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Using Commas In Dates And Lists

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Using Commas in Dates and Lists

This lesson teaches you two comma rules: putting a comma between the day and year in a date, and putting commas between words or items in a list. You will see clear examples like "July 4, 1776" and "apples, bananas, and grapes" so you can use commas the right way in your own writing.

Introduction

You already know that a comma is a small mark that looks like this: , . Today you will learn two jobs a comma does. A comma can separate the day and the year in a date. A comma can also separate words in a list. Both jobs help your reader know exactly where one part stops and the next part starts.

Commas in Dates

When you write a full date, you write the month, then the day, then the year. A comma goes right after the day number and before the year.

Look at this date: July 4, 1776. The comma sits between 4 and 1776. There is no comma between July and 4.

  • May 3, 2019
  • October 31, 2023
  • February 14, 2025

Try saying the date out loud. Where you pause a tiny bit after the day number, that is where the comma goes.

Commas in Lists

A list names three or more things in a row. You put a comma after each word in the list except the very last one.

Look at this sentence: I packed a hat, a jacket, and boots for the trip.

There is a comma after hat, a comma after jacket, and then the word and before the last item, boots. No comma comes after the very last word.

  • My favorite colors are red, yellow, and blue.
  • We saw a dog, a cat, and a rabbit at the farm.
  • She bought pencils, crayons, and paper for school.

If a sentence only names two things, like "I have a pencil and an eraser," you do not need a comma. The comma rule for lists is only for three or more items.

See It Side by Side

Date example: July 4, 1776 comma between day and year List example: apples, bananas, and grapes comma after each word except the last one
A comma sits between the day and year in a date, and a comma sits after each word in a list except the last.

Key Terms & Definitions

Comma: A punctuation mark (,) that separates parts of a sentence, a date, or a list

Date: The month, day, and year when something happens

List: A group of three or more words or items named one after another in a sentence

Series comma: The comma that comes before the word and right before the last item in a list

Practice Activities

Write today's date with the comma in the right spot. Then write a sentence that lists three of your favorite foods, snacks, or toys, and check that you placed a comma after each word except the last one.

Read a sentence out loud and clap each time you hear a small pause. Check if a comma belongs at that spot.

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