1. Punctuation: Commas and Apostrophes
This workshop will
Refresh your understanding of commas and apostrophes
Provide tips for the appropriate use of commas and apostrophes
Provide practice and follow-on activities for you to be able continue to improve your use of punctuation
Louise Livesey
Academic Skills Adviser
11/8/2018
Academic Skills Advice

2. Academic Skills Advice
Today’s Plan
7 ways to use commas
Commas and clauses
Commas and ends of sentences
Using pairs of commas
Comma practice
Jobs apostrophes do
“Its/it’s” and “there/they’re/their”
Where to place apostrophes with plural nouns
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Academic Skills Advice

3. Academic Skills Advice
1. 7 ways to use commas
The 7 rules of commas
1 To separate the clauses in a sentence
2 To separate the introductory element of a sentence from the main part (or subject) of it
3 To separate an additional and final part of a sentence from the opening and main part (or subject) of it
4 To separate out essential/useful information from the main part (subject) of the sentence
5 To separate out nonessential words from the remainder of the sentence. The word ‘however’ is used as a signal to suggest a change of direction or to stress an exception to the rule
6 To separate commands or interjections from the remainder of the sentence
7 To separate out a) adjectives, or b) list of items in a sentence
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Academic Skills Advice

4. Academic Skills Advice
2.Clauses and commas
Clauses
A clause is a group of words that may or may not have a complete meaning on their own.
Clauses are building blocks of sentences with each one adding to the overall detail of a sentence.
A sentence may contain more than one clause, but must have one main clause.
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Academic Skills Advice

5. Academic Skills Advice
2.Clauses and commas
Society depends on its traditions, and the authority of the written text is one of those.
Society depends on its traditions. Authority of the written text is a tradition of society.
Can be rewritten as…..
Insert comma
Ist sentence and brackets one click
Can be and 2 sentences on one click
Insert and one sentence on one click
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Academic Skills Advice

6. Academic Skills Advice
2.Clauses and commas
David wants to attend University of Bradford, but he has had trouble meeting the academic requirements.
Joey lost a fortune in the stock market, but he still seems able to live quite comfortably.
School is still open for another nine weeks, so you better try to learn all you can.
One click for tp
One click for answers
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Academic Skills Advice

7. Academic Skills Advice
3.Commas and ends of sentences
The sea is calm tonight, yet it raged fiercely all day.
This is the main subject This is the additional element
TALKING POINT
Original, bracket and explanation one click
Click for TP
Click for answers
The chimpanzee seemed reflective, almost human.
That is my money, not yours.
Some say the world will end in ice, not fire.
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Academic Skills Advice

8. Academic Skills Advice
4.Using pairs of commas
Charles Handy, in his book The Empty Raincoat, has argued that federalism is a way of making sense of large organizations.
Smith’s ambition, to become a qualified dentist, is within his reach.
The man, who robbed the bank, was caught today.
One famous sportsman, Ryan Giggs, won many trophies during his career.
One click for handles and original
One click for tp
One click for answers
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Academic Skills Advice

9. Academic Skills Advice
5.Comma practice
Activity 1: Comma exercise
On July 20th 1969 having stepped onto the surface of the Moon’s surface Neil Armstrong uttered the famous words ‘One small step for man one giant leap for mankind.’ Although it had been hoped that the moon landing would lead to significant advances in space travel some of which may soon become a reality the scientific progress has generally been slow. However space research has done much to unite nations. The establishment of the International Space Station the Space Shuttle and the Hubble Telescope illustrates how much easier and more profitable it is for nations to work as a team rather than in isolation.
Click for answers
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Academic Skills Advice

10. Academic Skills Advice
5.Comma practice
Activity 1: Comma exercise
On July 20th, 1969, having stepped onto the surface of the Moon’s surface, Neil Armstrong uttered the famous words, ‘One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.’ Although it had been hoped that the moon landing would lead to significant advances in space travel, some of which may soon become a reality, the scientific progress has generally been slow. However, space research has done much to unite nations. The establishment of the International Space Station, the Space Shuttle and the Hubble Telescope illustrates how much easier and more profitable it is for nations to work as a team, rather than in isolation.
Click for answers
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Academic Skills Advice

