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When to Use a Comma Before "Or" (Guide, Examples, Grammar Rules) | GrammarBrain
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class="featured-image-wrap"> <img src="https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/stock-13-9-1024x683.jpeg" height="auto" style="-moz-border-radius:10px;-webkit-border-radius:10px;border-radius:10px;margin-bottom:40px;" alt="comma before or" /> </div> </div> </div> <div bind="80e03a2d-a20f-6efc-c0d9-14bc49b22dd9" class="article-body wf-section"> <div bind="bc878838-ab40-9492-e3bd-2479e727ee0e" class="article-body"> <div bind="bc0209be-976e-1d43-38b0-3a9a8847699c" class="container w-container"> <div bind="085bf5dc-f87e-1752-2b64-0aa48fd35121" class="w-richtext"> <p><strong>Do <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/personal-pronouns/">you</a> put a comma before <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/a-vs-the/">the</a> word “or?”</strong> It’s no secret that the majority of us struggle <a href="https://www.grammarly.com/blog/comma-before-or/#:~:text=Should%20you%20use%20a%20comma,a%20preference%2C%20not%20a%20rule." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">with placing commas</a>, especially in professional writing. The confusion comes when we aren’t sure about placing a comma before conjunctions.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="800" height="441" src="https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/comma-before-or.png" alt="Comma before "or"" class="wp-image-5246" srcset="https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/comma-before-or.png 800w, https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/comma-before-or-300x165.png 300w, https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/comma-before-or-768x423.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption>Comma before “or”</figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong>Conjunctions refer <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/to-vs-too/">to</a>:</strong></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Or</li><li>And</li><li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/is-because-a-conjunction/">Because</a></li><li>So</li></ul> <p>The coordinating <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/conjunctions/">conjunction</a> here is ‘Or’ <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/because-vs-since/">since</a> it coordinates 2 elements that <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/past-tense-of-have/">have</a> equal syntactic importance. It means 2 things that have the same grammatical weight.</p> <p>Today, in this article, we will be discussing the <a href="https://www.scribbr.com/commas/comma-before-or-after-and/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">appropriate ways to use commas</a>. It will help you gain clarity on the issue.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="do-you-put-a-comma-before-or"></span>Do You Put a Comma Before Or?<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h2> <p>The answer is how you <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/use-vs-utilize/">use</a> <a href="https://thewordcounter.com/when-to-use-comma-before-or/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the ‘Or’ conjunction</a>. If your <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/what-is-a-sentence/">sentence</a> is starting with <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/a-or-an/">an</a> <a href="https://7esl.com/comma-before-or/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">independent clause</a>, <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/then-vs-than/">then</a> you should put a comma before “or.”</p> <p>However, if it starts with a dependent clause, you should avoid the comma placement. But in a list or series of 2-3 items, inserting a comma before or is perfectly <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/ok-vs-okay/">okay</a>.</p> <p>However, it’s not a rule and more of a preference thing depending on the writer.</p> <p>Seems confusing, right? <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/lets-or-lets/">Let’s</a> break down some differences <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/threw-vs-through/">through</a> examples.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="sentence-examples"></span>Sentence Examples<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h3> <p>You should always avoid separating 2 short grammatical elements whenever they are coordinated with the ‘or’ conjunction.</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"><li><strong>Right</strong> – <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/would-vs-will/">Would</a> you want your steak medium or rare?</li><li><strong>Wrong</strong> – Would you want your steak medium, or rare?</li><li><strong>Right</strong> – Do you like to sing or dance?</li><li><strong>Wrong</strong> – Do you like to sing, or dance?</li><li><strong>Right</strong> – Do you prefer Ketchup or Mayonnaise?</li><li><strong>Wrong</strong> – Do you prefer Ketchup, or Mayonnaise?</li></ul> <p>Did you notice the inconvenience of adding a comma between the two words separated <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/bye-vs-by/">by</a> or? Hence, it’s incorrect to place them in such scenarios.</p> <p>It would help if you used a comma in a list of 3+ things.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="lets-take-a-look-at-some-examples-of-this"></span>Let’s take a look at some examples of this:<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h3> <ul class="wp-block-list"><li><strong>Right</strong> – You can order the Vanilla, Strawberry or Chocolate flavors.</li><li><strong>Right</strong> – You can order the Vanilla, Strawberry, or Chocolate flavors.</li></ul> <p>The first sentence <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/has-vs-have/">has</a> a single comma, and the second one has a double. But both are correct and <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/past-tense-of-read/">read</a> perfectly fine.