Use in 'WHEN' Sentences

If you start a sentence with the conjunction "when", add a comma after the first clause. The comma is generally unnecessary if the when-clause is the second clause of the sentence.