Can you think of examples of comma usage in a sentence? Please use examples that are unique or less common.

Answer 1

Greetings!

You have asked an excellent question about the value and necessity of comma usage in sentences. In addition to the examples that Hannah provided you with, I can also tell you that commas are often used when connecting two or more related ideas into one lengthy (but not a run-on) sentence, in an effort to explain something in writing in an informative, analytical manner.

For example(s):

"In order to achieve this feat, the basketball player had to practice every single day, not taking into account the fact that he had a sore ankle and his mobility was limited."

"When you look at it from this angle, regardless of whether or not you considered this perspective beforehand, you will see that it is possible to come up with multiple solutions to this problem."

"Never one to sit on the sidelines and do nothing, the father leapt at the earliest opportunity to raise his children without fail, even though it made him feel more exhausted than he anticipated."

"This momentous occasion made history, along with the fact that it allowed the protagonist herself to feel a sense of pride and self-worth for the very first time."

I hope this helps!

Answer 2

This is a great question because commas are certainly complex. I have several examples.

Commas are not needed to separate essential elements. For example, “The students who always come to class learn new information everyday.” However, commas are needed to set off nonessential elements in a sentence. For example, “Bananas, which happen to be my favorite fruit, are the main ingredient for this recipe.”

Commas are used 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. For example, “Kansas City, Kansas, is near my home.” In this correct example, the city and state are separated by a comma. An example of a comma separating a title is the following, “Johnathan Nelson, MD, will be our expert speaker today.” MD stands for medical doctor and is Johnathan Nelson’s title.

Commas should also be inserted to prevent confusion or misreading. For example, “To Sarah, Jerry is like a friend and father figure.” In this correct example, the comma separates the two names, Sarah and Jerry. If there were no comma the sentence would look like this, “To Sarah Jerry is like a friend and father figure.” The sentence does not make sense upon first reading and appears incomplete. The reader may also think that Sarah’s last name is “Jerry”. 

These examples should help you out!