Mastering Commas: Your Guide to Punctuation Precision
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FIRST THING FIRST: THURSDAY, OCTOBER
6
SSR
BOOK?
Today
•
Commas (15-20 minutes)
•
Reader Response
•
Reading Break
COMMAS!
A punctuation mark (,) indicating a pause
between parts of a sentence. It is also
used to separate items in a list.
Before we discuss commas, let’s review
the types of sentences there are:
Note: Every
clause has
at
least
a
subject
and a
verb
Conjunctions
•
A
conjunction
is the part of
speech that serves to
connect words, phrases,
clauses, or sentences
–
For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet,
So
•
FANBOYS
Commas
•
Commas are used to separate
items (lists or clauses) or
enclose items
Commas
that
Separate
•
Without commas, some items in a
sentence would run into one
another, causing confusion or
misunderstanding.
•
My favorite foods are pizza,
pineapple, peanut butter and
eggs.
Items in a
Series
•
Three or more similar items together
form a series.
•
Ex: I need to buy paper, pencils, and
pens.
•
Ex: Did you look in the closet, behind
the sofa, and under the bed?
•
Ex: I don’t know what time the meeting
is, where it is, or what its purpose is.
Adjectives
before a
Noun
•
Sometimes a comma should separate
two adjectives that are not connected
by a conjunction:
•
We followed the steep, winding road to
their house.
adjectives
Easy Way to
Know if You
Need a
Comma
•
If the sentence makes sense with AND
between the adjectives, a comma is
needed.
•
Ex: Don’t lean on that old, rickety table
–
(old AND rickety table reads well)
•
Ex: Don’t lean on that old picnic table
–
(old AND picnic table does not read right).
Look at Part I
on your Comma
Worksheet and
Place Commas
Where Needed—
one sentence is
correct
1.
Billy Joe can hit well run fast and
play left field like a professional.
2.
Apples are an inexpensive
delicious fruit.
3.
The boat rolled and pitched and
tossed in the stormy waters.
4.
Young growing spiders can
regenerate missing legs.
5.
Hot humid weather does not
bother me at all.
Check your
answers
1.
Billy Joe can hit well
,
run fast
,
and play left field like a professional.
2.
Apples are an inexpensive
,
delicious fruit.
3.
The boat rolled and pitched and tossed in the stormy waters.
4.
Young
,
growing spiders can regenerate missing legs.
5.
Hot
,
humid weather does not bother me at all.
Compound
Sentences
•
Independent clause
: a sentence that can
stand alone as a complete sentence
•
Compound sentence
: A sentence that
contains at least two independent clauses.
•
Run-on
: two or more main clauses that are
not separated by a period or semicolon or
joined by a conjunction
Compound
Sentences
•
A comma is usually placed before the
conjunction in a sentence that joins
independent clauses
•
Ex: Come to my house, and we’ll study
for the test.
•
Ex: The octopus swims forward, but it
walks backwards.
Compound
Sentences
•
A comma is not needed in a very short
compound sentence (fewer than three
words on each side)—unless the
conjunction is
yet
or
for
•
No comma: He left but I stayed.
•
Comma: I waited, for I was curious.
Look at Part
II and correct
them. One
sentence is
correct.
•
1. I made a fire for it was very
chilly.
•
2. My throat was sore and my
head was hot.
•
3. The curtain rose and the play
began.
•
4. It’s warm outside yet I feel
cold.
•
5. The earth was once entirely
liquid but the surface has cooled
into a hard crust.
Check your
answers!
•
1. I made a fire
,
for it was very chilly.
•
2. My throat was sore
,
and my head was hot.
•
3. The curtain rose and the play began.
•
4. It’s warm outside
,
yet I feel cold.
•
5. The earth was once entirely liquid
,
but the surface has cooled
into a hard crust.
Reader
Response
•
Title, Author, Page Number
Prompt #
•
About a page
•
Read when finished
Using
Commas
with
Introductory
Elements
•
Certain words, phrases, and
clauses that come at the
beginning of a sentence need to
be separated from the rest of the
sentence by a comma.
Examples of
Introductory
Elements
•
Why
, I think I can be ready at six
o’clock.
