Miss Duncan's Teaching Blog



WARNING: Don’t use a comma without a reason!Comma Rule #1: Use commas between items in a SERIES (a list) of two or more words, phrases, or clauses. You can eat the cake or the pie or the ice cream.ORYou can eat the cake, the pie, or the ice cream.We can pick up your friend from her house and go to the store and stop by the post office in one trip.ORWe can pick up your friend from her house go to the store and stop by the post office in one trip.ORWe can pick up your friend from her house, go to the store, and stop by the post office in one trip.Mrs. Sutton couldn’t decide where to go on vacation, how much money to spend, or how long to stay.Notice that each of these sentences has a conjunction (FANBOYS) before the last item in the series!Sometimes, you might be reading something and see something like this:“I want a puppy, a kitten and another adorable animal.”You might be tempted to omit the serial comma (the comma that comes before the coordinating conjunction and the last item.) DON’T DO IT! Why? Because otherwise you might accidentally write something like this:“I invited my parents, Kanye West and the little old lady from down the street.”Which people might interpret like this:+ = ?It’s different from “I invited my parents, Kanye West, and the little old lady from down the street.”The serial comma, also known as the Oxford comma, keeps our sentences from possibly being ambiguous or confusing. So you should use it!Comma Rule #2: Use commas in coordinate situations:In compound sentences with a conjunction (FANBOYS)In compound sentences after a semi-colon and a conjunctive adverb (therefore, however, thus…)In a sentence that has two or more adjectives describing one noun (but only if the adjectives are reversible.) 1. I know it’s silly, but I really want a pet hippopotamus. 2. You can shower Miss Duncan with all of the lavish, expensive gifts you want; however, she will still only give you the grade you deserve.DON’T START A SENTENCE WITH A CONJUNCTION! (FANBOYS)3. The beautiful, fragrant roses were wilting due to a lack of water.BUT: The beautiful red roses were wilting due to a lack of ma Rule #3: Use commas after INTRODUCTORY elements in sentences. Introductory elements include the following things:Nouns of address (Addressing someone at the beginning of a sentence)Matt the door is still open. Mattvs.Matt, the door is still open.388620031115Mild interjections (oh, well, my…)Oh, I didn’t know that commas were so useful!Well, I didn’t like the book, but I read it anyway.My, isn’t that dress scandalous!Group of prepositional phrasesIn an 11th grade English classroom at Franklin High School, the intelligent students worked diligently.In their luxury mansion in the south of France, Mrs. Sutton and her husband feasted on caviar and vintage wine.BUTMrs. Sutton and her husband feasted on caviar and vintage wine in their luxury mansion in the south of France. (No commas!)Participial words or phrasesA participle is a word that looks like a verb but acts as an adjective (so it describes a noun!). It usually ends in –ing, -ed, or –en. A participial phrase is just a phrase that begins with a participle.Looking closely at the painting, you will notice that many tiny brushstrokes make up the whole image.Gazing into the beautiful girl’s eyes, Jimmy realized that he loved her.Yawning, the tired students struggled to stay awake.Frustrated with the difficult essay, Blaine ripped her paper to shreds.Ashamed of their huge loss against the FHS football team, the Smoky Mountain team returned home sadly.Infinitive phrasesAn infinitive is the form of the verb that begins with “to.” To work, to scream, to eat, etc.An infinitive phrase is a phrase that begins with an infinitive and includes anything that modifies the infinitive (like an adverb) as well as the object of the infinitive, if there is one.To take a photograph, you need to have a camera.To dine luxuriously, you usually need a lot of money.Subordinate clauses (when, if, after, since, because…)A subordinate clause is a clause that begins with a subordinate conjunction, has a subject and a verb, and does not form a complete sentence. It is also known as a dependent clause because it depends on another clause—an independent clause, or group of words that can stand alone as a sentence—to form a complete sentence.Some Subordinate ConjunctionsAfterSinceAlthoughBecauseWhenBeforeIn order toEven thoughThoughUnlessRather thanProvided thatEven ifIfBecause Rachel always does her homework, she gets excellent grades.Even though The Scarlet Letter is a difficult novel, Mrs. Sutton’s class understands it well.AbsolutesAn absolute is a group of words that modifies an independent clause (a group of words that can be a complete sentence on their own) as a whole.An absolute phrase is made up of a noun and the words that modify it.Their pencils moving quickly across the page, the students answered the difficult essay questions with confidence.Camera held tightly in her hands, she eagerly explored the streets of Paris.Transition words or phrases (finally, in summary, in conclusion, first of all…)In summary, commas are very important, and you should use them when appropriate.First of all, it is important that you understand how much I love ma Rules (Commas Rule!) Part 3Comma Rule #4: Use commas to set off phrases that INTERRUPT (occur in the middle of) a sentence.3886200129540Once again, nouns of address!Let’s eat Grandma!ORLet’s eat, Grandma!I did all of my homework this weekend, Mrs. Sutton!You’re a wizard, Harry.AppositivesAn appositive is a noun or pronoun (or a phrase with a noun/pronoun and the adjectives modifying it) that is placed next to another noun or pronoun to identify it or give more information about it.I have known my best friend, Rachel, for almost nineteen years.Mrs. Sutton, your 11th grade English teacher, is on the phone right now.ORMrs. Sutton, your 11th grade English teacher is on the phone right now.My dog, a Pomeranian, likes to bark at deer in the yard.Contrasting elements, or antithetical phrasesHarry Potter, not The Hunger Games, is my favorite book series.Some people think that Shakespeare was simply a copycat, not a brilliant writer.Sam said his favorite color is purple, not green.Describing phrases or clauses that aren’t necessary for a sentence to make sense.Dogs that have thick coats tend to shed a lot more than those who don’t.Students who do their homework usually get better grades.BUTDogs, which typically make great house pets, can be unruly if they aren’t trained properly.High school students, who usually don’t like homework, study hard if they want to succeed.Banana bread, baked with or without chocolate chips, is my favorite treat.502920030480Absolutes that occur in the middle or at the end of a sentence.The puppy, his tail wagging excitedly, eagerly waited for her to throw the toy.She nervously stepped into the spotlight,her palms sweating.Parenthetical expressionsWe seem to be out of chocolate ice cream, unfortunately.My friends, admittedly, are not always the nicest people.This is top-secret information; i.e., if you tell anyone, I will have to kill you.My dogs will eat pretty much anything (e.g., cookies, stuffed animals, and shoes).Last (but not least!), use commas in standard places.Between and after parts of addresses in a sentenceSan Diego, CaliforniaShe was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, before the new millennium.After the openings and closings of letters Dear John,Sincerely,To change a statement into a questionYou would love to buy me some cookies, wouldn’t you?Dr. Baldwin is the principal here, isn’t he? ................
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