Day 5 Commas 4

I.To Set Off Dialogue  Set off exact words of a speaker from the rest of the sentence.  Examples:  The firefighter said, “When we cannot successfully put out a fire, we try to keep it from spreading.”  When we cannot successfully put out a fire, we try to keep it from spreading,” the firefighter said.  Do not use a comma or quotation marks to set off indirect quotations. The words if and that often signal dialogue that is being reported rather than quoted.

J.In Direct Address  Use commas to separate a noun of direct address from the rest of the sentence. (A noun of direct address is a noun that names a person spoken to in the sentence.)  Examples:  Hayden, did you know that an interior decorator can change wallpaper and fabrics on a computer screen?  Sure, Jack, and an architect can use a computer o see how light will fall in different parts of a building.

K.To Set Off Interjections  Use commas to separate interjections and weak exclamation from the rest of the sentence.  Examples:  No kidding, you mean that one has to manage a class of 42 pupils? (weak exclamation)  Uh-huh, and that teacher has other classes that size. (interjections)

L.To Set Off Explanatory Phrases  Use commas to separate extra added information to explain something within a sentence.  Examples:  English, the language computers speak worldwide, is also the most widely used language in science and medicine.  More than 750 million people, about an eighth of the world’s population, speak English as a foreign language.

Homework:  Please complete worksheets pages 11 to 14.  Homework is due next class meeting.  20 points

Day 6 Commas 5

M.To Separate Introductory Clauses and Phrases  Use a comma to separate an adverb clause or a long phrase from the independent clause that follow it.  Examples:  If every automobile in the country were a light shade of red, we’d live in a pink-car nation. (adverb clause)  According to some experts, solar-powered cars will soon be common. (long modifying phrase)

N.In Compound Sentences  Use a comma between two independent clauses that are joined by a coordinating conjunction (such as and, but, or, nor, for, so, and yet – FANBOYS) forming a compound sentence. An independent clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence.  Examples:  Many students enjoy working on computers, so teachers are finding new ways to use them in the classroom.  Computers can be valuable in education, but many schools cannot afford enough of them.

 Avoid Comma Spices: A comma splice results when two independent clauses are “spliced: together with only a comma- and no conjunction. Homework:  Please complete worksheets pages 15 to 17.  Homework is due next class meeting.  10 points