Lesson 7 — Activity 2: Using Commas

This punctuation mark is used within sentences.

You have looked at the correct punctuation to use at the end of sentences. In this activity and the one following, you will look at the most common punctuation marks used within sentences.

This activity focuses on the use of commas.

One of the most common uses of the comma is to separate words in a list of three or more items.

Here are some examples:

It is a beautiful day because the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and a gentle breeze is blowing.

You need shin pads, shoes, long socks, and shorts to play soccer.

I was looking for bread, milk, fruit, and a car magazine when I went to the store.

If you didn’t use the comma, it would be very difficult to tell how many items you are talking about.

NOTE: If only two items are in the list, there is no need for a comma before the word "and".

Matt and Petra are friends.

You can see shorts, long socks, shin pads, and soccer shoes in this picture.

I am running with the school team, and the kids run way faster than I do!

Commas are also used when joining two sentences together with a coordinating conjunction. Remember that conjunctions are words that are used to join words or sentences together.

Here are some examples of two sentences being joined together in this way:

I want to buy a new ski jacket, but it is too expensive.

I have been running for a few months now, and my fitness level has improved.

It is raining outside today, so I think I will wear my raincoat.

Hint: To help you figure out if you need a comma in your writing, do this:
Read your work out loud and think about where you pause. Often that’s where you need punctuation. Use end punctuation if the idea is complete. Possibly use a comma if there is more related information to follow.