Notes

9. Use commas to set off all geographical names, items in dates (except the month and day), addresses (except the street number and name), and titles in names.



Birmingham, Alabama, gets its name from Birmingham, England.
July 22, 1959, was a momentous day in his life. Who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC?
Rachel B. Lake, MD, will be the principal speaker.
(When you use just the month and the year, no comma is necessary after the month or year: "The average temperatures for July 1998 are the highest on record for that month.")



10. Use a comma to shift between the main discourse and a quotation.

John said without emotion, "I'll see you tomorrow."
"I was able," she answered, "to complete the assignment."
In 1848, Marx wrote, "Workers of the world, unite!"

15. Don't put a comma after the main clause when a dependent (subordinate) clause follows it (except for cases of extreme contrast).

INCORRECT: The cat scratched at the door, while I was eating.
CORRECT: She was still quite upset, although she had won the Oscar. (This comma use is correct because it is an example of extreme contrast)

Introductory elements often require a comma, but not always. Use a comma in the following cases:

After an introductory clause.
After a long introductory prepositional phrase or more than one introductory prepositional phrase.
After introductory verbal phrases, some appositive phrases, or absolute phrases.
If there is a distinct pause.
To avoid confusion.