Commas 2 Separating Adjectives And Compound Sentences Rule

Commas 2 Separating Adjectives And Compound Sentences

Rule #2 -- Use commas to separate two or more adjectives preceding a noun. • Example: Jack Russell terriers are small, energetic dogs. • These intelligent, loyal, playful pets always enjoy a challenge. • Practice: Did you hear about Macomber's short happy life? • The hot crackling smoky fire roared through the beautiful, old forests of Yosemite. • Hint: If you can put and between the adjectives and it makes sense, you can use a comma. • Example: Jack Russell terriers are small and energetic dogs. • These intelligent and loyal and playful pets always enjoy a challenge.

Rule #2 -- Use commas to separate two or more adjectives preceding a noun. • When the final adjective in a series is thought of as part of the noun, do not use a comma before that adjective. • Example: A skillful, enthusiastic dog trainer can teach a Jack Russell terrier to perform many exciting tricks. • No comma is used between enthusiastic and dog because the words dog and trainer make up a compound noun. • A comma should never be used between an adjective and the noun immediately following it. • Incorrect: The cute, clever, terrier who starred in TV's Wishbone was really named Soccer. • Correct: The cute, clever terrier who starred in TV's Wishbone was really named Soccer.

• Practice • Where is a comma needed? • a. A squat dark wood-burning stove stood in one corner. • b. This book describes the harsh isolated lives of pioneer women in Kansas. • c. They made a clubhouse in the empty unused storage shed. • d. What a lovely haunting melody that song has! • e. Katie Couric's upbeat intelligent approach to interviewing makes her an effective television anchor. • Independent Practice -- Exercise 3, page 362 -363, 5 -10 • Rewrite each sentence, inserting commas where needed.

• 5. The delicate colorful wings of the hummingbird vibrate as many as two hundred times each second. • 6. The hot unrelenting wind blew across the desert. • 7. The movie is about a bright active girl who is badly injured while riding a horse. • 8. Jade Snow Wong's strong focused determination led to her success as an author. • 9. What is the quickest easiest most scenic way to get to Juneau? • 10. Lupe like to read true stories about daring adventurous mountain climbers.

Rule #3 -- Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction (and, but, for, nor, so, or yet) when it joins independent clauses in a compound sentence . • Examples: I enjoyed The King and I, but Oklahoma! is still my favorite musical. • Oscar Hammerstein wrote the words, and Richard Rodgers wrote the music. • The musical comedy began as an American musical form, yet its popularity has spread throughout the world. • When the independent clauses are very short, the comma before and, but, or or is sometimes omitted. • Examples: I am tired but I can't sleep. • The cat can stay inside or it can go outside.

• A comma is almost always used before nor, for, so, or yet when it joins independent clauses. • Examples: We will not give up, nor will we fail. • Everyone seemed excited, for it was time to begin. • No one else was there, so we left. • The water was cold, yet it looked inviting. • Practice -- Add commas to the following sentences. Some sentences may be correct as written. • a. Have you read this article or do you want me to tell you about it? • b. Human beings must study to become architects yet some animals build amazing structures by instinct. • c. The male gardener bower bird builds a complex structure and carefully decorates it to attract a mate.

• d. This bird constructs a dome-shaped garden in a small tree and underneath the tree he lays a carpet of moss covered with brilliant tropical flowers. • e. Then he gathers twigs and arranges them in a threefoot-wide circle around the display. • Independent Practice • Exercise 4, page 364, 5 -10. Follow book instructions.

Independent Practice • 5. Tailor ants might be called the ant world's high-rise workers for they gather leaves and sew them around tree twigs to make nests like the one shown on the left. • 6. These nests are built in tropical trees and the nests may be one hundred feet or more above the ground. • 7. Adult tailor ants don't secrete the silk used to weave the leaves together but they squeeze it from their larvae. • 8. The female European water spider builds a water-proof nest under water and she stocks the nest with air bubbles. • 9. This air supply is very important for it allows the spider to hunt underwater. • 10. The water spider lays her eggs in the waterproof nest and they hatch there.