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Using a Comma after a Long Subject
Using a Comma after a Long Subject
A comma can be used to group a complicated subject, especially a compound subject. Here is an example:- Leaving a list of Internet passwords, increasing your life insurance, and writing a will, will give you peace of mind while you are on operations.


What Is a Compound Subject?
When the subject of a sentence is made up of a list of things, it is known as a compound subject. Here is an easy example of a compound subject:- Simon and Tina are happy. (In this example, "Simon and Tina" is a compound subject with two elements.)
- Simon from Portsmouth with the permed hair and Tina with the Jack Russell from the fish market are happy. (The shaded text is a compound subject with two elements. In this example, the elements are more complicated. When a subject is this complicated, some writers like to mark its end with a comma.)
Using a Comma to Group a Complicated Compound Subject
Sometimes, a compound subject has so many complicated elements, writers like to mark the end of the subject with a comma to aid their readers. For example (long subjects are shaded):- A clean driving licence, the ability to operate under pressure, and 5 years' experience in marketing, are the only criteria stipulated by the selection panel.
- Murder is the only crime that does not increase during a full moon. Theft, disorderly conduct, larceny, armed robbery, assault and battery, and rape, increase dramatically during a full moon.
Using a Comma after a Complicated Single Subject
Occasionally, it is helpful to use a comma after a complicated single subject (i.e., a subject made up of one element). Here is an easy example of a single subject:- The boy is happy. (In this example, "the boy" is a single subject, i.e., it's just one element.)
- The boy who was caught on Monday by the groundsman's daughter as he was setting up a crayfish trap, pleaded not guilty.
Have Your Say
Would you mark the end of a long subject with a comma? Have your say with this poll.Interactive Exercise
Here are three randomly selected questions from a larger exercise, which can be edited, printed to create an exercise worksheet, or sent via email to friends or students.- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?