Comma Rules Part I

Comma Rule 1 – Items in a Series Use a comma to separate items in a series. Ex. All my cousins, aunts, and uncles came to our family reunion. Ex. The engine roared, the wheels spun, and a cloud of dust swirled behind the sports car. Helpful Hint: The last comma may be omitted if the comma is not necessary to make the meaning clear. Ex. Our school newspaper has editors for news, sports, humor, features and art. *Are there four or five editors?

Comma Rule 1 – Items in a Series Use a comma to separate two or more adjectives preceding a noun. Ex. Coaches grew weary of running practices in the drafty, dreary, dilapidated gymnasium. Ex. The designs for an expensive, modern gym should make them happy. Helpful Hint: If you could put a but or an and between the adjectives, you should put a comma between them. *When the last adjective in the series is thought of as part of the noun, the comma before the last adjective is omitted. Ex. I study in our small dining room.

Dr. Charles Drew worked as a surgeon developed new ways of storing blood and was the first director of the Red Cross blood bank program. I am going to take English science social studies and algebra. The loud insistent smoke alarm woke us just before dawn. Please pass those delicious blueberry pancakes the margarine and the syrup. My twin sister can run faster jump higher and do more push-ups than I can. Where is the nearest store that sells newspapers magazines and paperbacks? Horns tooted tires screeched a whistle blew and sirens wailed. Steel is made from iron other metals and small amounts of carbon. The clown wore a long blue raincoat; big red plastic gloves; and floppy yellow tennis shoes. Robert Browning says that youth is good that middle age is better and that old age is best.

Comma Rule 2 – Independent Clauses Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so) to separate two independent clauses. Ex. Mara cleared the table, and Roland did the dishes.

It is important to know first aid for an accident can happen at almost any time. More than 83,000 people in the United States die in accidents each year and many millions are injured. Many household products can cause illness or even death but are often stored where small children can reach them. Biking accidents are common wherever cars and bicycles use the same road so many communities have provided bicycle lanes. Car accidents are the leading cause of childhood fatalities but set belts have saved many lives. Everyone should know what to do in case of fire and different escape routes should be tested. If you need to escape a fire, you should stay close to the floor and be very cautious about opening doors. Holding your breath, keep low and protected behind a door when opening it for a blast of superheated air can be fatal. An injured person should not get up nor should liquid be given to someone who is unconscious. Always have someone with you when you swim or you may find yourself without help when you need it.

Part II

Comma Rule 3 – Nonessential Clauses and Phrases Use a comma to set off nonessential clauses or phrases. Ex. Robert Frost, perhaps America’s most beloved poet, died when he was 88. * “Nonessential information” is something that can be removed from a sentence without changing the essential meaning of that sentence.

Jump Street which is my favorite comic strip makes me think as well as laugh. Ms. Lopez, who teaches social studies and gym will leave at the end of the year. The amusement rides that are the most exciting may be the most dangerous. Many of the first Spanish settlements in California were founded by Father Junipero Serra who liked to take long walks between them. People, who carry credit cards, should keep a record of their account numbers at home. Amy Kwan who is our class president plans to go to Yale after she graduates from high school. A town like Cottonwood which has a population of five thousand seems ideal to me. All dogs that pass the obedience test get a reward; those that don’t pass get to take the test again later. Have you tried this pemmican which my mother made from an old Cree recipe? “The Gift of the Magi” is a story, in which the two main characters who are deeply in love make sacrifices in order to buy gifts for each other.

Comma Rule 4 – Introductory Elements Use a comma to set off introductory elements. Ex. Anxious about the upcoming winter, settlers began to bicker among themselves about supplies. Ex. In the winter of 1644, nearly half the settlers died of starvation or exposure. *One short introductory prepositional phrase does not require a comma unless the comma is necessary to make the meaning clear. Ex. At our house, plants grow better on the front porch. Ex. In 1649 the settlers abandoned their initial outpost.

Although there was a great deal of poverty in China the ruling classes lived in splendor. Valuing cleanliness, Chinese rulers took baths every day. Instead of using coins as currency the Chinese used paper money. After marrying a Chinese woman usually lived in her mother-n-law’s home. After one Chinese emperor had died he was buried with more than eight thousand statues of servants and horses. Respected by their descendants elderly people were highly honored. Built around 200 B.C. the main part of the Great Wall of China is about four thousand miles long. Why until modern freeways were built, the Great Wall was the world’s longest construction. In the picture on this page you can see that Asian landscapes look different from those created by Western artists. In Asian art people are often very small and are usually shown in harmony with nature.