120 likes | 481 Views
COMMA RULES. REVIEW – Junior English. #1 - Commas in a series 3 OR MORE only. Words: I have a dog, a bird, and a cat. I went to the store, gas station, and dry cleaner. Phrases: I like to eat macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, and grilled cheese for lunch. Clauses:
E N D
COMMA RULES REVIEW – Junior English
#1 - Commas in a series3 OR MORE only • Words: • I have a dog, a bird, and a cat. • I went to the store, gas station, and dry cleaner. • Phrases: • I like to eat macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, and grilled cheese for lunch. • Clauses: • The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and that they should do some warm-up exercises before the game.
#2 - Commas separate adjectives • Use commas to separate two or more adjectives that modify the same noun. • She is a young, dynamic student. • RULE: If you can switch the order of the adjectives and it does NOT affect the sentence clarity, use a comma. Do not use a comma if you can’t switch the order. • For example: He wore green tennis shoes. NO COMMA
#3 - FANBOYS • When you use a coordinator (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) to join two independent clauses, ALWAYS use a comma BEFORE the coordinator. • I love dogs, and I love cats. (2 main clauses) • I love dogs and cats. (NO COMMA – one clause) • I hate wasting time, but I still love watching reality TV.
#4 - Set off introductory elementsABBI SAW A WUWU! • While I was eating, the cat scratched at the door. • Because her alarm clock was broken, she was late for class. • If you are ill, you ought to see a doctor. • When the snow stops falling, we'll shovel the driveway. • HINT: After ABBI SAW A WUWU • As, because, before, if, since, after, when, although, whenever, until, while, unless
More introductory elements… • Words like well, yes, no, why: • Well, I guess I’ll join you for dinner. • Yes, I do like grape jam. • After introductory verb phrases: • Reading late into the night, I enjoyed the peace and quiet. • After a longer prepositional phrase: • From the beginning of our relationship, Jamie and I have felt a strong connection.
#5 - Set off nonessential clauses(Parenthetical Words) • Nonessentials add information that is not CRUCIAL to the sentence. (Interrupters) • The average world temperature, however, has continued to rise significantly. (nonessential word) • My great uncle, who is eighty years old, walks three miles every day. (nonessential clause) • Essential: The woman who interviewed you is my sister. (clause)
Set off participle phrases (nonessentials) • (Participle phrases) The president, knowing the need for dramatic action, declared the entire state a disaster area.
#6 - With DIRECT quotations • Separate direct quotes from your own writing. • “Hockey,” explained Hera, “is my favorite sport.”
#7 – Dates, Cities, and Numbers • December 1, 2011 • 2,346,190 • 1, 245 • New York, New York • Chicago, IL