Geographical Names

Use a comma when you provide specific locations (Amarillo, Texas).  When using both the city and state within a sentence, be sure to place a comma between the city and state and after the state to save the reader from confusion about whether the statement is directly addressed to someone (e.g. a person whose name is "Austin") or not. 

Ex. - Austin, Texas, is one of the most fascinating vacation destinations in the country.

Postal Address

When you use a postal address within a sentence, remember to place a comma after the person’s name, after the street name and after the city. Notice that there is no comma between the state and the zip code.
           

Ex. – Karen’s full name and address is Karen Reilly, 4956 Arlington Road, South Fork, Colorado 77945.

Dates

Whether you include a comma when you use dates depends upon whether or not you provide the complete date (month, day, and year) and the order that you provide the date components in. If you provide only the month and day, you do not need a comma, or if you omit the day, you do not need the comma. If you include the complete date (month, day, and year), you need a comma after the day and the year.  However, if you place the day before the month (European style), you do not need the comma. 

Ex. --Samuel J. Smith was injured on September 21 in his cabin.

Ex. – Samuel J. Smith was injured in September 1945 in his cabin.

Ex. – Samuel J. Smith was injured on September 21, 1945, in his cabin.

Ex. – Samuel J. Smith was injured on 21 September 1945 in his cabin.

The following site gives additional information regarding comma use as well as examples to follow: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_comma.html

Correct the following sentences if necessary, by inserting or omitting a comma.

1. Last week we visited Atlanta Georgia and loved it.
2. I used to live with my friend at 444 County Road 524 Victoria Texas 77901.
3. Jim boarded the plane at 7:00 a.m. on June, 4, 2005, in order to make the 9:00 a.m. flight to Phoenix.

Answers

1. Last week we visited Atlanta, Georgia, and loved it.
2. I used to live with my friend at 444 County Road 524, Victoria, Texas 77901.
3. Jim boarded the plane at 7:00 a.m. on June 4, 2005, in order to make the 9:00 a.m. flight to Phoenix.

Grammatically Correct is a grammar tip of the week created by Academic Center Peer Writing Tutors at the University of Houston-Victoria in Victoria, Texas.

Comments about this newsletter should be directed to Summer Leibensperger, leibenspergers@uhv.edu.

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