Comma, Comma, comma Rules AKA: How to write rockin’ (and grammatically correct) sentences

Why are commas so dang important? Proper comma use is the first sign of a skilled writer If you know the basic comma rules, the world of grammar opens unto you (and it’s a beautiful, beautiful thing)

1-Comma between two independent clauses joined by a conjunction I rode the bus to school every day from kindergarten to graduation, but I hated those noisy monkeys who shared the ride with me. But wait, Ms. K…what’s an independent clause? An idea with a subject and a verb (predicate)

Okay, but what the heck’s a conjunction? I rode the bus to school every day from kindergarten to graduation, but I hated those noisy monkeys who shared the ride with me. Okay, but what the heck’s a conjunction? Conjunctions connect words or phrases: For And Nor But Or Yet So

2—Use a comma between items in a list Our bird-watching adventure resulted in sightings of a robin, a black-capped chickadee, a red-tailed hawk, and an Anna’s hummingbird. Our first date was spent discussing our favorite Beethoven symphonies, the political situation in Darfur, whether or not Keats would have surpassed Shakespeare if the former had lived longer, and what turned out to be our shared passion for hedgehogs.

Rule #3—Use a comma between coordinate adjectives Our old, gray-haired, absent-minded English teacher limped into the classroom smiling at some madcap private joke. Uh-huh, sure, Ms. K. Like I know what a coordinate adjective is Two (or more) adjectives that modify the same noun in the same way

4. Use a comma to separate an appositive from the rest of the sentence Sedro-Woolley High School, ensconced in the cedar-carpted hills of Northwest Washington, was a venerable and crumbing institution which had sent former students to the far reaches of the globe in pursuit of accomplishment and adventure. Again, all this big words, Ms. K. “Appositive”? HUH? A noun or noun phrase that identifies or renames the noun right next to it

5. Use a comma after a lengthy dependent clause preceding the main clause of the sentence After our trip to Italy, we are going to start planning our Brazil expedition. Before school, the teachers had a meeting. During lunch, time finally came to a stop. Uh, dependent clause? Contains both a subject and verb but cannot stand alone; usually modifies the independent clause.

Your turn: Create at least two sample sentences employing each of the five comma rules. Bonus points if they make Uzume laugh out loud!