ACADEMIC ENGLISH

PUNCTUATION:
COMMAS
English Coach
Yazmin Abat Alarcón
WHEN TO USE COMMAS?
Use a comma between items in a list of three or more things

Most children don't learn

to read,
write,
or do math until they start primary school.

Our waiter was

polite,
friendly,
and efficient.

Yazmin Abat | Academic English |

WHEN TO USE COMMAS?
Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction
I like eating at restaurants, but they are expensive
SVC, [F.A.N.B.O.Y.S] SVC

SVC=Subject –Verb- Complement

FANBOYS=For, and, nor, but, or, yet, so

We can repair the item,

or you can return it for a refund.

Yazmin Abat | Academic English |

WHEN TO USE COMMAS?
Use a comma after a subordinating clause at the beginning of a
sentence
After the subway system is constructed,
there will be fewer traffic jams
Dependent Clause, [F.A.N.B.O.Y.S] Independent clause
Dependent Clause start with a connector.
Independent Clause = Subject + Verb + complement (no
connector)

If more people work remotely,

there would be fewer traffic jams.

Yazmin Abat | Academic English |

WHEN TO USE COMMAS?

Use a comma after an introductory word or phrase

Furthermore, there would be less air pollution

Transition, [SVC]

After dessert, we paid the bill and went home

Yazmin Abat | Academic English |

WHEN TO USE COMMAS?
Use a comma to separate non essential information – a phrase or
clause that can be removed from the sentence without changing
the meaning of the sentence

Tomatoes, which were originally cultivated in

Mexico, are used in recipes around the world.
Main Clause = Tomatoes are used
in recipes around the world

The Grand Hotel, one of the most expensive in

the city, is right across the street from the park

Yazmin Abat | Academic English |

GLOSSARY - TERMINOLOGY

Source:
https://www.cfainstitute.org/-/media/documents/support/programs/investment-foundations/21-
glossary.pdf

Yazmin Abat | Academic English |

THANK YOU!