Rules for using commas in dates, addresses, and titles are explained with examples, exercises, and answers.
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Rules for dates
1.) In dates, the year is set off from the rest of the sentence with a pair of commas.
Example:
- On December 12, 1890, orders were sent out for the arrest of Sitting Bull.
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2.) Use a comma between a day of the week and a date.
Example:
- Please join us on Saturday, June 10, 2023, for the marriage of Ann and John..
3.) When you are referencing only a month and year, you don’t need a comma.
Example:
- The region experienced record rainfall in January 2002.
Rules for addresses
The elements of an address or place name are separated by commas. A zip code, however, is not preceded by a comma.
Examples:
- John Lennon was born in Liverpool, England, in 1940.
- Please send the letter to Greg Carvin at 708 Spring Street, Washington, IL 61571.
Rules for titles
If a title follows a name, separate the title from the rest of the sentence with a pair of commas.
Example:
- Sandra Belinsky, M.D., has been appointed to the board.
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Exercise:
Add 2 commas:
- I was born on Sunday May 12 1968.
- It was in the Sun’s June 5 2019 edition.
- July 4 1776 was an important day in American history.
- July 22 1959 was a momentous day in his life.
- Who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington DC?
- Our planning meetings will take place on Friday November 13 and Thursday December 10.
- Rachel B. Lake M.D. will be the principal speaker.
- I’m from the Akron Ohio area.
Add 3 commas:
- On Tuesday April 13 at three o’clock there will be a meeting for all staff.
- Birmingham Alabama gets its name from Birmingham England.
Add 5 commas:
- October 3 2015 Jeff Smith marketing director at Intel traveled to 14 Appian Way in Rome Italy.
Add more commas:
- It was in a June 2019 article.
- Our planning meetings will take place on November 13 and December 10.
- The average temperatures for July 1998 are the highest on record for that month.
Answers:
Add 2 commas:
- I was born on Sunday, May 12, 1968.
- It was in the Sun’s June 5, 2019, edition.
- July 4, 1776, was an important day in American history.
- July 22, 1959, was a momentous day in his life.
- Who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC?
- Our planning meetings will take place on Friday, November 13 and Thursday, December 10.
- Rachel B. Lake, M.D., will be the principal speaker.
- I’m from the Akron, Ohio, area.
Add 3 commas:
- On Tuesday, April 13, at three o’clock, there will be a meeting for all staff.
- Birmingham, Alabama, gets its name from Birmingham, England.
Add 5 commas:
- October 3, 2015, Jeff Smith, marketing director at Intel, traveled to 14 Appian Way in Rome, Italy.
Add more commas:
- It was in a June 2019 article.
- Our planning meetings will take place on November 13 and December 10.
- The average temperatures for July 1998 are the highest on record for that month.
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