Focus of the Lesson: Editing Commas
MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH INSTRUCTION: Unit 7, Lesson 31
Focus of the lesson: editing—commas
1.MISSING COMMA AFTER AN INTRODUCTORY ELEMENT IN THE SENTENCE
Readers usually need a small pause between the introductory element and the main part of the sentence, a pause most often signaled by a comma. Try to get into the habit of using a comma after every introductory element, be it a word, a phrase, or a clause. When the introductory element is very short, you don't always need a comma after it. But you're never wrong if you do use a comma.
EXAMPLES:
Strangely, no one has suggested that Watergate gave us a "new Nixon."
Nevertheless, many critics of the new administration point to its inability to develop a coherent strategy for decreasing the budget deficit.
2.MISSING COMMA IN A COMPOUND SENTENCE
When the parts are joined by and, but, so, yet, nor, or for, insert a comma to indicate a pause between the two thoughts. In very short sentences, the comma is optional if the sentence can be easily understood without it. But you'll never be wrong to use a comma.
EXAMPLES:
State censorship boards flourished, but the pressure groups wanted a more comprehensive ban on objectionable material.
Traditional classroom methods are under fire from educators nationwide, and many are advocating that methods for individualizing instruction be incorporated into K-12 curricula.
3.MISSING COMMA WITH A NONRESTRICTIVE ELEMENT
A nonrestrictive element is one that is not essential to the basic meaning of the sentence. You could remove it from the sentence and the sentence would still make sense. Check your draft to be certain you've used commas to set off any part of a sentence that tells more about a word in the sentence but that your reader does not need in order to understand the word or sentence.
EXAMPLES:
Senator McGilvery, who is a Democrat from Rhode Island, dealt fully and responsibly with the controversy his new child care bill sparked.
Newspeak, which greatly reduced people's vocabularies, lessened their ability to understand scientific words.
(The information set off in commas is additional, NOT essential.)
4.UNNECESSARY COMMA(S) WITH A RESTRICTIVE ELEMENT
A restrictive element is one essential to the basic meaning of the sentence. Such essential words or phrases are not set off from the rest of the sentence with a comma or commas.
EXAMPLES:
Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello deals with the dangers of jealousy.
(We do not set off the title Othello in commas because it is an essential element of the sentence. Not all of Shakespeare’s tragedies deal with jealousy, so the reader must be told the title of the play for the sentence to make sense.)
People who want to preserve wilderness areas oppose the plan to privatize national parks.
(We do not set off in commas the clause “who want to preserve wilderness areas” because this clause identifies the people in opposition to privatization. Not all people oppose the idea.)
5.COMMA SPLICES
Comma splices occur only when a comma separates clauses that could each stand alone as a sentence. To correct a comma splice, you can insert a semicolon or period, add a word like and or although after the comma, or restructure the sentence.
EXAMPLES:
My mother and father financed my college education; they were so proud when I graduated with honors.
Winter set in with a vengeance; an Artic wind howled around the corners of the house.
6.MISSING COMMA IN A SERIES
When three or more items appear in a series, they should be separated from one another with commas. Some newspapers do not use a comma between the last two items, but the best advice is that you'll never be wrong to use a series comma because a sentence can be ambiguous without one.
EXAMPLES:
The frigid, snowy, windy day was typical of Minnesota in January.
Bald eagles, ospreys, herons, mergansers, and kingfishers are native to this area.
7.OMITTING COMMA (S) THAT SETS OFF AN AFTERTHOUGHT OR CONTRASTING ELEMENT
EXAMPLES:
For Canada, the War of 1812 was vitally important, far more important than it was for Britain. (afterthought)
To understand a particular culture, we must consider the society as a whole, not its individual parts. (contrasting element)
ACTIVITY 7-3-1
Access the PowerPoint presentation that will review comma usage already covered and introduce several additional rules. It can be found in the folder titled POWERPOINT.
ACTIVITY 7-3-2
Click on the link below to access a quiz on commas. The quiz requires that you insert commas into two paragraphs.
Quiz on Commas
ACTIVITY 7-3-3
Check your draft for comma errors and other punctuation problems. Then prepare your final, polished paper.