Comma, Comma, Comma

As a passionate comma lover, I enjoy using them whenever possible. Like many people, I sprinkle them here and there, hoping that they work. There is a rhyme and reason to these black-tailed little rhetoric friends of ours. Check out this list below to help clarify some things for those of you who may have forgotten--or as a gentle reminder.
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• Use in numbers over 999 (like 2,500).
• Use in a list: I like cookies, ice cream, and candy.
• Use after an interjection: Wow, that was fun!
• Use to demonstrate a contrast: The dog was wet, regardless of how many towels we brought.
• Use with dates: My birthday party is scheduled for January 1, 2018, at the Disney World Resort in Florida.
• Use with cities and states: Chicago, Illinois.
• Use between coordinate adjectives that can be flipped and joined by an "and": Salmon is a pinkish, flaky fish.
• Use to introduce dialogue: Beth said, "I am publishing my book this summer. I hope you'll read it."
• Use in sentences that start with subordinating conjunctions:  After the wedding, the bride ran to the limo with her groom.
• Use after e.g or i.e.: I like funny movies, e.g. Night at the Museum and Meet the Parents.
• Use with conditional sentences starting with "if clauses": If you don't like pizza, tell the waitress.

What are subordinating conjunctions?
A subordinating conjunction is a word that introduces an adverb clause.  Here are some subordinating conjunctions:

once, only if, since, the first time, though, unless, until, when, whenever, whereas, whether or not, while, after, although, as, as soon as, because, before, by the time, even if, even though, every time, if, in case, in the event that, just in case, and now that.