Commas in Sentences

1. Commas in Sentences Grammar English Department Bidwell Jr. High School

2. *Commas in Compound Sentences • Use a comma before a conjunction that joins independent clauses in a compound sentence. • EX: I told my teacher that my dog ate my homework, but she didn’t believe me. • EX: I enjoy swimming in the summer, and I like water sports on the lake.

3. Commas with Items in a Series • Use a comma after every item in a series except the last one. • EX: Justin, Caleb, Cody, and Tim are all invited to my birthday party. • EX: Tommy is an athletic, active boy.

4. Commas with Introductory Words and Phrases • Use a comma after an introductory word or phrase to separate it from the rest of the sentence. • EX: Slowly, he got on his bike. • EX: In 1492, he surveyed the town.

5. Commas with Interrupters • Use a comma to set off words or phrases that interrupt, or break, the flow of thought in a sentence. • EX: Edison, at last, would pick up whole telegraph messages.

6. Commas with Direct Address • Use commas to set off nouns of direct address. • EX: Tell us, Brandon, why you are late to class. • EX: Shane, go to the store.

7. Commas with Appositives • An appositive is a word or phrase that identifies or renames a noun that comes right before it. Use a comma to set appositive definitions apart. • EX: Thomas Edison, an American inventor, is responsible for many patents. • EX: Mrs. Hansen, my English teacher, wants us to understand how to use commas.

8. 1. In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. • 2. Quickly she grabbed her keys. • 3. Oranges apples carrots and broccoli all are great sources of vitamin C. • 4. He studied hard but he did not pass the test. • 5. Babies are cute cuddly people. • 6. Justin at last finished his book. • 7. Explain to us Kenny how you solved the problem. • 8. Mrs. Parsley our school principal really cares about each student at our school.

9. 9. My favorite instrument the trumpet has a long history. • 10. Trumpets in fact are at least 3,500 years old. • 11. In the opinion of many experts these trumpets were used for royal ceremonies. • 12. Originally however trumpets could sound only one or two notes. • 13. By 1400 the straight trumpet was bent into a S-shape. • 14. I asked Mr. Holmes our band teacher about the trumpet. • 15. He is a patient talented man. • 16. According to him valves came into use only in the nineteenth century. • 17. You know Tom some jazz trumpeters also play classical music. • 18. In conclusion the trumpet has a long history.