Use commas to separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses in a series. A conjunction goes between the last two items of the series. While some authorities say that the comma before the conjunction is optional, leaving it out may cause confusion, so it is better to include it. Words: Use commas to separate
Use a comma to separate independent clauses in a compound sentence when they are separated by a conjunction. The comma goes after the first clause and before the coordinating conjunction that separates the clauses. Make sure they are independent clauses and not some other construction where commas are not required. Correct: We washed the dog,
While there are many specific uses for commas, nearly eighty-five percent of the commas used in written English are used in a mere three situations. If you know the basic rule for these three cases, you can use commas in over four-fifths of the times you need to use commas. 1. Put a comma before
Could of does not exist. Neither do should of, will of, or would of as verbs. Write could have, should have, will have, or would have. If you want to emphasize the pronunciation, write it as a verb contraction: could’ve, should’ve, will’ve, or would’ve.
Coining new words with the suffix -wise may be clever, but it is nonstandard. Incorrect: He did well this quarter saleswise. Correct: He did well in sales this quarter.