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" width="800" height="441" src="https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/comma-before-or-2.png" alt="Comma before "or"" class="wp-image-5247" srcset="https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/comma-before-or-2.png 800w, https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/comma-before-or-2-300x165.png 300w, https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/comma-before-or-2-768x423.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption>Comma before “or”</figcaption></figure></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="do-you-put-a-comma-after-or"></span>Do You Put a Comma After Or?<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h2> <p><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/puting-or-putting/">Putting</a> a comma after “or” isn’t very common and is more rare to <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/past-tense-of-see/">see</a> than not. But is it grammatically incorrect to do this? <strong>No.</strong></p> <p>The only scenario <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/where-vs-were/">where</a> you would be required to put a comma after “or” is during the usage of a clausal introduction or a <a href="https://linguaholic.com/linguablog/comma-before-or-after-or/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">parenthetical expression</a>.</p> <p>Whenever ‘or’ is preceding a parenthetical phrase, you can use a comma after or. We insert a comma both before and after when we use commas for setting <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/a-part-or-apart/">apart</a> parenthetical phrases.</p> <p>The placement of post-comma is <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/less-vs-fewer/">less</a> likely but possible. Whenever you write a <a href="https://prowritingaid.com/comma-before-or" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">parenthetical expression in a sentence</a>, commas are needed by default.</p> <p>So, a comma is bound to come after or whenever it’s the final word under parenthesis. Your information garners better focus and clarity when you parenthesize it.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" width="800" height="441" src="https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/comma-before-or-3.png" alt="Comma before "or"" class="wp-image-5248" srcset="https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/comma-before-or-3.png 800w, https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/comma-before-or-3-300x165.png 300w, https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/comma-before-or-3-768x423.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption>Comma before “or”</figcaption></figure></div> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="sentence-examples-2"></span>Sentence Examples<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h3> <p>Let’s take an example of this case:</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"><li>You can decide to blow your salary on constant partying, or, if I <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/was-vs-were/">were</a> you, I’d save it for a rainy day.</li><li>You can <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/choose-vs-chose/">choose</a> to buy a new phone, or, if I were you, I’d spend it on clothes.</li></ul> <p>Here, the parenthetical <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/past-tense-of-think/">thought</a> is ‘If I Were You.’ It can be removed, but the sentence will remain unaffected.</p> <p>You can only use commas after or in these situations.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" width="800" height="441" src="https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/comma-before-or-4.png" alt="Comma before "or"" class="wp-image-5249" srcset="https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/comma-before-or-4.png 800w, https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/comma-before-or-4-300x165.png 300w, https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/comma-before-or-4-768x423.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption>Comma before “or”</figcaption></figure></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="more-examples-of-using-a-comma-before-%e2%80%9cor%e2%80%9d"></span>More <strong>Examples</strong> of using a Comma Before “Or”<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h2> <p>Now that we have an idea about commas before or after let’s look at <a href="https://www.pristineword.com/comma-or/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">some of these sentence examples</a>:</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="as-a-coordinating-conjunction-comma-before-or"></span>As a Coordinating Conjunction (Comma Before Or)<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h3> <ul class="wp-block-list"><li>My <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/bosss-bosses-bosses/">boss</a> is either firing <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/me-vs-myself/">me</a> after the meeting, or she will increase my working hours.</li><li>Should I wear these platform boots, or stick with the ankle boots?</li><li>My dietitian will ask me to <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/what-is-the-past-participle-of-go/">go</a> on a stricter diet, or to hire a personal trainer.</li><li>Should we <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/past-tense-of-visit/">visit</a> Ireland this <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/are-seasons-capitalized/">summer</a>, or should we just wait and see Paris next year?</li><li>I <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/may-vs-can/">may</a> join UCLA this year, or I might take a year gap to explore other ventures.</li></ul> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="comma-before-or-for-3-or-more-things"></span>Comma Before Or (For 3 or More Things)<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h3> <ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Julia wants a bag, shirt, or top from Zara.</li><li>I want to attend Brown, Harvard, or CSULA for college.</li><li>We want Tiramisu, Strawberry Shortcake, or Russian Honey cake for dessert.</li><li>Out of all the Tekken Characters, do you prefer Jin Kazama, Nina Williams, or Kazuya Mishima?</li><li>The company couldn’t choose between the <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/former-vs-latter/">former</a> teacher, the Harvard graduate, or the military veteran.