COMMAS

COMMAS

COMMASTo use or not to use? That is the question.

Dana Frank M 7-10pm

Job ApplicationMy name is Jane Doe and I am 16 years old. I have worked as a baby sitter dog walker and painter. I am still in high school however I can still work on school days. I am a very intelligent outgoing person looking to help. I am young but I can assure you that your business will not be let down.Rule 1: Use a comma after an introductory phrase.WRONG:My name is Jane Doe and I am 16 years old.

RIGHT:

My name is Jane Doe, and I am 16 years old.

Rule 2:Use a comma to separate items in a series.

WRONG:

I have worked as a baby sitter dog walker and painter.

RIGHT:

I have worked as a baby sitter, dog walker, and painter.

Rule 3:Use commas to set off non-restrictive elements and other parenthetical elements. A non-restrictive modifier is a phrase or clause that does not restrict or limit the meaning of the word it is modifying. It is, in a sense, interrupting material that adds extra information to a sentence.WRONG:

I am still in high school however I can still work on school days.

RIGHT:

I am still in high school, however, I can still work on school days.

Rule 4:A comma should be used to separate coordinate adjectives. Coordinate adjectives are a series of adjectives that modify a single noun. WRONG:

I am a very intelligent outgoing person looking to help.

RIGHT:

I am a very intelligent, outgoing person looking to help.

Rule 5:Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction that joins independent clauses , unless the independent clauses are very short. WRONG:

I am young but I can assure you that your business will not be let down.

RIGHT:

I am young, but I can assure you that your business will not be let down.

F.A.N.B.O.Y.SCoordinating ConjunctionsFor And Nor But Or Yet So

Revised Job ApplicationMy name is Jane Doe, and I am 16 years old. I have worked as a baby sitter, dog walker, and painter. I am still in high school, however, I can still work on school days. I am a very intelligent, outgoing person looking to help. I am young, but I can assure you that your business will not be let down.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE!Jimmy has to buy milk eggs bread and orange juice from the grocery store. Which sentence is appropriately punctuated?Jimmy has to buy milk eggs bread and, orange juice from the grocery store.Jimmy has to buy milk, eggs, bread and orange juice from the grocery store.Jimmy has to buy milk, eggs, bread, and orange juice from the grocery store.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE!Jimmy has to buy milk eggs bread and orange juice from the grocery store. Which sentence is appropriately punctuated?Jimmy has to buy milk eggs bread and, orange juice from the grocery store.Jimmy has to buy milk, eggs, bread and orange juice from the grocery store.Jimmy has to buy milk, eggs, bread, and orange juice from the grocery store.

Which comma rule does this sentence follow? I have no coat on, but I still do not have goose bumps.Use a comma after an introductory adverb clause.Use a comma after a coordinate conjunction.Use a comma to set off non-restrictive elements.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE!Which comma rule does this sentence follow? I have no coat on, but I still do not have goose bumps.Use a comma after an introductory adverb clause.Use a comma before a coordinate conjunction.Use a comma to set off non-restrictive elements.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE!

MAKE A QUIZ AND ANSWER KEY WITH A PARTNER!TRADE WITH ANOTHER GROUP AND TAKE THEIR QUIZ!

Works CitedDonovan, Melissa. "Punctuation Marks: The Comma." Writing Forward. Melissa Donovan, 1 July 2009. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. .

Peck, Frances. "The Comma." The Writing Center. University Of Ottawa, n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. .

SnorgTees. "Comma Chameleon." SnorgTees. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. .