Salem High School – English 9 Instructor - Ray Moore

1. Common comma errors One common error in student writing is the failure to use a comma after introductory elements. Salem High School – English 9 Instructor - Ray Moore 1

2. Common comma errors At the conclusion of this lesson, the learner will place commas after introductory phrases and introductory adverb clauses. , When we are together I forget the time. 3 6 , Of all the people in my world I choose you.

3. Pertinent Previous Information • A clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb. • A phrase is a group of words without both a subject and a verb. There are four types of phrases: Prepositional, infinitive, participial and gerund. 4

4. Pertinent Previous Information • An independent clause does not have a subordinator (subordinate conjunction or relative pronoun). 2 • A dependent clause does have a subordinator. Three types of dependent clauses: Adjective, adverb, and noun 5

5. Pertinent Previous Information Two types of words can be subordinators. • A subordinate conjunction: when, where, how, since, although, because, etc. • A relative pronoun: who, what which, whose, that, etc. Subordinators make a clause dependent.

6. Introductory Elements After packing the trunk and back seat the two nervous girls jumped into the car and headed off to college. After packing the trunk and back seat the two nervous girls jumped into the car and headed off to college. , 5 An introductory element can be anything that comes before the complete subject of the main clause.

7. Introductory Elements Use a comma after a long introductory phrase or after an introductory adverb clause. In thirty years of teaching high school I have never had a seventh period class as awesome as this one. In thirty years of teaching high school I have never had a seventh period class as awesome as this one. , 5

8. Introductory Phrase An introductory phrase is a group of words at the beginning of the sentence that does not have a subject and a verb. 2 Looking back on the memory of the last school year I am glad that I did not know how things would go. Looking back on the memory of the last school year I am glad that I did not know how things would go. ,

9. Introductory Adverb Clause An introductory adverb clause has a subject and a verb. It begins with a subordinator and acts like an adverb. Usually, that means it modifies the verb of another clause. If I had known the difficulty of this test I would have studied more. If I had known the difficulty of this test I would have studied more. , 5

10. Practice Item 1 Chatting along with his mouth crammed with lunch Jack paused to think about what he had said. , 1 “Jack paused” is the subject and verb of the main clause. “Chatting…with lunch” precedes the main clause and should be followed by a comma.

11. Practice Item 2 While he climbed out of the wrecked car he pondered his good fortune at being alive. , 1 “While” is a subordinate conjunction at the beginning of a dependent clause. “He pondered” is the subject and verb of the main clause.

12. Practice Item 3 Taking something from the east wind and something from the north the rain was cold in our faces. , The subject and verb of the main clause is “rain was.” “Taking… north” has no subject. “Taking” begins a participial phrase that ends with “north.”

13. Practice Item 4 By the end of those seemingly endless summers my friends and I were always ready to go back to school. , This sentence begins with two prepositional phrases. Since the second phrase modifies the object of the first, they are considered to be one phrase. Obviously, this phrase precedes the main clause.

14. Practice Item 5 , Before it was time to go to bed Ashley took a moment to call her friend. The subject and verb of the main clause are “Ashley took.” The subject and verb of the first clause are “it was.” The first clause is an adverb clause because it tells when Ashley took a moment.

15. Application Excercise Write two sentences that begin with an adverb clause. Use two different subordinators. Write three sentences that begin with long introductory phrases. One phrase should be a participial phrase, another should be a prepositional phrase, and the last should be an infinitive phrase.

16. Assess Performance Share your sentences with three other students in your group tomorrow in class. Decide how many sentences you and the other students wrote correctly. Direct any questions to the teacher. In class tomorrow, count the number of correct responses you gave including the practice items and the sentences you wrote. Put that number over ten. Then determine the percentage you answered correctly.