Focus Question: What am I supposed to do with commas?!?
Do Now: Respond to the sentence, “A woman without her man is useless.”
I took Angie the one with the freckles to the movie last night.
a. I took Angie, the one with the freckles, to the movie last night.
b. Explanation: If something or someone is sufficiently identified, the description following it is considered nonessential and should be surrounded by commas.
2. You are I am sure telling the truth.
a. You are, I am sure, telling the truth.
b. Explanation: Use a comma to separate the city from the state and after the state in the body of a letter. If any part of the date is omitted, leave out the comma.
3. I need sugar butter and eggs from the grocery store.
a. I need sugar, butter, and eggs from the grocery store.
b. Explanation: To avoid confusion, use commas to separate words and word groups with a series of three or more.
4. Please Sasha come home as soon as you can.
a. Please, Sasha, come home as soon as you can.
b. Explanation: Use commas before or surrounding the name or title of a person directly addressed.
5. Although you may be right I cannot take your word for it.
a. Although you may be right, I cannot take your word for it.
b. Explanation: When starting a sentence with a dependent clause, use a comma after it.
6. If I am correct then she won’t enjoy the movie.
a. If I am correct, then she won’t enjoy the movie.
b. Explanation: When writing If-Then statements, place a comma after the introductory statement, right before the “then.”
7. If I am correct she won’t enjoy the movie.
a. If I am correct, [then] she won’t enjoy the movie.
b. Explanation: You can test whether or not to use the comma in a sentence that starts off with “if,” but does not have “then” by inserting a “then” and seeing if it works.
8. We will grant you immunity if you decide to cooperate with us.
a. Explanation: Do not use a comma when the sentence starts with an independent clause followed by a dependent clause
9. It is as you can see raining outside.
a. It is, as you can see, raining outside.
b. Explanation: Use commas to set off expressions that interrupt sentence flow.
10. My father George drinks coffee every morning.
a. My father, George, drinks coffee every morning.
b. Explanation: If something or someone is sufficiently identified, the description following it is considered nonessential and should be surrounded by commas.
c. Because I only have one father, adding his name is superfluous, or extra information--that is why his name is surrounded by commas.
d. My friend George drinks coffee every morning.
i. That does not need commas, because in order to understand the sentence, we need to know the person’s name, as I have more than one friend and we need to be specific.
11. Chattering loudly the class grew impatient as they waited for the teacher to arrive.
a. Chattering loudly, the class grew impatient as they waited for the teacher to arrive.
b. Explanation: A comma follows a single participle or participle phrase that introduces a sentence.
12. He is a lonely old man.
c. He is a lonely, old man.
d. Explanation: Use a comma when an -ly adjective is used with other adjectives.
i. NOTE: To test whether an -ly word is an adjective, see if it can be used alone with the noun. If it can, use the comma.
13. That is one happy energetic puppy.
e. That is one happy, energetic puppy.
f. Explanation: Use a comma to separate two adjectives when the word and can be inserted between them.
i. That is one happy AND energetic puppy.
1. All Tess wants for her birthday is a laptop computer but her parents said that it is too extravagant.
a. All Tess wants for her birthday is a laptop computer, but her parents said that it is too extravagant.
b. Explanation: Use a comma to separate two strong clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction--for, and, nor, but, or, yet, & so. [FANBOYS]
Practice!!!
Directions: Read each sentence. Put commas in the correct places in each sentence.
1. Even though the paint was still wet I couldn't resist touching it.
2. After the fire burned out I went inside the house.
3. In English class we read Old Man and the Sea Dracula and Beowulf.
4. I watched television took the dog for a walk and drove to the store to get milk.
5. William Shakespeare a famous playwright wrote Macbeth and Hamlet.
6. The three pound bass which was the biggest fish I ever caught tasted delicious.
7. While the turkey was cooking I prepared mashed potatoes.
8. My best friend John just bought a new lawn mower.
9. In the basement mice hide between the boxes.
10. After hiking in the woods for three hours I sat down to have a drink of water.
11. The big gray dog wouldn't stop barking last night.
12. Jane I would like you to meet my mother and father.
13. I need to go to the hardware store to get nails paint and light bulbs.
14. If you liked Harry Potter you'll love Lord of the Rings.
15. I've had enough of your silly wild and inappropriate behavior.
Wrap-Up: Which comma rule is most confusing? Explain.