A compound sentence contains two complete thoughts. Place a comma before the word and or but in a compound sentence.
Homework Helper
Punctuation Practice
Commas
1. Compound Sentences
David watched a movie, and Sarah read a book.
2. Words in a List
Use commas to separate three or more words in a list.
Andrew's favorite sports are basketball, baseball, and soccer.
3. Dependent Clauses
A dependent clause has a subject and a verb but cannot stand alone. Place a comma after a dependent clause that begins a sentence.
When I watch movies, I like to eat popcorn.
4. Appositive
An appositive is a word or group of words that explains another word in a sentence. Use commas to set off an appositive from the rest of the sentence.
Mr. Lee, my favorite teacher, gave us extra homework today.
5. Introductory Words
Place a comma after introductory words, such as yes and well.
Yes, I would like some more sauce on my pasta.
6. Direct Address
Use a comma to separate from the rest of the sentence the name of a person the sentence addresses directly.
Dan, is this your key?
7. Cities and States
Place a comma between the names of cities and states.
We live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
8. Dates
Place a comma between the day and the year in a date.
Jenna was born on May 24, 2002.