1 / 16

Comma Rules

Comma Rules . Rule #1: Items in a series. Use a comma to separate items in a series– words, clauses or phrases I watered the tulips , the ivy , and the violet I looked in the dryer , under the couch , and behind the chair for my book.

mayten
Download Presentation

Comma Rules

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Comma Rules

  2. Rule #1: Items in a series • Use a comma to separate items in a series– words, clauses or phrases • I watered the tulips, the ivy, and the violet • I looked in the dryer, under the couch, and behind the chair for my book. • NOTE: The comma before the “and” is optional . . .I suggest you add it until you are used to the rule!

  3. Rule #2- Use a comma to separate a introductory word, clause or phrase from the rest of the sentence • No, I will not go to the party. • When the party was over, we left • In the deep recesses of the couch, I found my wallet. • Beware!!! If the same phrase, clause or word comes at the end of the sentence, we DO NOT add a comma. • We left when the party was over • I found my wallet in the deep recesses of the couch.

  4. Rule #3 Words that interrupt the flow of the sentence • Pretty self-explanatory! Place commas around words which interrupt the flow of sentence • The teacher, furthermore, will not change the grade.

  5. Rule number 4- Direct Address • Place a comma after or around words of direct address. • When you are finished, Steve, will you let the dog out? • Steve, will you let the dog out?

  6. Rule number 5- quotes • Use a comma after and explanatory word which introduces a quote • He said, “Sit down and shut up.” • Use a comma at the end of a quote if the explanatory word comes after. • “Sit down and shut up,” he said.

  7. Rule #6 To join two independent clauses . . . • And, or, but, nor, so, for, yet • I love dogs, and I love cats. • WARNING: • Do not just put a quote before any of those words! • I love dogs, and cats. A COMMA SPLICE!!! • Not a complete sentence!! Not items in a series!

  8. Rule #7 date, month, year • Place a comma after the date and year • My birthday is May 24, 2000. • It was August 14, 1945, that the fighting with Japan ended. • However: If any part of the date is omitted, leave out the comma. Example:They met in December 2003 in Mill Valley.

  9. Rule 8: Place a comma between the city and the state . . .and city and country . . • The drive from Portland, Oregon, to Seattle, Washington, is very pretty. • Does she live in Paris, France?

  10. Rule 9: Place a comma after the Salutation and closing of a letter • Dear Sue, • Sincerely,

  11. Rule 10 Place a comma between two parallel adjectives which describe the same noun • What?? • Her high, whining voice made me cringe.

  12. How to test if adjectives are parallel • 1. Can you place the word “and” between them without effecting the meaning of the sentence? If yes, then use a comma • An open, exploratory, and inclusive spirit marked the meeting.TEST: An open and exploratory and inclusive spirit marked the meeting. 2. Or, can you reverse the order of the adjectives without effecting meaning? If yes, then use a comma: A direct, conversational tone made the instructions easy to understand.TEST: A conversational, direct tone made the instructions easy to understand.

  13. Local health officials recently released guidelines for dealing with avian flu outbreaks. • TEST: Health local officials recently released guidelines for dealing with flu avian outbreaks. • Reversing the order doesn’t make sense! • DO NOT USE COMMAS

  14. Rule 11: Set off an appositive and/or non restrictive clauses with commas. • Example: Sophie, the lady with ten cats, bought a new truck. If the portion of the sentence can be taken out of the sentence and the sentence still makes sense, put commas around it! This is non-restrictive clause . . . *Remember: Non-restrictive equals commas

  15. Here is an example of when you do not use a comma! • Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses Defined. Restrictive clauses limit the possible meaning of a preceding subject.Nonrestrictive clauses tell you something about a preceding subject, but they do not limit, or restrict, the meaning of that subject. Compare the following examples. • Correct Restrictive Use: (no comma!) • The suspect in the lineup who has red hair committed the crime. • Note how the subject "suspect" in this sentence is restricted in two ways: we know that this suspect is both in the lineup and has red hair. As a result, we know that the other suspects, who are not in the lineup, could not have committed the crime. Moreover, of those suspects in the lineup, we know that the one suspect in the lineup with red hair committed the crime. If there were more than one suspect in the lineup with red hair, the above usage would be incorrect because it implies a different meaning. • Correct Nonrestrictive Use: • The suspect in the lineup, who owns a red car, committed the crime. • In this example, the restrictive clause "in the lineup" tells us that of all possible suspects in the world, the one who committed the crime is in the lineup. However, while the nonrestrictive clause "who owns a red car" tells us something about the suspect, it does not foreclose the possibility that there are several different suspects in the lineup with red cars. The car color may tell us something useful, but it does not restrict us to only one possibility.

  16. Rule 12 Use a comma to surround degrees to titles used with names • Commas are no longer required around Jr. and Sr. Commas never set off II, III, and so forth. • Al Mooney, M.D., knew Sam Sunny Jr. and Charles Starr III.

More Related