Punctuation Part 2: Commas

1. Punctuation Part 2: Commas Amanda Karim (11/25/2008) and Kayleen D. (2010)

2. The Gist • Commas are placed according to sentence structure. • There are 4 general uses of commas: • After introductory elements • Between clauses • Between a noun and its appositive • After separate items in a series

3. The Comma: The Traffic Cop The comma regulates the flow of phrases and clauses for a smooth, clear sentence.

4. Clauses Phrases and clauses are parts of sentences. Just as a road is connected to another by intersections, clauses are marked by punctuation, especially commas. A comma tells readers that one phrase or clause has come to an end and that another is about to begin.

5. Sentence Parts • Introductory elements • Clause—contains subject + verb • Independent clause (IC)—stand-alone S+V • Dependent clause (DC) (a.k.a. subordinate clauses)—includes intros, parentheticals, appositives, nonrestrictives, etc.

6. 1) Use a comma after an introductory word or phrase. First, we cooked the turkey. Then, we cooked the potatoes. In the oven, we cooked the vegetables. For the stuffing, we needed celery and onions. To make a good Thanksgiving dinner, everyone needed to help with the cooking.

7. Introductory word groups usually act as adverbs—where, when, how, why—to ICs Near a small stream at the bottom of the canyon, the park rangers discovered an abandoned mine (289). Other intros describe the subject: Believing she had plenty of time, the student put off writing her paper until the night before it was due. Or the intro is a transitional expression (TE) or an absolute phrase: Subsequently, the student’s paper was poorly organized and undeveloped. Her thesis having been invented on less than three hours’ sleep, the student’s paper was poorly organized and undeveloped.

8. Use a comma with an introductory clause. • Introductory clauses are also known as subordinate clauses or dependent clauses. • This type of clause occurs before the subject of the main/independent clause. • You can form an introductory clause with a subordinate conjunction.

9. Introductory clauses When I went to the store, I bought a turkey. While I was at the store, I also purchased potatoes. Before I left the store, I paid for my groceries. After I left the store, I realized that I needed celery. Because I did not want to go back to the store, I decided I did not really need the celery.

10. When to use a comma with because: • Never use a comma before because when it is in the middle of a sentence. • I roast the turkey on Thanksgiving because my mother is an awful cook. • Always use a comma when you begin a sentence with because. • Because my mother is an awful cook, I roast the turkey on Thanksgiving.

11. Intros Mini Quiz Add, delete, no error, or revise: • For centuries people believed that Greek culture had developed in isolation from the world. Today however scholars are acknowledging the contributions made by Egypt and the Middle East (301). Accepting the check for her lottery winnings, Juanita said that she would give half the money to charity (323).

12. 2) Use a comma in compound sentences. • Compound sentences have two whole sentences that are put together with a connecting word (conjunction) IC, for/and/nor/but/or/yet/so IC. • The connecting words are FANBOYS: For But And Or Nor Yet So

13. Compound Sentences I went to the grocery store, and I shopped for vegetables. I went to the grocery store, but it was closed. I did not want to go to the grocery store, yet I knew that I had to. I went to the grocery store, for it was important.

14. Note: no commas in compound predicates! • SV . . . and/or/but . . . V . . . . • A good money manager controls expenses and invests surplus dollars to meet future needs (288). • Marie Curie discovered radium and later applied her work on radioactivity to medicine (302). (compound predicate) • Jake still does not realize that his illness is serious and that he will have to alter his diet to improve (302). (two subordinate clauses that . . . and that . . .)

15. Independent & Dependent ClausesMini Quiz • I went to the grocery store but the kids did the shopping. Add, delete, no error, or revise: I went to the store and I bought a turkey then took it home and I cooked it. Carrots, which take only 20 minutes to cook are the easiest to prepare on Thanksgiving. Although fruits and vegetables are simple and nutritious foods because they are not subsidized crops in the US the very poor can’t afford them.

16. Comma Splices • When you connect two whole sentences with a comma and no conjunction, then you have a comma splice. • You can: • Add a conjunction after the comma • Change the comma to a period • Change the comma to a semicolon

17. Comma Splices *I went to the grocery store, I shopped for Thanksgiving dinner. –SPLICE! Instead, try . . . I went to the grocery store, and I shopped for Thanksgiving dinner. I went to the grocery store. I shopped for Thanksgiving dinner. I went to the grocery store; I shopped for Thanksgiving dinner.

18. Use a comma (or other punctuation) in a run-on sentence. • Run-on sentences occur when you join two sentences without any punctuation or conjunctions. • These are also called fused sentences.

19. Run-on Sentences *I went to the store and I bought a turkey then I went home and I cooked it. Suggested revisions: I went to the store, and I bought a turkey. Then I went home, and I cooked it. I went to the store, bought a turkey, went home, and cooked it.

20. Run-ons: What to Look For • More than one subject, said or unsaid • Many ands or thensjoining multiple clauses

21. Use a comma when you are giving additional, unnecessary information. • Unnecessary information means that you can remove the information from the sentence and it would still make perfect sense. • This is also called “non-restrictive” or “non-essential information” or a “parenthetic phrase.” • If the information is necessary to properly understand a sentence, then you do not need to put commas around it.