</li><li>I would love to visit London, Rome, or Paris next summer.</li></ul> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="comma-after-or"></span>Comma After Or<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h3> <ul class="wp-block-list"><li>I can cook lasagna for lunch, or, if you want, we can always order takeout.</li><li>He might stay back here, or, <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/despite-vs-in-spite-of/">despite</a> his girlfriend’s objections, he might take the job in France.</li><li>We can work on Facebook ads, or, if it sounds better, we can go for Instagram marketing this month.</li></ul> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="general-comma-grammar-rules-to-follow"></span>General Comma Grammar Rules to Follow<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h2> <p><a href="https://www.okanagan.bc.ca/sites/default/files/2020-03/commas.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Using commas and knowing where to exactly place them</a> can be confusing for some people. Here’s <a href="https://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/commas.asp" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">what you need to truly know</a> with these rules:</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"><li>Use a comma for separating independent <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/clauses/">clauses</a>.</li><li>You can also use it after an <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/introductory-phrases/">introductory phrase</a> or clause.</li><li>Another rule is to use a comma between every item within a list or series.</li><li>Use commas for setting off nonrestrictive clauses.</li><li>You can also set off the <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/appositive-phrase/">appositives</a> by using a comma.</li><li>Utilize a comma to indicate a direct address.</li><li>Use a comma for setting off direct quotations.</li><li>You can also use commas with <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/numbers-1-100/">numbers</a>, <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/how-to-write-dates/">dates</a>, titles, and addresses.</li></ul> <div class="wp-block-coblocks-faq" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/FAQPage"> <h2 class="wp-block-coblocks-faq__title wp-block-heading"><span class="ez-toc-section" id="faqs"></span>FAQs<span class="ez-toc-section-end"></span></h2> <details class="wp-block-coblocks-faq-item" itemprop="mainEntity" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"><summary class="wp-block-coblocks-faq-item__question" itemprop="name"><div class="wp-block-coblocks-faq-item__question__content"><strong>Do </strong>you use a comma after or?</div><svg width="24" height="24" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="wp-block-coblocks-faq-item__question__icon" aria-hidden="true"><path fill="currentColor" fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" d="M19.39 14.99l-1.41 1.41L12 10.43 6.02 16.4l-1.41-1.41L12 7.6l7.39 7.39z"></path></svg></summary><div class="wp-block-coblocks-faq-item__answer" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer"><div itemprop="text"> <p>You can use a comma after or when <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/there-their-theyre/">there</a> is a parenthetical expression within the sentence. It is also done when there is a clausal introduction.</p> </div></div></details> <details class="wp-block-coblocks-faq-item" itemprop="mainEntity" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"><summary class="wp-block-coblocks-faq-item__question" itemprop="name"><div class="wp-block-coblocks-faq-item__question__content">Can you start a sentence with “or?”</div><svg width="24" height="24" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="wp-block-coblocks-faq-item__question__icon" aria-hidden="true"><path fill="currentColor" fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" d="M19.39 14.99l-1.41 1.41L12 10.43 6.02 16.4l-1.41-1.41L12 7.6l7.39 7.39z"></path></svg></summary><div class="wp-block-coblocks-faq-item__answer" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer"><div itemprop="text"> <p>Yes, you can undoubtedly start a sentence with an Or. No rule goes against using conjunctions at the start of sentences.</p> <p>Plus, it helps in creating emphasis and impact on your sentences.</p> </div></div></details> <details class="wp-block-coblocks-faq-item" itemprop="mainEntity" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"><summary class="wp-block-coblocks-faq-item__question" itemprop="name"><div class="wp-block-coblocks-faq-item__question__content">How do you use “or” in a sentence?</div><svg width="24" height="24" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="wp-block-coblocks-faq-item__question__icon" aria-hidden="true"><path fill="currentColor" fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" d="M19.39 14.99l-1.41 1.41L12 10.43 6.02 16.4l-1.41-1.41L12 7.6l7.39 7.39z"></path></svg></summary><div class="wp-block-coblocks-faq-item__answer" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer"><div itemprop="text"> <p>You can use the ‘or’ conjunction when there is a negative form of the <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/what-is-a-verb/">verb</a>. For example – I don’t like Martinis or Mojitos.</p> </div></div></details> <details class="wp-block-coblocks-faq-item" itemprop="mainEntity" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"><summary class="wp-block-coblocks-faq-item__question" itemprop="name"><div class="wp-block-coblocks-faq-item__question__content">What is the <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/oxford-comma-serial-comma/">oxford comma</a> rule?</div><svg width="24" height="24" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="wp-block-coblocks-faq-item__question__icon" aria-hidden="true"><path fill="currentColor" fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" d="M19.39 14.99l-1.41 1.41L12 10.43 6.02 16.4l-1.41-1.41L12 7.6l7.39 7.39z"></path></svg></summary><div class="wp-block-coblocks-faq-item__answer" itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer"><div itemprop="text"> <p>The comma is placed before the conjunction <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/toward-or-towards/">towards</a> the end of a series or list of things. Here, for example – The new logo colors consisted of purple, blue, and white.