Comma Usage and Sentence Meaning Destruction

1. Are You a Comma-kazi*?--a destroyer of sentence meaning? • Let’s eat Grandma! -----> Let’s eat, Grandma! • While we were eating a rattlesnake approached our campsite. ---> ? • If you cook Ingrid will wash the dishes.--> ? • *A kamikazi is defined by Dictionary.com as the following: • “3. a person or thing that behaves in a wildly reckless or destructive manner.”

2. Comma Usage UWF Writing Lab Created by Georgia Clarkson Smith September 4, 2009 Revised by Mamie Hixon 6/15/10

3. A panda walks into a restaurant, sits down, and orders a sandwich. After he finishes eating the sandwich, the panda pulls out a gun and shoots the waiter, and then stands up to go. “Please!" whimpers the bleeding waiter. “Why did you shoot me?"

4. The panda yells at the waiter, “Look, dude, I am a PANDA! I’m just doing my job. I looked it up online: "A tree-dwelling marsupial of Asian origin, characterized by distinct black and white coloring. Eats, shoots, and leaves.” Source: Lynn Truss, Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation

6. Use a comma to separate direct quotations from the phrase identifying the speaker. Little Johnny said, “Grammar lessons are so lame.” “I don’t know how I was able,” he remarked later, “to stay awake.”

7. Use a comma to separate geographical namesand addressesfrom each other and from words following them. • Pensacola, Florida, is where I live. • Birmingham, Alabama, gets its name from Birmingham, England. • The property located at 4590 Peach Street, Atlanta, Georgia 32416, is for sale. • (no comma before the zip code)

8. Use a comma to separate dates from textwhen using the month-day-year sequence. • Earth Day was founded on April 22, 1970, and is celebrated every year on April 22. No comma when using only two date items: • April 22 is Earth Day. • April 1970 marks the founding of Earth Day.

9. Use a comma to separate titles following names. • David H. Baldwin, MD, will be the principal speaker. • Mary Hines, Senior Vice President of Creative Technology, will conduct the interview.

10. Use a comma to separate two or more coordinate descriptors/adjectives. Coordinate: can be flipped around Non-coordinate: can NOT be flipped They lived in a white frame house. She often wore grey wool socks. My cat killed a little yellow bird. • He was a difficult, stubborn child. • Your cousin has an easy, happy smile. • The relentless, powerful, oppressive sun beat down on them. Practice: The relentless, powerful summer sun beat down on them. Should we add a comma between powerful and summer?

11. Use a comma to separate three or more items or phrases in a series. • I was so bored during the grammar lesson that I texted on my phone, chewed on my pen, and wrote notes to my neighbor. • Several other students sat quietly, paid attention, and took notes.

12. Use a comma to separate two independent clausesjoined by FANBOYS(coordinating conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). If you could remove the FANBOY and make two separate sentences, use a comma. • The student was trying to follow along, but there were so many comma rules. • I am having trouble with my comma usage, so I need to pay attention to the presentation. Incorrect: I got up late this morning, I did not have time for breakfast. (comma splice)

13. Use a comma to separate introductory words, phrases, or clauses. Introductory phrases often begin with after, with, during, at, by, for, from, until, because of, due to, in, to, with, without. • Because her alarm clock was broken, she was late for class. • When she finally got there, the testing period was over. • If she is late again, her grade will suffer. • During lunch, there was a fire drill. Exception: DO NOT add a comma if the introductory clause falls at the end of the sentence. Incorrect: She was late for class, because her alarm clock did not ring.

14. Use commas to separate nonessential words, clauses, or phrases. Omit the commas if the information is essential. Anyone wearing a “Hillary Running in Heels” button entered the convention free. Rus, who was wearing a political T-shirt, passed out leaflets. • Used car dealers, who usually sell “lemons” to their customers, are not highly trusted individuals. • Those who want to sell a car do try to act friendly and courteous. • The salesperson who sold us our Ford was quite pleasant. • His jacket, which was pink, was quite spiffy.

15. Use a comma to separate contradictory or contrasting phrases from the sentence. • It was Mr. Williams, not his son, who was appointed to the committee. • He was merely ignorant, not stupid. • It was through the window, not the chimney, that Santa entered the house.

16. Use a comma to separate names used in direct addressas well as direct addresses such as yes, no, thank you. • Let’s eat Grandma. Let’s eat, Grandma. • You May have been kind. You, May, have been kind. • Yes, I did go to the party.

17. Use a comma to provide clarity and prevent misreading. • We left the candidate, assured that he would win. (we were sure) • We left the candidate assured that he would win. (he was sure) • For Michael, Jordan was a hero. • For Michael Jordan was a hero.

18. Use a comma to separate two or three consecutive occurrences of a word. • Rain, Rain, Go away. • I see that your lips are moving, but all I hear is blah, blah, blah.

19. Use a comma to separate tag questions from the rest of the sentence. • You are not distracted, are you? • You killed my goldfish, didn’t you?

20. Use a comma to to separate interrupters, parenthetical words and phrases, and transitional words and phrases from the sentence. • Limes are good for many things, for example, hats. • My cat, Fred, by the way, loves to wear a lime hat on Sundays. • My dog, however, prefers top hats. • Additional benefits of lime hats include, of course, the fresh scent.

21. For more tips, go to www.uwf.edu/writelab and look at our printable handouts and mini-lessons.