COMMAS

The Serial Comma• Commas are used to separate items in a series.•When Mary walked into the classroom, she saw a school teacher, a doctor, a woman eating a bagel, and a bird.• A comma is needed after the phrase “a woman eating a bagel.” As the sentence stands, you might get the impression that the woman was eating the bird as well.

The Serial Comma• In some writing, it is acceptable to omit the comma before the “and” in a series of three or more items.• However, the ACT test writers prefer a more formal version of English (no surprise there), so use a comma to separate every item in a series, including the last one.

Separating Clauses and Phrases• The ACT also tests your ability to use commas correctly when two clauses, or a clause and a phrase, appear in the same sentence.

Two Independent Clauses• Identify the two independent clauses in the following sentence:• Mary wondered why there was a bird in the classroom and she decided to ask the teacher what the bird was doing indoors.• A comma belongs before the conjunction that joins the two independent clauses.• Mary wondered why there was a bird in the classroom, and she decided to ask the teacher what the bird was doing indoors.

An Independent Clause and a Dependent Clause• Commas are used to separate independent clauses from dependent clauses.• Before Mary could reach the teacher she saw the woman offer the bird part of the bagel.• “Before Mary could reach the teacher,” is a dependent clause so it must be separated from the independent clause with a comma.• Before Mary could reach the teacher, she saw the woman offer the bird part of the bagel.

An Independent Clause and a Modifying Phrase• Commas are used to separate independent clauses from modifying phrases.• Hungry and excited the bird snapped up the bagel.• “Hungry and excited” is a modifying phrase and must be separated from the independent clause by a comma.• Hungry and excited, the bird snapped up the bagel.

Restrictive and Non-restrictive Elements• A restrictive clause or phrase is essential to the meaning of a sentence, and it should not be separated by a comma.• People who snore are advised to sleep on their sides.• “Who snore” is essential to the meaning of this sentence. The sentence is not saying that all people should sleep on their sides, just ones who snore.

Restrictive and Non-restrictive Elements• A non-restrictive clause or phrase is not essential to the meaning of the sentence. It merely adds a parenthetical thought, and therefore, it needs to be separated from the rest of the sentence by commas.• My father, who snores loudly, always sleeps in his long johns.

Work Cited• Martz, Geoff, Kim Magloire, and Theodore Silver. Cracking the ACT. 2007 ed. New York: Random House, 2007. Print.