•
Other introductory words: no,
now, oh, well, yes
Examples of
Introductory
Elements
•
After five hours on the plane
, I never want to
sit down again.
•
A comma comes after a prepositional phrase
of more than four words.
•
Prepositional Phrase: indicates various
relationships between subjects and verbs
•
*do not place a comma after an introductory
phrase that is followed by a verb.
•
Ex: Into the center of the target landed the
arrow.
Examples of
Introductory
Elements
•
Opening my grammar book
, I found
my missing class notes.
•
Since the day was overcast
, I took an
umbrella to school with me.
•
In Room 151
, 100 people had gathered.
Look at Part
III and
correct them
if needed.
One
sentence is
correct.
•
1. Now this is your last chance.
•
2. Since the invention of Coca Cola only seven people
have known its formula.
•
3. Climbing the steep trail we often had to stop and
rest.
•
4. From here you can see five other states.
•
5. In 1978 41,216 new books were published in the
United States.
Check your
answers
•
1. Now
,
this is your last chance.
•
2. Since the invention of Coca Cola
,
only seven people have known its
formula.
•
3. Climbing the steep trail
,
we often had to stop and rest.
•
4. From here you can see five other states.
•
5. In 1978
,
41,216 new books were published in the United States.
Commonly
used
commas
•
Use commas to separate the elements in
dates and addresses.
•
Ex: On Monday, March 9, 1964, my parents
were married.
•
Ex: Our school’s address is 5051 Old Easton
Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
Commas
that Enclose
•
Use commas to set off nouns of direct
address
•
Ex: Randy, do you know who won the
game?
•
Use commas for parenthetical
expressions
•
Ex: Labor Day, like Thanksgiving, is a
legal holiday.
Use commas
to identify
nouns in the
sentence
•
Ex: Mr. Roberts, our track coach,
just got married.
•
Ex: We just returned from Albany,
the capital of New York.
Look at Part
IV and
correct them
if needed.
One is
correct.
•
1. Randy not Stewart won the 100-meter race.
•
2. The elephant seal by the way is the largest animal in
America.
•
Our school just put on the musical
Camelot
.
Check your
answers!
•
1. Randy
,
not Stewart
,
won the 100-meter race.
•
2. The elephant seal
,
by the way
,
is the largest animal in America.
•
Our school just put on the musical
Camelot
.
Check
Your
Writing
•
Go through your draft and
CIRCLE commas and
coordinating conjunctions
•
Check each sentence to see if
you need a comma or if your
comma is in the correct place.
Dive into the art of utilizing commas effectively with this comprehensive guide that covers using commas to separate items, enclose items, and separate similar items in a series. Explore practical examples and learn when to use commas to separate adjectives before a noun. Enhance your writing skills and avoid confusion by understanding the nuances of comma usage in various sentence structures.
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Presentation Transcript
FIRST THING FIRST: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6 You side 5 sentences Walk on the wild Summer SSR BOOK? Friend Misunderstanding Autumn Grandparent Origin of the scar Night Pick one from each column. Write about a memory. Try to show instead of tell.
Today Commas (15-20 minutes) Reader Response Reading Break
COMMAS! A punctuation mark (,) indicating a pause between parts of a sentence. It is also used to separate items in a list.
Before we discuss commas, lets review the types of sentences there are: Note: Every clause has at least a subject and a verb
Conjunctions A conjunction is the part of speech that serves to connect words, phrases, clauses, or sentences For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So FANBOYS
Commas Commas are used to separate items (lists or clauses) or enclose items
Commas that Separate Without commas, some items in a sentence would run into one another, causing confusion or misunderstanding. My favorite foods are pizza, pineapple, peanut butter and eggs.
Items in a Series Three or more similar items together form a series. Ex: I need to buy paper, pencils, and pens. Ex: Did you look in the closet, behind the sofa, and under the bed? Ex: I don t know what time the meeting is, where it is, or what its purpose is.
Adjectives before a Noun Sometimes a comma should separate two adjectives that are not connected by a conjunction: We followed the steep, winding road to their house. adjectives
Easy Way to Know if You Need a Comma If the sentence makes sense with AND between the adjectives, a comma is needed. Ex: Don t lean on that old, rickety table (old AND rickety table reads well) Ex: Don t lean on that old picnic table (old AND picnic table does not read right).
