{"id":8555,"date":"2020-10-08T11:18:20","date_gmt":"2020-10-08T11:18:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/?p=8555"},"modified":"2022-09-19T18:15:38","modified_gmt":"2022-09-19T18:15:38","slug":"comma-after-yes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-yes\/","title":{"rendered":"Comma after &#8220;yes&#8221;: Rules &#038; Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>img#mv-trellis-img-1::before{padding-top:150%; }img#mv-trellis-img-1{display:block;}<\/style><p>Words like yes, no and maybe are important parts of the English language despite how small they are.<\/p>\n<p>While you&rsquo;re not likely to use these words in a written context very often, there are some situations where they can save you a lot of time and significantly aid in clarity.<\/p>\n<p>To use them properly, however, you need to know whether or not they require a comma.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<br>\n[toc]\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Do you need a comma after &ldquo;yes&rdquo;?<\/h2>\n<p><strong>The word &ldquo;yes&rdquo; can be an adverb, an interjection or several other parts of speech. The <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-rules\/\" title=\"comma rules\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\">comma rules<\/a> for the word will vary depending on its part of speech, but in most cases the word &ldquo;yes&rdquo; will follow the rules for introductory clauses when placed at the beginning of a sentence. That is, you will usually need a comma after &ldquo;yes&rdquo; when the word starts a sentence.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Alternately, and if you really want to emphasize the word, you may follow it with a period instead.<\/p>\n<p>Another guideline to keep in mind is whether the clause that follows the word &ldquo;yes&rdquo; directly follows from it or is the start of another topic.<\/p>\n<p>If the following clause is not a direct continuation of the same though, it&rsquo;s best to separate it more firmly by using a period instead of a comma.<\/p>\n<p>The bottom line, however, is that you need something after the word &ldquo;yes&rdquo; if it appears at the beginning of a sentence, and that something is usually a comma.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8784\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Comma-After-Yes-Pin.png\" alt=\"English Grammar: Comma After Yes \" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Comma-After-Yes-Pin.png 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Comma-After-Yes-Pin-200x300.png 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Comma-After-Yes-Pin-683x1024.png 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Comma-After-Yes-Pin-768x1152.png 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Comma-After-Yes-Pin-561x842.png 561w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Comma-After-Yes-Pin-364x546.png 364w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Comma-After-Yes-Pin-728x1092.png 728w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Comma-After-Yes-Pin-608x912.png 608w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Comma-After-Yes-Pin-758x1137.png 758w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Comma-After-Yes-Pin.png\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8784 eager-load\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201000%201500'%3E%3Crect%20width='1000'%20height='1500'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"English Grammar: Comma After Yes \" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Comma-After-Yes-Pin.png\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Comma-After-Yes-Pin.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Comma-After-Yes-Pin.png 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Comma-After-Yes-Pin-200x300.png 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Comma-After-Yes-Pin-683x1024.png 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Comma-After-Yes-Pin-768x1152.png 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Comma-After-Yes-Pin-561x842.png 561w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Comma-After-Yes-Pin-364x546.png 364w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Comma-After-Yes-Pin-728x1092.png 728w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Comma-After-Yes-Pin-608x912.png 608w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Comma-After-Yes-Pin-758x1137.png 758w\" data-svg=\"1\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Examining the word &ldquo;yes&rdquo;<\/h2>\n<p>The word &ldquo;yes&rdquo; can be several parts of speech.<\/p>\n<p>First, &ldquo;yes&rdquo; can be an adverb, a type of word that modifies an adjective, verb or other adverb.<\/p>\n<p>Used as an adverb, &ldquo;yes&rdquo; simply shows agreement or assent to a question or, if the question was negative, disagreement with it.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Yes&rdquo; can also be an <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.butte.edu\/departments\/cas\/tipsheets\/grammar\/interjections.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">interjection<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-oh\/\"><strong>Interjections<\/strong><\/a> are typically spoken, rather than written, and are abrupt remarks that serve to introduce a digression or interruption. Interjections can also be used to express emotion or a spontaneous reaction to something.<\/p>\n<p>When used as an interjection, &ldquo;yes&rdquo; simply shows some kind of surprise or excitement.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Yes&rdquo; can also be a noun or a verb, but these are uncommon uses and this article will not discuss them.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Comma rules for &ldquo;yes&rdquo;<\/h2>\n<p>As always, the rules for using commas with a specific word often depend on the part of speech and the word&rsquo;s place in a given sentence.<\/p>\n<p>Typically, however, no matter what part of speech &ldquo;yes&rdquo; occupies in a sentence, it will be at the beginning of a sentence or inserted between two clauses.<\/p>\n<p>Because of this, and because the meaning of a sentence should be clear enough without &ldquo;yes&rdquo; in <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/most-if-not-all-punctuation-commas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">most, if not all<\/a><\/strong>, cases, <strong>it should be followed by a comma at the beginning of a sentence and surrounded by two commas in the middle of a sentence<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>If you wish to draw attention to the word and make a stronger statement, you can also follow it with a period or exclamation mark when it begins a sentence.