2. Crafting with Commas: How to add ZIP to your writing Commas are common in reading and writing. They make written words sound oh, so inviting. Much more than pauses, They’re essential in clauses, Just watch, you will find them exciting! An interactive adventure By Mrs. Jones 2012

3. Play the game above. When you are done click the X. NEXT

4. Directions: Click each box on the next slide to learn different ways commas are used. Boxes with stars are “have tos”. You can explore other topics if you have time. NEXT

5. To separate nouns or adjectives in a series To separate the speaker tag from dialog To separate an introductory element With FANBOYS To separate embedded clauses COMMACOMMA Click here when done.

6. Commas can serve as little dividers in lists. Whenever you have a list (or a series) of items, you need to separate them so that they don’t run into one another. You can separate them with the words and or or, or you can separate them with commas. o Ex: Calvin liked sausage, sugary cereal, and prune tarts for breakfast. o Ex: Hobbes enjoys pouncing on Calvin, lounging in front of the fire, playing Calvinball, and eating tuna. NEXT

7. Your turn! Click to punctuate the following sentence: Bella used her babysitting money to buy Lip Smackers bubble gum a Halloween afro wig and Oreos. NEXT

8. Click to add commas to this sign! NEXT

9. Your turn! Click to punctuate the following sentence: The lonely dejected slug sat on a soggy bun. NEXT

10. BACK

11. Compounds A compound sentence means that there are two parts to your sentence. If you want to get fancy, you can call those “parts” independent clauses (meaning each part of the sentence could stand on its own). Ex: George ate an enchilada and Julian gobbled up four tacos and an order of refried beans. NEXT

12. Commas are used with conjunctions. BACK Quiz Click the Quiz button to edit this quiz BAC K

13. Just for fun! Click to punctuate the following sentence: Turkeys are not exactly known for their great brain power and nobody thinks that worms are likely to win scholarships to Harvard. NEXT

14. Separating Speaker Tag from Dialog o Commas also separate the speaker tag from dialog. Think of that separation as just a pause between two related items. The dialog needs the speaker tag to let the reader know who is talking. The speaker tag need the dialog because, by itself, it is not a sentence. o Ex. “Stop,” cried Kowin. “I want to get off!” o Ex. “I’ve had enough,” moaned Taylor. o Ex. Mrs. Bartlett asked, “Are you sure?” NEXT

15. Commas separate the speaker tag from dialog. BACK Check the number that shows where the comma should go. Sometimes there will be more than one comma in a sentence. Quiz Click the Quiz button to edit this quiz Click the number that shows where the comma should go. Sometimes there will be more than one comma in a sentence.

16. Just for fun! Click to punctuate the following sentences: “Commander Calvin “ said Hobbes. “Please respond over.” “Roger “ said Calvin. Hobbes said “Dinosaurs dead ahead.” NEXT

17. Interrupters It is also possible to add a word or group of words somewhere in the middle of the sentence, interrupting the flow of the sentence o Ex. Jerry and his brother, incidentally, walked to school on Monday. o Ex. Jerry and his brother, by the way, walked to school on Monday. o Ex. Jerry and his brother, the one who kind of smells, walked to school on Monday. NEXT

18. Your turn! Click to punctuate the following sentence: The most important things the astronauts took to the moon not counting a ton of powdered vegetables was a shiny roll of duct tape. NEXT

19. BACK

20. First Things First: Sentences often begin with a little something extra. Sometimes that word is the name of the person to whom you are talking. –Ex: Steven, I would like to buy a parakeet. Sometimes it is a word like well, oh, or however. o Ex: Well, I guess I’d like to try the escargots. To show that a word is extra, it is set off with a comma. That means, of course, that the comma goes after the word. o Ex. Mary, would you marry me? o No, I wouldn’t marry you if you were the last man on Earth. NEXT

21. Short Stuff: The Long Version: Many sentences begin with introductory “stuff” Sometimes the “stuff” is a short group of words called a phrase or a clause. An introductory phrase or clause is set off from the rest of the sentence with a comma Ex: In the back of the refrigerator, a moldy jar of mayonnaise sat beside a plate of greenish-looking pork chops. NEXT

22. Even Longer Stuff Introductory phrases and clauses can be short, like By the way, but they can also be very long, sometimes even longer than the main part of the sentence. Some introductory words include if, when, while, although, after, because Ex: If you eat a lot of candy of any kind and never floss or brush your teeth, your teeth may rot. NEXT

23. Commas separate an introductory element from the rest of the sentence. BACK When you are done, record your score on your recording sheet. Drag the words to put the words in the correct order. Record your score. BACK Click and drag the words in the correct order. Don’t forget the commas! Quiz Click the Quiz button to edit this quiz

24. Just for fun! Click to punctuate the following sentence: Sadly he took his bassoon and went home. NEXT

25. Click to fix this picture! NEXT

26. Even more fun! Click to punctuate the following sentence: Although she denies it I’m not at all surprised that Sheri ate your Jell-O. NEXT

27. Super, long fun! Click to punctuate the following sentence: While we watched Megan lunge for the aquarium that was about to topple off the table we all held our breath. BACK

28. Almost done! Play the Comma IQ game. Record the score on your Recording Sheet. If you get an 8000 or higher, return here and click on NEXT to go to the final activity. If you get a 7000 or lower, go BACK to the Main Menu and do the harder activities again. BACK NEXT

29. Great job! To show what you have learned, you will do two things: 1. Click to go to our Edmodo page. Post something you learned or liked. Respond to at least one other post.Edmodo 2. Create an online manual on how to use commas in writing. Make sure you have at least one picture and one example of each rule you have learned about. Ready… Set… CLICK! http://www.storyjumper.com/