This Power Point presentation is 2018 by Robin

This Power. Point presentation is © 2018 by Robin L. Simmons. All Rights Reserved.

Commas Until You Cry !

X No handbook says to use commas where you pause while speaking! Blah blah [pause = , ] blah. . .

Don’t hook your reader’s eyes with unnecessary commas. When in doubt, leave them out! Ouch!

As carefully as architects plan skyscrapers, you must create successful sentences by learning when and where to place commas.

Each sentence part that follows will – depending on its location –connect with a comma.

Prepositional Phrase • Begins with a preposition, a word • • that shows location in place or in time. Click here for a complete list. Might include optional description. Ends with a noun.

Read these examples: That tasty poodle went over my tongue, down my throat, and into my stomach!

Participle Phrase • Begins with a present or past participle. • A present participle always ends in ing. • A past participle frequently ends in ed. • An irregular past participle takes a variety of forms. Click here for a complete list. • Might include modifier(s) to finish the thought.

Read these examples: Ground like hamburger, boiling in swamp water, seasoned with garlic, the tasty poodle simmered in a pot!

Infinitive Phrase • Begins with an infinitive [to + • • verb]. Might include modifier(s) to finish the thought. Here are two examples: To eat another tasty poodle or to be satisfied with just that one. . .

Appositive • An appositive is a noun phrase that renames another noun. • An appositive comes either right before or right after the noun it • describes. Check out this example: The poodle, a yapping fur ball, was not as tasty as the human foot I snagged last week.

Noun of Direct Address • A noun of direct address is a name • It indicates who is receiving the • information. Removing the noun of direct address will not change the meaning of the sentence. • Examples: Marvin, Mr. Trump, Dad, Sweetheart

Compare this sentence … I have Burp! already eaten Marvin. Burp

… to this sentence. No thank you! I have already eaten, Marvin.

Adverb • Modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. • Many adverbs end in ly ; many • others, however, do not. In terms of comma placement, worry about those adverbs that act as transitions between sentences or between paragraphs.

Read these examples: Unfortunately, poodles give me indigestion. That fact, however, will not keep me from eating them.

Subordinate Clause • Begins with a subordinate • • • conjunction, such as although, because, if, when, while, etc. Click here for a complete list. Includes a subject and a verb. Does not, however, express a complete thought.

Read these examples: If you ever fall off a boat. . . While I am swimming nearby. . .

Speaker Tag • Introduces a direct quotation. • Includes a subject and verb. • Check out this example: Then my doctor said, “Poodles are bad for your health!”

Comma Tip 1 • All introductory elements • require a comma when they are connected to a main clause that follows. The pattern looks like this: Introductory element + , + main clause.

1. Because she is short, Francine loves to go food shopping with Rachel, a tall friend. Strolling down the aisles, Francineasks Rachel to grab packages of imported crackers and boxes of high-fiber cereal, items that are always too high to reach.

2. On top of the computer monitor in the bedroom, aacollectionofof stuffed unicorns supervises the work Lori completes at the keyboard below.

3. Akram has a problem hitting the snooze button on his alarm over and over. To get to his first class on time, Akramfrequentlyeats a donut in the car, getting crumbs all over the seat of his new vehicle.

4. Pablo walked all the way across campus before he noticed the lightness of his book bag. Suddenly, he herealizedthathis heavy chemistry text was on the backseat of his car.

5. In English class, no noone onewants to sit next to Eli because he is always smacking his gum loudly. Moreover, he henervouslyswings his leg, kicking people in the thighs, shins, and ankles.

Only one more sentence part to learn!

Nonessential Clause • Begins with who, whoever, whom, whomever, wherever, which, or whichever. • Contains a subject and a verb. • Check out this example: I can still eat poodle dinners, which I really enjoy, in moderation.

Comma Tip 2 • All interrupters require a comma in • front and behind when they break the flow of a complete sentence. The pattern looks like this: First part of the sentence interrupter +, + + , + rest of the sentence.

1. George used War and Peace, a heavy, thick, intimidating book , to smash the cockroaches he he found crawling walls found crawling on on thethe walls of of college dorm room. hishis college dorm room.

