1) According to Monty Python’s Flying Circus, the Montgolfier brothers were the first balloonists. (Introductory phrase is set off by a comma.)
2) Actually, the first balloonist was a chap from Cheapside, and he expired when his balloon collapsed over the Lady’s Auxillary Tea in Bennington. (Introductory word “actually” set off by comma; two independent clauses set off by comma.)
3) Mrs. Mott, not the apple heiress but a modest housewife from Hampstead, cried, “Oh my god, he has broken my favorite teapot.” (Parenthetical phrase set off by comma; before quote a comma is used; introductory exclamation set off by comma from the statement.)
4) Because the balloonist had broken Mrs. Mott’s favorite teapot, the Lady Auxillary dragged his body to the nearest creek. (Dependent clause at the beginning of sentence is set off by commas; however, if the sentence is reversed, no comma is necessary: “The Lady Auxillary dragged his body to the nearest creek because the balloonist had broken Mrs. Mott’s favorite teapot.”)
5) There, under the cover of darkness, they plunged the body in the creek, and they watched it slowly float like a summer leaf, bobbing up and down until it vanished. (Introductory word (there) set off by a comma; parenthetical phrase (under cover of darkness) set off by comma; two independent clauses separated by comma; final phrase (bobbing up…) set off by commas.)
6) The Ladies, however, salvaged tarp from the balloon, and they sewed large tents 10 feet by 10 feet for their next tea. (Set off transitional words (however) with commas: separate two independent phrases with commas.)
7) At the next tea held in Hampstead, the Ladies Auxillary erected these tents, and they served jam muffins with clotted cream, thick sticky buns, chocolate éclairs, and Cornish cookies. (Introductory phrase set off by commas; separate two independent clauses by commas; separate a series of items by commas.)
Tips for Using Commas
• Know the difference between dependent and independent clauses.
• Know what phrases are.
• Know what parenthetical phrases are.
Stayed tuned; we’ll define these terms and show you how to use them!
