*Not only the jokes but also the dialog were good. Use commas to offset appositives from the rest of the sentence. We not only applauded, but we also stood up. ", Read more: 9 ways to become a better speller, according to an expert. "A mallard, the kind of duck I saw when I went running, attacked me.". The directors wanted both to win and to receive recognition for their work. Not only and also are paired with but to add emphasis to two coordinated elements in a sentence. Even though the phrase "that attacked me" describes "the duck," it provides essential information to the sentence. You should only put a comma before "but" when connecting two independent clauses. Clauses that begin with "that" are usually essential to the sentence and do not require commas. Commas don't just signify pauses in a sentence — precise rules govern when to use this punctuation mark. We both clapped our hands, and we stomped our feet. Don't do that! In contrast, it indicates (1) "no particular preference", one or the other (You can have either this one or that one.) How did someone do something? You cannot do this with conjunctive adverbs (e.g., however, furthermore, consequently ), but you can do it with coordinate conjunctions (e.g., and, but, or ). Use neither…nor for negative addition [Not X  AND not ]. A comma separates a clause that has its own subject and predicate. Also see Negatives,  Either…or / Neither…nor  and Pop-Q – Or. (one or the other), Either I like a movie or I hate it. Usually, commas surround a non-essential clause or phrase. They not only liked the movie but also loved the play. If we were to eliminate the second "I" from that example, the second clause would lack a subject, making it not a clause at all. The movie is being shown not only at the Fox Theater but also neighborhood theaters. Select the word or phrase from the list that best completes the sentence. They also let us connect words, phrases, and clauses together to make longer sentences.

We've compiled a list of all the times when you'll need the mighty comma — and we wrote sentences about ducks to show you their proper use: Rebecca Aydin and Christina Sterbenz contributed to a previous version of this post. They not only liked the movie, but they also loved the play. Move the auxiliary verb in front of the subject. As you may recall from above, an independent clause has a subject and a verb and can stand on its own as a sentence. document.write( date_lastmod() );//-->. Friday, March 15, was the day I say the duck. Grammar Quizzes by Julie Sevastopoulos is licensed for use under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International.

Both the movie and the play were good.

Starting a sentence with "however," however, is discouraged by many careful writers. ", Another clever meme shows the problem with incorrect placement of this comma. Phrases like "on the other hand" and "furthermore" also fall into this category. For example, "The duck that attacked me scared my friend" doesn't require any commas.

Also see Negatives in Adverbs. Either you eat the pie, or (else) I will. There's one exception to this rule.

He does, however, drink lemonade by the bucket load. Religious tolerance is something we should all practise. Not only do  I like to watch movies, but I also like to see plays. I can't remember. Also see Conjunction vs. Disjunction (and / or diagrams). (I don't know what they did, but it wasn't effective in the movie.) A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. I neither liked nor would recommend the movie.

Many adverbs end in "ly" and answer the question "how?" The directors wanted not only to win but also to receive recognition for their work.

I liked not only the movie but also the play. Compare your responses to the feedback by clicking the "Check" or "Check 11-20" button. (informal Eng. When neither… nor begins a sentence and joins two verbs, the auxiliary verb precedes the subject.

Read more: 9 words and phrases people think are wrong, but are actually correct. Ebert both likes and recommends the movie. Either you ate the pie or I ate it. While conscience is our friend, all is at peace. (condition, semi-threat), You eat the pie. Not only is the Grand Canyon deep but also wide. I applauded the performance, and I stood up. (no preference). Since "I saw the mean, big duck " and "I saw the big and mean duck" both sound fine, you need the comma.

You don't need to add a comma when the sentence mentions only the month and year: Read more: 11 reasons the English language is impossible to learn, Another example: "Yes, I saw a duck when I went running.