Page 159 - Perfect English Grammar: The Indispensable Guide to Excellent Writing and Speaking

■ Our landlord was a funny, generous man.
■ My son’s beat-up red bicycle was sold at our yard sale.

■ A huge, treacherous seasonal riptide threatened surfers.

See section 11.0, Adjectives, for more information.

16.2.9 COMMAS AND DESCRIPTIONS

Use commas to set off a descriptive clause or phrase that describes another part
of the sentence.

■ Hugging his blankie, the toddler fell asleep in the dog’s bed.
■ There she was, happy as a clam, telling the world about her new baby

sister.
■ Sitting on the pier were our friends, fishing as if they hadn’t a care in

the world.

16.2.10 COMMAS THAT SET OFF NAMES AND DATES

Commas are used to set off place names and dates. A common mistake is to
forget to include the second comma, which completes the offset.

■ Jefferson City, Missouri, is the state capital.

■ Our service center is in Montreal, Canada, not far from the metro.

However, if that place name is possessive, or it becomes part of a compound,

then there is no closing comma.

■ Surfing thrives at San Diego, California’s beaches.
■ The Brooklyn, New York–loving residents said they would never

move.

See section 4.8 on using commas in dates.