Commas Semicolons and Colons Ms Mathews English 9

Commas, Semicolons, and Colons Ms. Mathews English 9 H

Commas

The comma was invented to help readers. Without it, sentence parts would collide with one another and be confusing.

Rule #1: Use a comma after all introductory elements.

To determine whether a sentence has an introductory element, delete any suspected introductory word, phrase, or clause, and then ask yourself whether what remains is a complete sentence. If it is, what you deleted is an introductory element and should be separated by a comma from the main sentence.

Examples When Kate was ready to iron, her cat tripped on the cord and unplugged it. Near the small stream at the bottom of the canyon, the park ranger discovered an abandoned mine. Oh no, we have another fire drill today!

Rule #2: Commas are used to separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses used in a series.

Examples Bubbles of air, leaves, ferns, bits of wood, and insects are often found trapped in amber. My uncle left me all of his property, houses, and warehouses after he died.

Rule #3: A comma is used before a coordinating conjunction that is joining independent clauses.

When a coordinating conjunction connects two or more independent clauses, a comma must come before it.

This ONLY applies to the seven coordinating conjunctions: and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet

Examples I am hungry, but I do not want to eat right now. The Redskins won on Sunday, yet many still doubt their abilities. Do I want to read Animal Farm, The Shining, or Dracula? It is storming outside, so our softball game will be cancelled this afternoon.

Rule #4: Use a comma to set off one or more words that interrupt the flow of thought in a sentence.

This is only a “rule” if the original meaning of the sentence does not change if the extra information is removed.

Examples The dessert, made with fresh raspberries, was delicious. J. K. Rowling’s first novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, was originally published as a children’s book. Margaret’s house, which is located out in the country, caught fire over the weekend.

Rule #5: Commas are used between the day of the month and the year; between the name of a city or town and state, province, or country; between a personal name and the abbreviation that follows it in a sentence; and after each item of an address (but not before or after the ZIP code).

Examples April 4, 1988 Aldie, Virginia, USA Brett Wadsworth Hamilton, Jr. 34163 Abbarath Lane, Lancaster, South Dakota 70952

Rule #6: Commas are used to set off dialogue and direct quotations from the rest of the sentence.

Commas always go inside quotation marks. Dialogue and direct quotations usually begin with a capital letter.

Examples Dave asked, “Do you want to go to the Nationals game next Saturday? ” “Let’s watch a movie tonight, ” said Sophia, “because I heard The Hunger Games is supposed to be really good. ” “I don’t want to read during SHIELD, ” Matthew whined.

Semicolons

Rule #1: Use a semicolon between the main clauses of a compound sentence if no conjunction is used

Examples I am going home; I intend to stay there. It rained heavily during the afternoon; we managed to have our picnic anyway. Mike is ready; Jim is not. They could not make it to the summit and back before dark; they decided to camp there for the night.

Rule #2: Use a semicolon when you join two independent clauses together with a conjunctive adverb (adverbs that join independent clauses) or by phrases like for example, in fact, for instance

Examples of conjunctive adverbs However Moreover Therefore Consequently Otherwise Nevertheless Thus

Examples I am going home; moreover, I intend to stay there. It rained heavily during the afternoon; however, we managed to have our picnic anyway. They could not make it to the summit and back before dark; therefore, they decided to camp for the night. Mary is small; nevertheless, she is strong.

Rule #3: Use a semicolon between items in a series containing internal punctuation.

Examples Classic science fiction sagas are Star Trek, with Mr. Spock and his large pointed ears; Battlestar Galactica, with its Cylon Raiders; and Star Wars, with Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Darth Vader. This past year, I traveled to Ireland, where I saw the Cliffs of Moher; to Boston, where I saw the Red Sox play; and to Key West, where I saw where Earnest Hemingway lived. We visited London, England; Paris, France; and Rome, Italy.

Rule #4: Use a semicolon between main clauses joined by a conjunction if the clause before the conjunction contains commas.

Examples We ate hot dogs, hamburgers, and salad; but we were still hungry. I bought new boots, a dress, and three sweaters; so I decided not to spend any more money. He plays baseball in the spring, swims in the summer, and plays football in the fall; yet, he decided to tryout for basketball rather than take the winter off.

Colons

Rule #1: Use a colon to introduce a list of items, but never follows a verb.

Rule #2: Use a colon to introduce a formal quotation.

Rule #3: Use a colon between two sentences when the second explains the first. Do not capitalize the second sentence unless more than one sentence follows.