Need some help on commas. In the sentence....Yes tales also often have a young person as the hero. Would the only comma in the sentence be after the word "Yes"?
Thanks...
Yes, you're correct.
Yes, in the sentence "Yes, tales also often have a young person as the hero", the only comma is indeed correct and should be placed after the word "Yes". This comma is called a "vocative comma" and is used to separate a direct address or a word or phrase calling attention to itself as an interrupter from the rest of the sentence. In this case, "Yes" is functioning as an interjection or an acknowledgment, and the comma is used to indicate a pause in the speech.
To determine if a comma is needed in a sentence, you can follow these general rules:
1. Separate introductory words and phrases: Commas are used after introductory words or phrases that come at the beginning of a sentence to separate them from the main clause. For example, "After finishing his homework, John went to bed."
2. Separate items in a series: Commas are used to separate items in a series of three or more. For example, "I need to buy apples, oranges, and bananas."
3. Separate coordinate adjectives: Commas are used to separate two or more adjectives that equally modify the same noun. For example, "She wore a beautiful, red dress."
4. Separate non-restrictive clauses or phrases: Commas are used to set off non-restrictive clauses and phrases, which provide additional information that is not essential to the main meaning of the sentence. For example, "John, who is my neighbor, won the lottery."
5. Separate appositives: Commas are used to set off appositives, which are nouns or noun phrases that renames or identifies another noun right beside it. For example, "My sister, Sarah, is a doctor."
It's important to note that these rules are not exhaustive, and there may be other specific instances where commas are needed or not needed based on the context and sentence structure. Always consider the purpose and structure of the sentence to determine if a comma is required.