22. Non-restrictive information The dark meat of the turkey, which comes from the legs and thighs, is especially delicious. Carrots, which only take 20 minutes to cook, are the easiest dish to prepare on Thanksgiving. Carrots only take 20 minutes to cook and are the easiest dish to prepare on Thanksgiving.

23. Use commas to set offnonrestrictive elements The writer’s purpose often determines if info is restrictive or nonrestrictive: The dessert made with raspberries was delicious (294). The dessert, made with raspberries, was delicious (294). The first example identifies which dessert out of two or more was delicious. The second sentence just adds incidental information about the only dessert discussed.

24. Other Nonrestrictive Clauses Adjective clauses: Ed’s house, which is located on thirteen acres, was furnished with bats in the rafters and mice in the kitchen (294). The helicopter, with its million-candlepower spotlight illuminating the area, circled above (295).

25. Use commas to set off transitional and parenthetical expressions, absolute phrases, and contrasted elements IC; TE, IC. IC; SUBJECT, TE, PREDICATE. Natural foods are not always salt free; celery, for example, contains more sodium than most people would imagine (297). Transitional expressions can be also called “conjunctive adverbs.”

26. Parenthetical comments interrupt a sentence with additional info and seem like afterthoughts The bass weighed twelve pounds, give or takea few ounces (297). Let’s see . . . if I remember correctly, your name is Hal. Absolute phrases modify sentences with a noun and participial phrase at the beginning or end of sentences. Elvis Presley made music industry history in the 1950s, his records having sold more than ten million copies (297). Contrasted elements beginning with negatives, like not, never, unlike, etc., get commas: Unlike Robert, Celia loved dance contests (298).

27. 3) Use a comma when you are renaming a noun. • An appositive is a word or group of words that renames a noun phrase. • You need to use a comma before an appositive.

28. Appositives (nonrestrictive) I like sweet potatoes, large tubers with sweet, orange flesh. Basting, repeatedly pouring liquid over a meat, is necessary to keep the turkey from becoming dry. Darwin’s most important book, On the Origin of Species, was the result of many years of research (295). Restrictive: The song “Vertigo” was blasted out of huge amplifiers (295).

29. 4) Use a comma when you mention things in a series of three or more. During Thanksgiving dinner, we ate turkey, potatoes, and corn. We decided to eat dinner, watch the football game, and then wash the dishes. But . . . Ham, eggs, and macaroni and cheese were on the menu.

30. Use a comma between two or more adjectives. Any time you can put an “and” in between two adjectives, you can simply use a comma. He was a brave and courageous soldier. He was a brave, courageous soldier. The hot and tender turkey tasted delicious. The hot, tender turkey tasted delicious.

31. If you cannot switch the place of the adjectives, do not use a comma. He was a smart young man. He was a young smart man. • “Young” identifies the man; “smart” describes him The crumbling, old red barn. The crumbling, red old barn. • “Red” identifies the barn; “crumbling and old” describe it.

32. No comma between cumulative adjectives Three large gray shapes moved slowly toward us (292). (Three(large(gray shapes)))

33. The Four Main Uses Reviewed • Comma after introductory elements, including TEs/conjunctive adverbs • Comma between independent or dependent clauses, including nonrestrictive clauses • Place a comma between a noun and its appositive and after the appositive if the sentence continues • Put a comma after separate items in a series

34. Other uses of the comma Set off nouns of direct address, the words “yes” and “no,” interrogative tags, and mild interjections Forgive us, Dr. Atkins, for having rolls with dinner. Yes, the loan will probably be approved. The film was faithful to the book, wasn’t it? Well, cases like these are difficult to decide. (Hacker 298)

35. Dates, addresses, titles, and numbers On May 18, 1980, Mt. St. Helens erupted, turning daylight into dusk. Note: not for inverted dates or only month year Elements of a place name, except zip code John Lennon was born in Liverpool, England, in 1940. Please send the package to Greg Tarvin at 708 Spring Street, Washington, Illinois 61571. Title following name:Gregory House, M.D. Quantity numbers more than four digits long (at 4 it’s optional): 3500; 13,500; 535,555,535

36. No commas after “such as” or “like” Many dark bitter fruits, such as blueberries, cranberries, and black cherries, have healthful antioxidants. No comma before “than” . . . Learning punctuation is far more useful to us than learning about Paris Hilton. . . . a parenthesis . . . Every Thanksgiving, my mother makes stuffing (or “dressing” as some call it), and she chops ingredients for two days.

37. . . . an indirect quotation . . . Samuel Goldwyn once said that a verbal contract isn’t worth the paper it’s written on (305). And no comma after “although”: Although the air was balmy, the water was too cold for swimming (305).

38. Miscellaneous Quiz Add, delete, or no error: Marina ran into the room, and grabbed her friend. On January 15, 2004 our office moved to 29 Commonwealth Avenue, Mechanicsville VA 23111. (301) Ms. Carlson you are a valued customer whose satisfaction is very important to us (301).

39. Works Cited Hacker, Diana. A Writer’s Reference. 6th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008. McQuain, Jeffery and Stanley Malless. Coined by Shakespeare: Words and Meanings First Penned by the Bard. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 1998. Strunk, William and E.B. White. The Elements of Style. 4th ed. San Francisco: Longman, 2000.