2. Take this soup bone, Joeand , and give it to the puppy before he starts chewing on our shoes.

3. “When you get hungry”, ”my my mother announced, “I“Iwantyou to try a bowl of this squid eyeball stew. ”

4. Prof. Finklestein, whoassigns more papers than he has time to grade, keepsstudentessays half a semester before returning them.

5. January, themonth. Julieusually dreads because of its cold, dark mornings, wasunusuallywarm this past year.

Comma Tip 3 • All concluding elements require • a comma when they are connected at the end of a main clause. The pattern looks like this: Main clause + , + concluding element.

1. Jennifer tolerated the family reunion, slappingmosquitoes with a paper plate and drinking iced tea to combat the heat.

No concluding 2 element = no comma!. In a panic, Tony searched the interior of his car. He hoped to find his biology lab work under the front seat or among the clutter in the trunk.

3. At Tito’s Taco Palace, James tried to keep pace with Theodore, whocan caneat eataaburrito in thirty seconds flat.

4. “Don’t bother to ask Mom”, ” warned Sue. “She never extends curfew, especiallyifif you tell her that you will be out with a guy. ”

5. At the West Oaks Mall food court, Aisha winked at Rodney, a cute young man in a tight Tshirt.

Comma Tip 4 Follow these rules when you use commas with and. Complete sentence + , + and complete sentence. Ø item +, + + and + item + , + and + item

item + and 1 + item = no comma!. Tony wanted to order a pizza from the Pizza Hutch and some shrimp fried rice from Wei-Wei's Cantonese Kitchen.

2. Debbie rushed to get the report typed, and. Marthafrantically answered the phones.

item + and + 3 item = no comma!. I don't know when to leave my credit card at home and when to say no to a cheeseburger with fries.

4. When Mike took his truck to the dealership, the mechanics wanted to put in a new starter, replace his shocks, and overhaul the transmission.

item + and + 5 item = no comma!. Because George snores to wake the dead and because Fuzzball, the dog, barks at the slightest sound, Alice never gets a good night's sleep.

Comma Tip 5 Follow these rules when you use commas with nonessential clauses. The student + ø + +ø+ ran to his class. Robert +, + essential clause +, + nonessential clause ran to his class.

Essential 1. People who know their grammar rules shouldn't clause = no always correct those of us who don't. commas!

2. My brother James, who cannot please Dad, has decided to move to Michigan.

Essential whom I admire the most clause = no play for teams other than the Orlando Magic. commas! 3. The basketball players

4. The movie Aliens, which I have seen twenty-seven times, containstoo toomuch violence for my nephews to watch.

5. We watched a crazy kid on a skateboard weave through the heavy traffic on Orange Avenue. The kid, whohad hadno nofearofof death or litigation, leaped a curb and crashed into a lawyer walking along the sidewalk.

Comma Tip 6 Follow these rules when you use commas with a series of adjectives. coordinate adjective noncoordinate adjective +, + coordinate adjective +ø+ noncoordinate adjective

1. Two cluttered computer tables and an unmade, sagging bed fill Antonio’s small bedroom.

2. The cute, softfrisky , friskyferret will bite willyour bitefingers your fingers if you iftryyou to pick try tohim pickup. him up.

3. Michael's faded, ragged New York Jets jacket was an inappropriate choice of clothing for his second interview at the bank.

4. The hot, spicyappetizing , appetizing bowl of squid eyeball stew steamed on the clean, shinykitchen counter.

5. A strange smell emanated from Barbara's blue, disorganizedbook bag, which lay on the floor beside her desk.

Comma Tip 7 Follow these rules with so and so that or so [that implied]. Complete sentence + , + so + complete sentence. Complete sentence subordinate clause. + ø + so that +

microwave for histhat first Implied apartment so he could cook popcorn and= no after so macaroni and cheese, the only meals he could comma! afford. 1. Robbie bought a small

2. Sylvia wore flat shoes on Implied that her date with Tony so she wouldn’t intimidate thisno after so = short young man with her height. comma!

Implied that 3. Yuko bought a small aquarium and some after so = no goldfish so her apartment wouldn’t feel so lonely. comma!

4. Patrick always carries an English handbook with him, even to basketball games, so sothathe hecan check other people’s grammar wherever he goes. The comma is for the interrupter, not the so that.

5. Rachel neglected to make her car payment three months in a row, so soshe must hide her car in friends’ garages in an attempt to foil the repo man.

The END.