</p> </div></div></details> </div> <div id="ez-toc-container" class="ez-toc-v2_0_73 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction"> <div class="ez-toc-title-container"> <p class="ez-toc-title" style="cursor:inherit">Inside this article</p> <span class="ez-toc-title-toggle"></span></div> <nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1" href="#do-you-put-a-comma-before-or" title="Do You Put a Comma Before Or?">Do You Put a Comma Before Or?</a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2" href="#sentence-examples" title="Sentence Examples">Sentence Examples</a></li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3" href="#lets-take-a-look-at-some-examples-of-this" title="Let’s take a look at some examples of this">Let’s take a look at some examples of this</a></li></ul></li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4" href="#do-you-put-a-comma-after-or" title="Do You Put a Comma After Or?">Do You Put a Comma After Or?</a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5" href="#sentence-examples-2" title="Sentence Examples">Sentence Examples</a></li></ul></li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6" href="#more-examples-of-using-a-comma-before-%e2%80%9cor%e2%80%9d" title="More Examples of using a Comma Before “Or”">More Examples of using a Comma Before “Or”</a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7" href="#as-a-coordinating-conjunction-comma-before-or" title="As a Coordinating Conjunction (Comma Before Or)">As a Coordinating Conjunction (Comma Before Or)</a></li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8" href="#comma-before-or-for-3-or-more-things" title="Comma Before Or (For 3 or More Things)">Comma Before Or (For 3 or More Things)</a></li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9" href="#comma-after-or" title="Comma After Or">Comma After Or</a></li></ul></li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10" href="#general-comma-grammar-rules-to-follow" title="General Comma Grammar Rules to Follow">General Comma Grammar Rules to Follow</a></li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class="ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11" href="#faqs" title="FAQs">FAQs</a></li></ul></nav></div> </div> <div bind="a45688e5-b9eb-987e-b87a-877b363b714a" class="tags w-clearfix"> <div bind="3c46d1e8-cfca-93f8-1f0b-132651db81b5"><span bind="e3af2ae6-d86a-f810-ba70-8a062949eb9d" class="text-span-3">Tags:</span></div> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/tag/comma/" class="bold-text-4"><strong bind="9bd9671a-c4c5-f296-a149-d2e552ddbe4f" class="bold-text-5">Comma</strong></a> </div> <!-- FACT CHECK NOTICE --> <div class="fact-checked w-clearfix"><img src="https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/themes/grammarbrain/images/correct.png" loading="lazy" width="35" srcset="https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/themes/grammarbrain/images/correct-p-500.png 500w, https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/themes/grammarbrain/images/correct.png 512w" sizes="(max-width: 479px) 27vw, 35px" alt="" class="image-6" style="margin-right:20px;"> <p bind="a6b1dcf4-d86a-ecf2-05e3-b91db5a16e6e" class="fact"><strong bind="a6b1dcf4-d86a-ecf2-05e3-b91db5a16e6f">Fact checked:</strong><br>Content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. <a href="/editorial-policy/" bind="a6b1dcf4-d86a-ecf2-05e3-b91db5a16e73"><strong bind="a6b1dcf4-d86a-ecf2-05e3-b91db5a16e74">Learn more.</strong></a> </p> </div> <!-- FACT CHECK NOTICE --> <!-- ABOUT THE AUTHOR --> <div bind="a6b1dcf4-d86a-ecf2-05e3-b91db5a16e64" class="author"> <div bind="a6b1dcf4-d86a-ecf2-05e3-b91db5a16e65" class="author-image w-row"> <div bind="a6b1dcf4-d86a-ecf2-05e3-b91db5a16e66" class="column-3 w-col w-col-3"><img src="https://grammarbrain.com/wp-content/themes/grammarbrain/images/Screen-Shot-2022-09-10-at-4.07.48-PM.png" loading="lazy" bind="a6b1dcf4-d86a-ecf2-05e3-b91db5a16e67" alt="" class="image-3" style="-webkit-border-radius:200px;border-radius:200px;-moz-border-radius:200px;"></div> <div bind="a6b1dcf4-d86a-ecf2-05e3-b91db5a16e68" class="column-2 w-col w-col-9"> <p bind="3eab4726-5f41-ff61-2881-dd7370ae1a47" class="author-p"><strong>About the author</strong> <a href="#" bind="3eab4726-5f41-ff61-2881-dd7370ae1a4c"><strong bind="3eab4726-5f41-ff61-2881-dd7370ae1a4d"></strong></a> </p> <p bind="3eab4726-5f41-ff61-2881-dd7370ae1a47" class="author-p"> <a href="/about/" bind="a4a5a123-eef4-a277-5d08-7dfd48482052"><strong bind="16ba8aa2-6a9a-8a55-c24f-7e0b2e7391c4">Dalia Y.:</strong></a> Dalia is an English Major and linguistics expert with an additional degree in Psychology. Dalia has featured articles on Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, Grammarly, and many more. She covers English, ESL, and all things grammar on GrammarBrain. </p> </div> </div> </div> <!-- ABOUT THE AUTHOR --> <div class="other-articles"> <h3 class="abbv-h3">Core lessons</h3> <div class="w-row"> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/apostrophe/">Apostrophe</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/ellipsis/">Ellipsis</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/semicolon/">Semicolon</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/hyphen/">Hyphen</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/et-al/">Et. Al.