Commas should be used carefully to avoid changing a sentence's meaning. Commas are used to the left of FANBOYS conjunctions if the part after the conjunction is a complete sentence. Commas are also used around extra information in a sentence and between items in a list of three or more. Commas are placed after dates, addresses, or places used in a sentence, and are always placed to the left of quotation marks when moving between a sentence and a quote.

1. CommasLBB Section 38 So you will NOT do this: “ Always use commas carefully, because they affect meaning.”

2. 1. FANBOYS For And Nor But Or Yet and So are the “FANBOYS words.” If you use a comma with these, it will only go to the left of the FANBOYS word. Check the sentence by doing the following… 1. Ask yourself: “Is there a complete sentence after the FANBOYS word?” 2. YES? Use a comma to the LEFT NO? No comma

3. 2. Extra information Use a comma after prepositional phrases at the beginning of a sentence After the party, we dragged ourselves home. Use a comma after extra information at the end of a sentence We met in a closet, which wasn’t the ideal spot. Use commas around extra information in the middle of a sentence Stephen King’s book The Shining still haunts me. (“Stephen King’s book” is not specific enough, so “The Shining” is not extra. No comma.) The Shining, a book by Stephen King, still haunts me. (“The Shining” comes first, so “a book by Stephen King” is not necessary, or extra. Use commas around it.

4. 3. Listing Use a comma between items in a list of more than 2. This includes adjective lists. I like chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. Believing in magic, playing games, and enjoying treats keep me young at heart. I walked out into a cold, strong wind. * No comma is needed before or after the list—just between the items. * A comma before the “and” is optional

5. 4. dates, addresses, places, numbers Use a comma after an address or date when used in a sentence. The college in Winterville, North Carolina, is known for its bright students. November 3, 2011, will be the date of my next birthday celebration.

6. 5. Quotations Wherever you move from sentence material to quoted material or vice versa, use a comma The comma always goes to the LEFT of the quotation marks. “Get inside,” my mom said. My mom said, “Get inside.” “Get inside,” my mom said, “and sit by the fire.”