, Commas
Commas are used in a sentence to indicate a brief pause. This helps to clarify the meaning of a sentence.
1.
Use commas to separate a list of three or more words or phrases. Tourists visit Cairns to swim, snorkel, and sightsee.
2.
Use a comma to separate two coordinate adjectives.
Tip: an easy way to determine if a comma is needed is to replace the comma with the word and. If the sentence still makes sense, then the comma is needed. Cairns is a hot, humid city.
Cairns is a hot (and) humid city.
3.
When starting a sentence with a dependent clause, use a comma after it.
If tourism in Cairns decreases, many local businesses will suffer.
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