Comma
The comma is a separator in the sentence. It introduces a short pause in the spoken word. The comma is used in several cases:
- to enumerate, we then have words of the same nature and function. The last term of the enumeration is separated by the conjunction "et".
- to highlight and bring out an idea. We separate these words from the rest of the sentence.
- to affix an adjective
Il restait là, immobile.
Il passa par toutes les couleurs : rouge, vert, bleu et jaune.
Placed differently in a sentence, the comma can change the meaning. Look at the following example:
Les élèves, qui avaient oublié leurs livres, ont été punis. (All the students forgot their books and all were punished.)
Les élèves qui avaient oublié leurs livres ont été punis. (Only the students who forgot their books are punished, the others had them with them.)
The comma is directly attached to the last word and then a space introduces the new word.