What Is A Comma?

A comma is a “soft stop”. It’s not a final as a period. It’s used to connect new ideas to old ones, and to tell the reader when to pause a moment in their thinking (or in their speaking, if they’re reading out loud). In long sentences, it’s also used to separate clauses, so the reader understands which modifiers apply to which words, etc.

I only slept for three hours last night, but I’m not tired today.

For dinner, there’s pasta, garlic bread, and green salad.

Despite the snow, the buses are running on time.

Anna’s parents are very, very proud of her.