COM MAS The rules YOU NEED to know!

RULE ONE Use commas to separate items such as words or phrases in a series Examples: Lance, Isaiah, James, and Samuel play football for the Shiloh Generals. Studying for tests, doing homework, and paying attention in class help all students.

RULE TWO Use a comma to separate two or more adjectives before a noun. EXAMPLE: Beyoncé is a beautiful, fashionable, talented singer.

RULE THREE Use commas to set off direct addresses. Examples: Tashauna, you must clean your room. You must, Tashauna, clean your room. You must clean your room, Tashauna.

RULE FOUR Use commas to set off introductory words or expressions that interrupt the sentence. Examples: This is, I believe, your best work. In my opinion, commas are hard.

RULE FIVE Use a comma with a coordinating conjunction to separate two sentences (and form a compound sentence). Example: Garrick works hard, and he knows his grammar. Memorize the FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)

RULE SIX Use commas to set off appositives (renaming) in sentences. Example: Jalyn, one of my best students, always prepares for tests.

RULE SEVEN When using quotation marks in a sentence, use a comma when ending a quotation when the speaker is identified after the quotation or after the speaker is identified at the start of a sentence. Examples: I just love language arts, said Erique. Ashley said, I am going to the game.

RULE EIGHT Use a comma after an introductory dependent clause. Example: While I was sleeping, George jumped on my head. Learn your subordinating conjunctions (see next slide)

Subordinating Conjunctions after, although, as, as if, as long as, as soon as, as though What is A WHITE BUS? while, when, whenever, where, wherever how if than, though even though because until, unless AWHITEBUSAWHITEBUS so that, since LEARN THESE!! Subordinating conjunctions- start dependent clauses (must be followed by a subject and a verb).