Grammar Unit 7 Lesson 7 Commas Use commas
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Grammar Unit 7 Lesson 7 Commas
• Use commas to set off participles, infinitives, and their phrases if they are NOT essential to the meaning of the sentence. • These nonessential elements are also known as nonrestrictive elements. • Example: She watched, puzzled, as the man in the yellow convertible drove away. • A customer, complaining loudly, stepped up to the counter. • I have no idea, to be honest, what you would like for a graduation present. Commas and Nonessential Elements
• Don’t set off participles, infinitives, and their phrases if they are essential to the meaning of the sentence. • Such essential elements are also known as restrictive elements. • • Example: The man standing by the door is my dad. My mother’s car is the one parked in the driveway. She went to medical school to become a doctor. I wanted to go home. Commas and Nonessential Elements
• Use commas to set off a nonessential adjective clause. • Nonessential adjective clauses give optional information about a noun. • Example: Atlanta, which is the capital of Georgia, is the transportation center of the Southeast. (nonessential) • People who are afraid of heights don’t like to look down from balconies or terraces. (essential) Commas and Nonessential Elements
• Use commas to set off an appositive if it is not essential to the meaning of the sentence. • Nelson Mandela, the president of South Africa, was freed from a South African prison in 1990. (nonessential) • The word fiesta came into English through Spanish. (essential) Commas and Nonessential Elements
• Rewrite each sentence, correcting any errors in the use of commas and other punctuation. 1. The students who understand the lecture, don’t often have to see the professor during her office hours but the other students do 2. The man, wearing the blue striped shirt, is my Spanish teacher; the other is my math teacher. 3. Those pants believe it or not were Jeff’s favorite pair. 4. Colette a good friend appeared, to be confused by the entire situation. 5. People, who look for the worst in other people, usually find it; others try to be more objective Exercise