</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/exclamation-mark/">Exclamation Mark</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/capitalization-rules/">Capitalization Rules</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/oxford-comma-serial-comma/">Comma</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/parts-of-speech/">Parts of Speech</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/subjunctive/">Subjunctive</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/adjectives/">Adjectives</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/adjectives-describing-personality/">Personality Adjectives</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/compound-words/">Compound Words</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/subordinating-conjunction/">Subordinating Conjunction</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/adverbs/">Adverbs</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/adverbial-clause/">Adverbial Clause</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/irregular-verbs/">Irregular Verbs</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/common-verbs/">Common Verbs</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/intransitive-verbs/">Intransitive Verbs</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/phrasal-verbs/">Phrasal Verbs</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/prepositions/">Prepositions</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/gerund/">Gerund</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/active-voice/">Active Voice</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/passive-voice/">Passive Voice</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/conjunctions/">Conjunctions</a> </div> <!-- <div class="w-col w-col-3"> Verbs </div> <div class="w-col w-col-3"> Conjunctions </div> <div class="w-col w-col-3"> Nouns </div> <div class="w-col w-col-3"> Adjectives </div> <div class="w-col w-col-3"> Determiners </div> <div class="w-col w-col-3"> Interjections </div> --> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/present-perfect-tense/">Present Perfect</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/present-perfect-simple/">Present Perfect Simple</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/present-simple-tense/">Present Simple</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/present-continuous/">Present Continuous</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/present-perfect-continuous/">Present Perfect Continuous</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/simple-future-tense/">Simple Future</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/past-continuous-tense/">Past Continuous</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/past-simple-tense/">Past Simple</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/clauses/">Clauses</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/object-pronouns/">Object Pronouns</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/personal-pronouns/">Personal Pronouns</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/possessive-pronouns/">Possessive Pronouns</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/common-noun/">Common Noun</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/concrete-nouns/">Concrete Noun</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/possessive-noun/">Possessive Noun</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/proper-noun/">Proper Noun</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/irregular-plural-nouns/">Irregular Plural Nouns</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/prepositional-phrases/">Prepositional Phrases</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/introductory-phrases/">Introductory Phrases</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/declarative-statement/">Declarative Statement</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/sentence-diagramming/">Sentence Diagramming</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/complete-subjects/">Complete Subjects</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/sentence-starters/">Sentence Starters</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/metaphor/">Metaphor</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/personification/">Personification</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/allegory/">Allegory</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/collective-noun/">Collective Nouns</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/tones-in-writing/">Tones in Writing</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/homophones/">Homophones</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/declarative-sentences/">Declarative Sentences</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/syntax/">Syntax</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="other-articles"> <h3 class="abbv-h3">Glossary</h3> <div class="w-row"> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <strong>A:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/abstract-noun/">Abstract Noun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/accusative-case/">Accusative Case</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/anecdote/">Anecdote</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/antonym/">Antonym</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/active-sentence/">Active Sentence</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/adverbs/">Adverb</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/adjective/">Adjective</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/allegory/">Allegory</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/alliteration/">Alliteration</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/adjective-clause/">Adjective Clause</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/adjective-phrase/">Adjective Phrase</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/ampersand/">Ampersand</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/anastrophe/">Anastrophe</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/adverbial-clause/">Adverbial Clause</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/appositive-phrase/">Appositive Phrase</a></li> </ul> <strong>B:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/base-form/">Base Form</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/body-paragraph/">Body Paragraph</a></li> </ul> <strong>C:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/clauses/">Clause</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/compound-adjective/">Compound Adjective</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/complex-sentence/">Complex Sentence</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/compound-words/">Compound Words</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/compound-predicate/">Compound Predicate</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/common-noun/">Common Noun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/comparative-adjective/">Comparative