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Writing Center

The Five Comma Rules That Rule the World


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1. Use a comma after an introductory phrase or clause.
According to Wilbur, good friends who write well are not easy to find.
2. Use commas before and after a parenthetical phrase or clause.
Wilbur, E.B. White's famous pig, laments that it is difficult to find a good friend who writes well.
3. Use a comma to separate two independent clauses linked by a coordinating conjunction (and, but, for, nor or, so, yet)
Charlotte promised Wilbur she will save his life, and she ponders long and hard how to do so.
4. Use a comma to separate items in a series.
The Other animals in the farmyard, the rat, the geese, and the sheep, are amazed at Charlotte's masterful plan to save Wilbur.
5. Use a comma before a quotation when an introductory phrase with a word like say or reply precedes the quotation.
Wilbur says, "It's not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer" (White 184).
Thanks to Julie-Francoise Kruidenier '02 for the above insights.

Works Cited

White, E.B. Charlotte's Web. New York: HarperCollins Publisher, 1980.

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Fri.: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Sun.: Noon - 11 p.m.
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TO SCHEDULE, CANCEL, OR INQUIRE ABOUT A WRITING CONFERENCE:
Call (315) 859-4363 or stop by the Writing Center
(K-J 209).

  • To email your draft: wcpapers@hamilton.edu
  • Drafts longer than six pages should be submitted 24 hours in advance.