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A list of three or more things in a sentence is called a series. When you have a list of things, ideas, or actions in a sentence, a simple way to tell how many commas you need is to count up the number of items in the list and subtract one. Be sure to include the comma before the conjunction (and, but, or). *Remember sometimes in a list of items in a series you might have phrases and not just single words.
Let's practice using commas correctly when you have a series of items is a sentence. Read each sentence below and decide where you think commas should be placed. 1. My favorite types of books are mystery horror and science fiction. 2. Beagles spaniels and retrievers are all types of hunting dogs.
3. Do you prefer to paint with water color acrylic or oil paints?
4. We saw dinosaur bones flint arrowheads and prehistoric tools
5. The bride carried a bouquet of roses ivy and baby's breath.
How did you do? The hardest comma to remember seems to be the comma before the conjunction! Just keep reminding yourself to count up the number of items in the list and subtract one to get the number of commas you need.
Punctuation marks, like commas, help the reader get the meaning from your writing. Commas make the writer's meaning clearer to the reader.
Click on the Chalk board to return to the lesson page for items in a series!
There are many other important and useful comma rules that you should know to improve your communication when you write. Follow the links below to the lessons that introduce them:
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