MiniLesson Listing Comma The listing comma is used

Mini-Lesson: Listing Comma The listing comma is used when you are listing a string of information. • Ex: I went to the store and bought eggs, milk , bread, cheese, and broccoli. • Ex: The lovely, radiant princess kissed the vile, ugly frog. • Ex: A good student listens to his teachers without yawning, reads, and writes papers before they are due.

Mini-Lesson: The Oxford Comma The Oxford comma is used after the secondto-last item on a list of three or more items before “and” or “or” • I love cheese, bagels, and pasta. • I love cheese, bagels and pasta.

Mini-Lesson: The Oxford Comma • Without the Oxford comma I love my parents, Lady Gaga and Kanye West. • With the Oxford comma I love my parents, Lady Gaga, and Kanye West.

Mini-Lesson: Apostrophes What do you know about when to use an apostrophe? Omission apostrophe Possessive apostrophe

Mini-Lesson: Direct Address Comma • Would you like to eat, Iron Man? Whenever a sentence directly addresses someone, you must use a comma to notate it. • Spiderman, your webs weave a complicated path. • The height of the building made saving the girl seem impossible, yet you made it look easy, Superman. • On you, Green Arrow, the color green looks much more appealing. • Would you like to eat Iron Man?

Mini-Lesson: Conjunctions & Connector Commas When do we use semi colons? Semicolons show us that there is a relationship between the two clauses, conjunctions make that relationship clear. • Conjunctions are words that connect other words, phrases and clauses. • You cannot use a conjunction to connect clauses without using a connector comma.

Mini-Lesson: Connector Comma Small conjunctions can be remembered from the mnemonic device FANBOYS (for, and, not, but, or, yet, so). Clause 1 Clause 2 She is a graceful dancer. People enjoy watching her. She is a graceful dancer, and people enjoy watching her. She is talented. She will attract many fans. She is talented, so she will attract many fans. Her technique is unconventional. The effect is striking. Her technique is unconventional, but the effect is striking. She can fill an audience with joy. She can bring people to tears. She can fill an audience with joy, or she can bring people to tears.

Mini-Lesson: Introductory Commas Introductory commas are used to separate background information from the main part of the sentence. Introductory phrases often start with words like: after, although, if, before, since, until, when, etc. – If they want to win, athletes must exercise every day. – Although I am tired, I will not take a nap in class. – Yes, I am very happy to have Mr. Harris as my teacher. – No, you can’t eat that turkey in class.

Mini-Lesson: Non-essential detail commas separate the main part of the sentence from extra information. The red parts in the examples below are the main parts of the sentences. • “According to my mom, you should take vitamin C every day. ” • “Luckily for you, class of 2020’s field day color is yellow, my favorite color. ” • My chemistry book, which weighs about 100 pounds, has some really great examples.

Mini-Lesson: Omission apostrophes The omission apostrophe is used when we write contractions. Contractions are two words that are shortened in to one. Words Contractions Has not Hasn’t notthe apostrophe is inserted. Won’t For the MOSTWill part, where the missing letters are! Might have Might’ve Might have Might’ve That will That’ll The apostrophe takes the place of the missing “ha” You have You’ve She is She’s

Mini-Lesson: Possessive apostrophes The possessive apostrophe is used to show that something belongs to some one or some thing. • Possession with a singular noun is formed by adding an apostrophe and an ‘s’. – The lawyer’s fee – The child’s toy – Mariana’s favorite hat. • Possession with a plural noun is formed by adding only an apostrophe when the noun ends in an ‘s’, and by adding an apostrophe and an ‘s’ when it doesn’t. – Excessive lawyers’ fees. – Children’s toys. – Teachers’ favorite class.

Mini-Lesson: Possessive apostrophes If a singular noun ends in an ‘s’, you can simply place an apostrophe at the end of the word to show possession. – I touched the cactus’ prickly needles – Mr. Jones’ favorite holiday is Halloween. ALWAYS place the apostrophe outside of the word in question. Ex: Mr. Hastings has a pen. Is it… » Mr. Hasting’s pen. OR » Mr. Hastings’ pen.

Mini-Lesson: The Semicolon The semicolon indicates that the two sentences on either side of it are closely related ideas. Unlike a colon, the two sides of a semicolon must be able to stand alone as their own clauses. “The ice cream truck man drove by my house today. He had a big, white hat on. “The ice cream truck man drove by my house today; he had a big, white hat on.

Mini-Lesson: Figurative vs. Literal • Literal language means exactly what it says. • Figurative language uses similes, metaphors, hyperbole, personification, analogies, and idioms to describe something. – You need to FIGURE out what it means.

Mini-Lesson: Figurative vs. Literal LITERAL FIGURATIVE It started to rain. Raindrops danced along the street. (personification) The warehouse is dirty and creepy. The warehouse is a dusty, silent, tomb. (metaphor) My cousin has a green thumb. (idiom) My cousin is really good at growing plants. She ate a lot of pizza. The line at the movie theater moved slowly. She ate a thousand slices of pizza. (hyperbole) The line at the movie theater moved like a snail. (simile)