1. English 12 – October 13, 2015 Do Now:
Be sure that your College Essay/Personal Narrative is stapled in the following order:
rubric with your name at the top
final typed copy of essay
peer editing feedback
two drafts
Place your completed assignment in the appropriate “Assignment Drop-Off” bin.

2. 6 Quick Comma Rules

3. 1. Use a comma to separate similar items in a series.
Examples:
John dislikes math, science, and history classes.
Doing the dishes, washing the clothes, and mopping the floor are the chores I hate most.
Finding healthy, appetizing fast food is difficult.
She left her beautiful black leather handbag on the bus. *
*unlike items (beautiful and black are different)
Separating items in a series signals to the reader that the items are "like" in some respect. The series may be a series of adjectives describing something, a series of things to pick up at the market, or a series of adjective, infinitive, or prepositional phrases.  A series of two or more items should be separated by commas; however, there is some debate about whether the last item in a list of three items should take a comma.  Many grammarians would argue in this situation, leaving out the last comma is acceptable.  However, MLA format rules do require a comma before the last item in a series of three or more elements.

4. 2. Use a comma with FANBOYS to separate two independent clauses
Examples:
John does not like spinach, nor does he like broccoli.
We will be going to the mountains again this summer, but this time we will bring mosquito repellant.
Maya is going to travel to Europe for a year, and I will be staying home.
Maya is going to travel to Europe for a year and study in Italy.*
*the second clause is not independent

5. 3. Use a comma to set off non-essential elements.
Examples:
She is, as you can see, pretty nervous about public speaking.
Once upon a time, before computers, people read books for fun.
Jake invited his best friends, John and Alex, to his home for dinner.
My sister, Maria, is pretty fun to hang out with.
My sister Maria is pretty fun to hang out with.*
*Maria is not set off with commas here because the speaker probably has 2 sisters and needed to clarify which sister.

6. 4. Use a comma after an opening clause, word, or phrase
As you can see, the problem is much bigger than we imagined.
Hey, I thought you were going to study tonight.
Because we had so little rain this year, we should take showers instead of baths.
We should take showers instead of baths because we had so little rain this year.*
*because is not in FANBOYS

7. I would love a new television; however, I cannot afford one.
Sadly, she has the flu and will have to skip the concert.
To help him understand how an engine works, I drew a diagram.
Without a doubt, she is the nicest person I have ever met.
In San Francisco one finds plenty of good restaurants.*
At the restaurant we all ordered burgers and fries.*
*Short phrases do not need a comma unless it is necessary for clarity or is essential to the sentence..
*Short prepositional phrases do not need a comma unless it is necessary for clarity, and introductory appositive phrases that are essential to the sentence should never be separated from the subject by a comma.

8. 5. Use a comma to follow conventions of naming, citing sources, presenting addresses, dates, etc.
I have lived in San Francisco, California, for most of my life.
The twins were born on June 13, 1999, one month before my 30th birthday.
The report was written by Professor Seed, Ph.D.
In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck says, “All I say is, kings is kings, and you got to make allowances.”

9. 6. Use a comma to emphasize a shift or to cause the reader to pause before an important contrast or point of emphasis.
He was angry, furious even.
Tears were streaming down her face because she was happy, not sad.
You are going to make the cake for the party, aren't you?