Use commas to indicate where readers should pause for breath in a sentence. Use your common sense and follow these tips on when – and how – to use them.

Avoiding ambiguity

Let's eat, Grandma!

Let's eat Grandma!

Enough said.

Linking adjectives

Use between qualifying adjectives (ones that describe the qualities of a person or thing):

<aside> ✅ Beryl is a large, friendly, greedy llama with long, yellowing teeth.

</aside>

Don't use between classifying adjectives (ones that place people and things into categories or classes):

<aside> ✅ Beryl is a 14-year-old South American llama.

</aside>

Don't use a comma between a mix of these two adjectives:

<aside> ✅ Beryl is a large South American llama with yellowing 14-year-old teeth.

</aside>

Linking transitional words

With words like "however", "though", "on the contrary", "nevertheless", "on the other hand", "conversely", "likewise", "similarly", "of course", "in addition".

Use a comma straight afterwards if they start a sentence:

<aside> ✅ Of course, I could have just one more sandwich.

</aside>