1. REVIEW – Junior English
PUNCTUATION RULES
REVIEW – Junior English

2. Commas in a series Words: I have a dog, a bird, and a cat.
I went to the store, gas station, and dry cleaners
Phrases:
I like to eat macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, and grilled cheese for lunch.
Clauses:
The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and that they should do some warm-up exercises before the game.

3. Commas separate adjectives
Use commas to separate two or more adjectives that modify the same noun.
She is a young, dynamic student
RULE: if you can switch the order of the adjectives and it does NOT affect the sentence clarity, use a comma. Do not use a comma if you can’t switch.
For example: He wore green tennis shoes. NO COMMA

4. FANBOYS
When you use a coordinator (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) which joins two independent clauses, use a comma BEFORE the coordinator
I love dogs, and I love cats. (2 independent clauses)
I love dogs and cats. (NO COMMA – one clause)
I hate wasting time, but I still love watching reality TV.

5. Set off nonessential clauses
Nonessentials add information that is not CRUCIAL to the sentence.
The average world temperature, however, has continued to rise significantly. (nonessential word)
My uncle, who is eighty years old, walks three miles every day. (nonessential clause)
Essential: The woman who interviewed you is my sister. (clause)

6. Set off participle phrases
(Participle phrases) The president, knowing the need for dramatic action, declared the entire state a disaster area.

7. Set off introductory elements
While I was eating, the cat scratched at the door.
Because her alarm clock was broken, she was late for class.
If you are ill, you ought to see a doctor.
When the snow stops falling, we'll shovel the driveway.
HINT: After ABBI SAW A WUWU
About, because, before, if, since, always, when, although, whenever, until, while, unless

8. More introductory elements…
Words like Well, yes, no, why:
Well, I guess I’ll join you for dinner.
Yes, I do like grape jam.
After introductory participle phrases:
Reading late into the night, I enjoyed the peace and quiet.

9. With quotations Separate direct quotes from your own writing.
“Hockey,” explained Sam, “is my favorite subject.

10. Dates and Numbers
September 17, 2010
2,346,190
1, 245