GED Writing: Commas
Commas are a big issue in writing, and it’s confusing to a lot of people. But, this is another important thing to get the hang of to pass the multiple choice part of the GED writing test. Here are some rules for comma usage:
(1) Joining Sentences
Use a comma before “and,” “but,” “or,” “so,” “for,” “nor,” or “yet” to join two sentences. Don’t use a comma if you don’t have two complete sentences on either side of the joining word!
Here are two sentences:
Dan is going to school.
Chris will meet him after class.
Use a comma if you’re combining them with the word “and”:
Dan is going to school, and Chris will meet him after class.
BUT don’t use a comma if you’re not combining full sentences:
Dan and Chris will meet after class.
Dan is going to school and then to meet Chris.
Since “Dan” (in “Dan and Chris will meet after class.”) and “then to meet Chris” (in “Dan is going to school and then to meet Chris.”) aren’t whole sentences, don’t use a comma with the “and.”
(2) A Series or Group
Use a comma between three or more items in a series or two items in a series not joined by a connecting word.
You might say:
Dan, Chris, and Paula all went to the library.
That’s a series, or group, of three or more people, so separate them with commas. Some people leave out the comma before the “and.” I think it’s clearer to leave it in, but it’s not really wrong either way. The GED writing test won’t test you on the comma before the “and” in a series. They only test you on things that are really clear if they’re right or wrong. They might test you on the comma between “Dan” and “Chris” in a sentence like this!
Now, two items in a series without a connecting word would be like:
Early settlers endured a long, difficult journey to California.
“Long” and “difficult” go together. They’re a group of words describing the series. You might put an “and” in the middle and it would still make sense (“a long and difficult journey…”) Since you don’t have the “and” in there, put a comma instead.
(3) “Extra” Bits in Sentences
When there are words or phrases that are aside from the main part of a sentence, they’re set off by commas.
Use a comma after an introductory word, phrase, or dependent clause at the beginning of a sentence.
Hey, that’s my lunch!
John, go to the store for me.
You see, it’s too late to get a present now.
On second thought, we could stop at the corner store.
When you get there, don’t forget to buy milk.
At the store, we ran into some friends.
Because we were running late, we forgot the milk after all.
You can see that there’s a lot of “extra” phrases you can put at the beginning of the sentence, and they make your writing interesting! The comma marks the beginning of the “main” sentence, and stops there from being any confusion.
The same thing happens at the end of a sentence. Use a comma before an extra comment or question at the end of a sentence.
You’re going to the store for me, right?
You won’t forget the milk this time, will you?
Don’t be late again, John.
And the same thing happens in the middle of a sentence! If you’re putting in extra information, put commas around it to separate it out from the main sentence:
The first lesson, which is about commas, is really hard.
I’m telling you, John, that I don’t want you to be late.
I went to the store, the one one First Street, to get groceries.
Do you see how you could take all the bits in commas out and keep the meaning the same? You could say:
The first lesson is really hard.
I’m telling you that I don’t want you to be late.
I went to the store to get groceries.
The parts in commas give extra information. Putting the commas around them shows that it’s extra information, and not part of the main sentence.
That’s commas, in a nutshell!
For more information about the GED test and GED test preparation, visit the GED Academy at http://www.passGED.com.
