1. Rules of the Comma. ,

2. Rule 1: Use commas to separate items in a series (list).
I love poetry novels and essays.
I hate commas semicolons and apostrophes. , , , ,

3. Rule 2: Use commas to separate two or more adjectives preceeding (in front of) a noun.
The angry green ogre beat down the cave door.
The dingy smelly socks were growing fungus. , ,

4. To comma or not to comma…
When should we use commas, and when should we spare them?
When in doubt, replace the comma with the word “and.”
The angry green ogre knocked down the cave door.
and
(That makes sense.)
and
and
and
and
I love chocolate ice cream on a hot summer day.
(That doesn’t.)

5. Rule 3: Put a comma before the conjunction when joining sentences.
The dog ate his collar and the cat chased a catnip mouse. ,
Mary was going home to get her lamb but decided to go to the mall instead.

6. Practice: Unicorns dragons ogres and elves are imaginary creatures.
Florida South Carolina and Alabama are states that border Georgia.
Dolphins seals and sharks all fight over their ocean home.