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Yes as an adverb<\/h2>\n<p>Because it&rsquo;s used to answer a question, &ldquo;yes&rdquo; doesn&rsquo;t quite fit the typical mold of adverbs like &ldquo;quickly.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>All the same, this is the most common part of speech for the word.<\/p>\n<p>When used to answer a question, the word &ldquo;yes&rdquo; almost always appears at the beginning of a sentence.<\/p>\n<p>This makes the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcenter.unc.edu\/tips-and-tools\/commas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">comma rules<\/a><\/strong> to follow easy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>At the start of a sentence, &ldquo;yes&rdquo; serves the same purpose as any introductory phrase, meaning you need to set off the rest of the sentence with a comma after &ldquo;yes.&rdquo;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you&rsquo;re feeling fancy, you can also put &ldquo;yes&rdquo; halfway through your sentence to answer a question. In this case, place a comma both before and after &ldquo;yes.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Some experts also note that when starting a sentence with &ldquo;yes,&rdquo; it&rsquo;s <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-sometimes\/\">sometimes<\/a><\/strong> more appropriate to place a period after it instead of a comma if what you are going to say next does not directly answer the question you&rsquo;ve been asked and are responding to.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, if what you say after &ldquo;yes&rdquo; is restating the question, use a comma. If what you&rsquo;re saying next provides additional context or irrelevant information, use a period.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Examples<\/h3>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#dbdad8;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#f5f4f2;border-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\">&ldquo;Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.&rdquo;<\/div><\/div>\n<p>This famous line from an 1897 newspaper editorial was used to answer a young girl&rsquo;s question on whether or not Santa Claus exists.<\/p>\n<p>Here, the comma after &ldquo;yes&rdquo; does double duty, both setting off the introductory phrase and setting off &ldquo;Virginia&rdquo; as a nonessential phrase.<\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#dbdad8;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#f5f4f2;border-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\">&ldquo;Yes. I saw him last night.&rdquo;<\/div><\/div>\n<p>In this hypothetical alternative answer to the same question, a period is used instead of a comma. That&rsquo;s because &ldquo;I saw him last night&rdquo; is not a restatement of the question.<\/p>\n<p>You could sometimes use a comma here, however, if you wanted to.<\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#dbdad8;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#f5f4f2;border-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\">&ldquo;As for Santa Claus, Virginia, yes, he does exist.&rdquo;<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Again, this is a restatement of the famous line.<\/p>\n<p>Here, &ldquo;yes&rdquo; has been shifted to the center of the sentence. Because it falls in the middle of a clause and is nonessential information, it is placed between two commas.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Yes as an interjection<\/h2>\n<p>If used as an interjection, &ldquo;yes&rdquo; is usually spoken or written by itself and is most likely to be followed by an exclamation mark.<\/p>\n<p>However, there are some cases where a comma might also be used. Typically, these are cases when &ldquo;yes&rdquo; is just part of a larger interjection.<\/p>\n<p>If you are writing down something someone said word-for-word, a comma might also be appropriate there.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>Examples<\/h3>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#dbdad8;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#f5f4f2;border-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;border-radius:12px;-moz-border-radius:12px;-webkit-border-radius:12px;\">&ldquo;Yes, finally!&rdquo;<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Although this might be taken for an adverb, it isn&rsquo;t really answering a question.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, the speaker is just excited that they have finally done something. Note that &ldquo;Yes! Finally!&rdquo; would also be acceptable here.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>A note on formality: saying no to yes<\/h2>\n<p>Although &ldquo;yes&rdquo; is a perfectly normal word, it&rsquo;s not typically used in <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/please-be-advised\/\">formal settings<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>There <a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/there-re-contraction\/\"><strong>are<\/strong><\/a> exceptions to the rule, but especially if you are composing some kind of formal writing you should avoid the word &ldquo;yes&rdquo; and simply state your answer to the question most of the time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Words like yes, no and maybe are important parts of the English language despite how small they are. While you&rsquo;re not likely to use these words in a written context very often, there are some situations where they can save you a lot of time and significantly aid in clarity. To use them properly, however, &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8562,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable-in-feed":false,"article-schema-type":"","disable-critical-css":false,"_convertkit_action_broadcast_export":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,1119,1116],"tags":[80,107,103],"class_list":["post-8555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english","category-comma-rules","category-grammar","tag-comma","tag-comma-after-yes","tag-comma-usage"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8555","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8555"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8555\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24117,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8555\/revisions\/24117"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8555"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8555"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8555"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}