11. Academic Skills Advice
6.The Apostrophe
Substitution
Possession
Sub and player on one click;
Click for gulls and sound
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Academic Skills Advice

12. Shortened words using an apostrophe
6.The Apostrophe
Shortened words using an apostrophe
Don’t Do not
Wasn’t Was not
Can’t Cannot
It’s It is
Not in academic work except…
Quotations
Acronyms and initialisms
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Academic Skills Advice

13. 7.Its/it’s and there/they’re/their
Its and it’s
Use expansion: does it is make sense?
Their/there/they’re
Space and time: there
Expansion: they’re
Elimination: their
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Academic Skills Advice

14. Academic Skills Advice
7.Its/it’s and there/they’re/their
1.My friends cannot find their jackets.
2.The dog licked its paw.
3.They’re always late to every event.
4.There are four squirrels in the yard.
5.My sister is always complaining that it’s too hot in Spain
Activity 2: Its/it’s and they’re/their/there  
One of the problems that arises when you’re or you are paying for something over
the internet is that you never see who’s or who is receiving your details at the
other end. We like to think that they’re or they are trustworthy but it’s or it is
impossible to know whether that is the case. As anyone who’s or who is been the
victim of credit card fraud will know, it can very difficult to regain your faith in online
shopping once your identity has been stolen. Shops and restaurants may seem safer
but just as much fraud goes on there as it does on the web. These days, customers
need reassurance that their transactions are safe and banks need to raise their
game with regard to financial security. For all its advantages, the online world can
certainly have its downside Adapted directly from Harrison, Jakeman and Paterson (2012: 115)
Click for 1-5 and click for answer
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Academic Skills Advice

15. Possession/substitution
8.Where to place apostrophes
with plural nouns
Possession/substitution
The cat’s collar is red The cats’ collars are red For plurals, no second ‘s’ after the apostrophe
Need space to write on
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Academic Skills Advice

16. Academic Skills Advice
8.Where to place apostrophes
with plural nouns
A.The beneficial effect of Vitamin D on children’s health has been noted in recent research findings. B.Apparently Ferrari’s latest supercar can reach speeds of over 200 miles per hour. C.The development of teenagers’ identities is heavily influenced by their peers’s behaviour. D.People have enjoyed Beethoven’s music for more than two hundred years. E.I’ve always believed that a designer’s most successful approach is to follow his intuition, rather than pander to clients’ ideas.
Need space to write on
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Academic Skills Advice

17. Academic Skills Advice
References
Clip art –question
Capital Community College. (2014) Conjunctions. Hartford: Capital Community College. [online] Available at: [Accessed ]
Drawingcoach.com (2010) Drawing a Friendly Cartoon Panda. [online] Available at: [Accessed ]
Driscoll, D. and Brizee, A. (2014) Extended rules for using commas. West Lafayette: Purdue University. [online] Available at: [Accessed ]
Harrison, M., Jakeman, V. and Paterson, K. (2012) Improve your grammar. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
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References
How Stuff Works. (2012) 10 Completely wrong ways to use a comma. [online] Available at:
[Accessed ]
Picture for Coloring. (2014) Panda on walk. Montreal: Picture for Colouring. [online] Available at: [Accessed ]
Schwartz, B (2013) Search Engine Roundtable. [online] Available at:
[Accessed ]
Straus, J. (2014) Commas. [online] Grammarbook.com Available at: [Accessed ]
University of Bristol. (2012) Using the comma. Bristol: University of Bristol. [online] Available at: [Accessed ]
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Academic Skills Advice

19. Academic Skills Advice Service
Where are we? Chesham Building B0.23. Give us a call or come speak to us Monday- Friday 9am-5pm (closing at 4pm Fridays).
Who am I? Louise, the dedicated workshop adviser.
Who can help me with study and writing skills? Lucy and Russell run Instant Study Skills Advice sessions every weekday and Writing Skills Clinics three times a week. You can also access self-help resources on our webpage.
Who can give me maths advice? Helen and Michael specialise in Maths support for students though clinics and pre-booked appointment.
How do I get in touch? Telephone:
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Academic Skills Advice

20. Academic Skills Advice
Any questions?
Produced by Louise Livesey May 2014
11/8/2018
Academic Skills Advice