REVIEW – Junior English COMMA RULES REVIEW – Junior English

#1 - Commas in a series 3 OR MORE only Words: I have a dog, a bird, and a cat. I went to the store, gas station, and dry cleaner. Phrases: I like to eat macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, and grilled cheese for lunch. Clauses: The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and that they should do some warm-up exercises before the game.

#2 - Commas separate adjectives Use commas to separate two or more adjectives that modify the same noun. She is a young, dynamic student. RULE: If you can switch the order of the adjectives and it does NOT affect the sentence clarity, use a comma. Do not use a comma if you can’t switch the order. For example: He wore green tennis shoes. NO COMMA

#3 - FANBOYS When you use a coordinator (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) to join two independent clauses, ALWAYS use a comma BEFORE the coordinator. I love dogs, and I love cats. (2 main clauses) I love dogs and cats. (NO COMMA – one clause) I hate wasting time, but I still love watching reality TV.

#4 - Set off introductory elements ABBI SAW A WUWU! While I was eating, the cat scratched at the door. Because her alarm clock was broken, she was late for class. If you are ill, you ought to see a doctor. When the snow stops falling, we'll shovel the driveway. HINT: After ABBI SAW A WUWU As, because, before, if, since, after, when, although, whenever, until, while, unless

More introductory elements… Words like well, yes, no, why: Well, I guess I’ll join you for dinner. Yes, I do like grape jam. After introductory verb phrases: Reading late into the night, I enjoyed the peace and quiet. After a longer prepositional phrase: From the beginning of our relationship, Jamie and I have felt a strong connection.

#5 - Set off nonessential clauses (Parenthetical Words) Nonessentials add information that is not CRUCIAL to the sentence. (Interrupters) The average world temperature, however, has continued to rise significantly. (nonessential word) My great uncle, who is eighty years old, walks three miles every day. (nonessential clause) Essential: The woman who interviewed you is my sister. (clause)

Set off participle phrases (nonessentials) (Participle phrases) The president, knowing the need for dramatic action, declared the entire state a disaster area.

#6 - With DIRECT quotations Separate direct quotes from your own writing. “Hockey,” explained Hera, “is my favorite sport.”

#7 – Dates, Cities, and Numbers December 1, 2011 2,346,190 1, 245 New York, New York Chicago, IL