Adjective</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/superlatives-and-comparatives/">Comparative and Superlative</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/compound-noun/">Compound Noun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/compound-subject/">Compound Subject</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/compound-sentence/">Compound Sentence</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/copular-verb/">Copular Verb</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/collective-noun/">Collective Noun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/colloquialism/">Colloquialism</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/conciseness/">Conciseness</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/consonance/">Consonance</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/conditionals/">Conditional</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/concrete-nouns/">Concrete Noun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/conjunctions/">Conjunction</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/conjugation/">Conjugation</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/conditional-sentence-if-clause/">Conditional Sentence</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/comma-splice/">Comma Splice</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/correlative-conjunction/">Correlative Conjunction</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/coordinating-conjunction/">Coordinating Conjunction</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/coordinating-adjectives/">Coordinate Adjective</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/cumulative-adjective/">Cumulative Adjective</a></li> </ul> <strong>D:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/dative-case/">Dative Case</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/determiners/">Determiner</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/declarative-sentences/">Declarative Sentence</a> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/declarative-statement/">Declarative Statement</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/direct-object-pronouns/">Direct Object Pronoun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/direct-object/">Direct Object</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/types-of-diction/">Diction</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/diphthong/">Diphthong</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/dangling-modifier/">Dangling Modifier</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/demonstrative-pronouns/">Demonstrative Pronoun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/demonstrative-adjective/">Demonstrative Adjective</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/direct-characterization/">Direct Characterization</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/definite-article/">Definite Article</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/doublespeak/">Doublespeak</a></li> </ul> <strong>E:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/equivocation-fallacy/">Equivocation Fallacy</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/en-dash/">En Dash</a></li> </ul> <strong>F:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/false-dilemma-fallacy/">False Dilemma Fallacy</a> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/future-perfect-progressive/">Future Perfect Progressive</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/future-simple/">Future Simple</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/future-perfect-continuous/">Future Perfect Continuous</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/future-perfect/">Future Perfect</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/first-conditional/">First Conditional</a></li> </ul> <strong>G:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/gerund/">Gerund</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/gerund-phrase/">Gerund Phrase</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/genitive-case/">Genitive Case</a></li> </ul> <strong>H:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/homophones/">Homophone</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/homonym/">Homonym</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/helping-verbs/">Helping Verb</a></li> </ul> <strong>I:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/irregular-adjectives/">Irregular Adjective</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/irregular-verbs/">Irregular Verb</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/imperative-sentence/">Imperative Sentence</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/indefinite-article/">Indefinite Article</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/intransitive-verbs/">Intransitive Verb</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/introductory-phrases/">Introductory Phrase</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/indefinite-pronouns/">Indefinite Pronoun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/indirect-characterization/">Indirect Characterization</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/interrogative-sentence/">Interrogative Sentence</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/intensive-pronoun/">Intensive Pronoun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/inanimate-object/">Inanimate Object</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/indefinite-tense/">Indefinite Tense</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/infinitive-phrase/">Infinitive Phrase</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/interjection/">Interjection</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/intensifier/">Intensifier</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/inifitives/">Infinitive</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/indicative-mood/">Indicative Mood</a></li> </ul> <strong>J:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/juxtaposition/">Juxtaposition</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <strong>L:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/linking-verbs/">Linking Verb</a></li> </ul> <strong>M:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/modal-verb/">Modal