1. COMMAS: Use them well, and they will be your friends

2. COMMA, COMMA, WHERE TO PUT THE COMMA? Think of listening to someone talk without her ever stopping to pause. It would be exhausting to listen to that, wouldn’t it? Well, if you don’t use commas, your writing doesn’t pause, either. This mini-lesson is set up to help you know when and where and how to place commas to make your writing easier to read.

3. MAMA COMMA RULE #1: TO SEPARATE ITEMS IN A LIST. Ex. I love Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, and John Travolta. What do you notice there (besides the fact that I seem to like older men)? That’s right, the commas set off the items in the list. Notice, though, that the comma between “Sean Connery” and the “and” is optional (some people call that the “Oxford Comma”). I like that comma because it gets to sit right next to old Sean. It also makes the list even clearer. You can choose to use that comma or not. Look in your descriptive piece right now for a list of three or more items. If you can find one, did you punctuate it correctly?

4. Oops. I meant: I like cooking, my family, and my pets. Yes, much better.

6. MAMA COMMA RULE #2: TO SET OFF AN INTRODUCTORY CLAUSE OR PHRASE Ex. Before we leave, Imma tell y’all a lil’ something. See what I did there? Not only did I quote the famous song “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars, I used a comma to set off the first part of the sentence because it needed to be set off. Ex. At noon, I will dance the hula on the teacher’s desk. Not really, but see how I put the comma in there? Cool-o. Now you look in your descriptive essay for any introductory phrases or clauses that need to be set off. And then, guess what? Set them off!

7. MAMA COMMA RULE #3: TO JOIN TOGETHER TWO COMPLETE AND RELATED SENTENCES Ex. I love you, and you love me. OK, I am quoting Barney there, but I am also writing a compound sentence with a comma and conjunction joining the two together. Take a look at that beautiful descriptive piece right there in front of you, and look to find any compound sentences that need commas. Notice that sentence you just read was another example of a compound sentence. Am I a genius or what? Don’t answer that unless you are going to be kind.

8. AND THEN THERE’S OUR FRIEND, THE SEMI-COLON Notice in Mama Comma Rule #3, you can combine two sentences together with a comma and a conjunction. You can also combine two sentences that are related with a semi-colon. Ex. Independent reading encourages young people to develop a love of reading; it provides a chance for students to select their own novels. If you use semi-colons correctly, it can add to your writing style and help you vary the types of sentences you use.

9. AND DON’T FORGET COMMAS WHEN YOU ARE WRITING DIALOGUE You don’t have to use dialogue, but if you do, there will indeed be commas needed. Check out the way the following narrative is punctuated. “It was a lovely service,” Timothy whispered to Maddy as they walked behind the casket procession. “She would be touched that there were so many people.” As they slowly made their way up the aisle, Maddy saw former teachers who were her mother’s colleagues, her mother’s running buddies, Maddy’s friends from the Center, graduates and students from JHS, and people Maddy couldn’t place. It really did seem like all of Springvale Junction came to St. Winifred’s for the sad occasion. The rain continued to fall in sheets, so the procession stopped at the church’s double doors. The eight young men hoisted the casket into the hearse as funeral home staff tried to protect them from the rain with oversized umbrellas. It was a lost cause. The Varsity Cross Country team was soaked by the time Carolyn Larkin’s body was settled into the vehicle. Through rain splattered windows, Maddy, standing under the eaves of St. Winifred’s, could see sparkles shining from the droplets on her mother’s casket. “This cannot be happening,” she said to no one in particular. She added almost inaudibly, “This is a nightmare.”