Look at Part I on your Comma Worksheet and Place Commas Where Needed one sentence is 1. Billy Joe can hit well run fast and play left field like a professional. 2. Apples are an inexpensive delicious fruit. 3. The boat rolled and pitched and tossed in the stormy waters. 4. Young growing spiders can regenerate missing legs. correct 5. Hot humid weather does not bother me at all.
Check your answers 1. Billy Joe can hit well, run fast, and play left field like a professional. 2. Apples are an inexpensive, delicious fruit. 3. The boat rolled and pitched and tossed in the stormy waters. 4. Young, growing spiders can regenerate missing legs. 5. Hot, humid weather does not bother me at all.
Compound Sentences Independent clause: a sentence that can stand alone as a complete sentence Compound sentence: A sentence that contains at least two independent clauses. Run-on: two or more main clauses that are not separated by a period or semicolon or joined by a conjunction
Compound Sentences A comma is usually placed before the conjunction in a sentence that joins independent clauses Ex: Come to my house, and we ll study for the test. Ex: The octopus swims forward, but it walks backwards.
Compound Sentences A comma is not needed in a very short compound sentence (fewer than three words on each side) unless the conjunction is yet or for No comma: He left but I stayed. Comma: I waited, for I was curious.
Look at Part II and correct them. One sentence is correct. 1. I made a fire for it was very chilly. 2. My throat was sore and my head was hot. 3. The curtain rose and the play began. 4. It s warm outside yet I feel cold. 5. The earth was once entirely liquid but the surface has cooled into a hard crust.
Check your answers! 1. I made a fire, for it was very chilly. 2. My throat was sore , and my head was hot. 3. The curtain rose and the play began. 4. It s warm outside, yet I feel cold. 5. The earth was once entirely liquid, but the surface has cooled into a hard crust.
Reader Response Title, Author, Page Number Prompt # About a page Read when finished
Using Commas with Introductory Elements Certain words, phrases, and clauses that come at the beginning of a sentence need to be separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma.
Examples of Introductory Elements Why, I think I can be ready at six o clock. Other introductory words: no, now, oh, well, yes
Examples of Introductory Elements After five hours on the plane, I never want to sit down again. A comma comes after a prepositional phrase of more than four words. Prepositional Phrase: indicates various relationships between subjects and verbs *do not place a comma after an introductory phrase that is followed by a verb. Ex: Into the center of the target landed the arrow.
Examples of Introductory Elements Opening my grammar book, I found my missing class notes. Since the day was overcast, I took an umbrella to school with me. In Room 151, 100 people had gathered.
Look at Part III and correct them if needed. 1. Now this is your last chance. 2. Since the invention of Coca Cola only seven people have known its formula. 3. Climbing the steep trail we often had to stop and rest. 4. From here you can see five other states. 5. In 1978 41,216 new books were published in the United States. One sentence is correct.
Check your answers 1. Now, this is your last chance. 2. Since the invention of Coca Cola, only seven people have known its formula. 3. Climbing the steep trail, we often had to stop and rest. 4. From here you can see five other states. 5. In 1978, 41,216 new books were published in the United States.
Commonly Use commas to separate the elements in dates and addresses. used Ex: On Monday, March 9, 1964, my parents were married. commas Ex: Our school s address is 5051 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
Commas that Enclose Use commas to set off nouns of direct address Ex: Randy, do you know who won the game? Use commas for parenthetical expressions Ex: Labor Day, like Thanksgiving, is a legal holiday.
Use commas to identify nouns in the sentence Ex: Mr. Roberts, our track coach, just got married. Ex: We just returned from Albany, the capital of New York.
Look at Part IV and correct them if needed. One is correct. 1. Randy not Stewart won the 100-meter race. 2. The elephant seal by the way is the largest animal in America. Our school just put on the musical Camelot.
Check your answers! 1. Randy, not Stewart, won the 100-meter race. 2. The elephant seal, by the way, is the largest animal in America. Our school just put on the musical Camelot.
Check Your Writing Go through your draft and CIRCLE commas and coordinating conjunctions Check each sentence to see if you need a comma or if your comma is in the correct place.