Verb</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/modifier/">Modifier</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/misplaced-modifier/">Misplaced Modifier</a></li> </ul> <strong>N:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/nominative-case/">Nominative Case</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/noun/">Noun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/adjective-as-noun/">Noun Adjective</a></li> </ul> <strong>O:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/oxymoron/">Oxymoron</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/object-pronouns/">Object Pronoun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/object-complement/">Object Complement</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/order-of-adjectives/">Order of Adjectives</a></li> </ul> <strong>P:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/participle/">Participle</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/parallelism/">Parallelism</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/prepositional-phrases/">Prepositional Phrase</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/past-simple-tense/">Past Simple Tense</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/past-continuous-tense/">Past Continuous Tense</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/past-perfect-tense/">Past Perfect Tense</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/past-progressive-tense/">Past Progressive Tense</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/present-simple-tense/">Present Simple Tense</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/present-perfect-tense/">Present Perfect Tense</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/personal-pronouns/">Personal Pronoun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/personification/">Personification</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/persuasive-writing/">Persuasive Writing</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/parallel-structure/">Parallel Structure</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/phrasal-verbs/">Phrasal Verb</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/predicate-adjective/">Predicate Adjective</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/predicate-nominative/">Predicate Nominative</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/phonetic-language/">Phonetic Language</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/plural-noun/">Plural Noun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/punctuation/">Punctuation</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/punctuation-marks/">Punctuation Marks</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/prepositions/">Preposition</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/preposition-of-place/">Preposition of Place</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/parts-of-speech/">Parts of Speech</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/possessive-adjective/">Possessive Adjective</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/possessive-determiner/">Possessive Determiner</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/possessive-case/">Possessive Case</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/possessive-noun/">Possessive Noun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/proper-adjective/">Proper Adjective</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/proper-noun/">Proper Noun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/present-participle/">Present Participle</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/prefix/">Prefix</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/predicate/">Predicate</a></li> </ul> <strong>Q:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/quotation-marks/">Quotation Marks</a></li> </ul> <strong>R:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/relative-pronouns/">Relative Pronoun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/reflexive-pronouns/">Reflexive Pronoun</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/reciprocal-pronouns/">Reciprocal Pronoun</a></li> </ul> <strong>S:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/subordinating-conjunction/">Subordinating Conjunction</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/simple-future-tense/">Simple Future Tense</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/syntax/">Syntax</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/stative-verbs/">Stative Verb</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/subjunctive/">Subjunctive</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/subject-complement/">Subject Complement</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/subject-of-a-sentence/">Subject of a Sentence</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/sentence-variety/">Sentence Variety</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/second-conditional/">Second Conditional</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/suffix/">Suffix</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/superlative-adjective/">Superlative Adjective</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/slash-symbol/">Slash Symbol</a></li> </ul> <strong>T:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/topic-sentence/">Topic Sentence</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/types-of-nouns/">Types of Nouns</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/types-of-sentences/">Types of Sentences</a></li> </ul> <strong>U:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/uncountable-noun/">Uncountable Noun</a></li> </ul> <strong>V:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/common-verbs/">Verb</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/verb-tenses/">Verb Tense</a></li> <li><a href="https://grammarbrain.com/vowels-and-consonants/">Vowels and Consonants</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="other-articles"> <h3 class="abbv-h3">Popular lessons</h3> <div class="w-row"> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/bare-with-me-or-bear-with-me/">Bare With Me</a> </div> <div class="w-col w-col-6"> <a href="https://grammarbrain.com/bosss-bosses-bosses/">Boss's, Bosses, or Bosses'</a> 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