Comma misunderstandings…

Rule # 1

Comma Rule #1: Use commas with items in a series.Examples: Sam plays baseball, basketball, and football.

Apples, strawberries, and bananas are my favorite fruits.

*Things to remember: Make sure you put a comma before the conjunction, too!

Rule # 2Comma Rule #2: Use commas with coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS) to join 2 INDEPENDENT clauses.

Coordinating conjunctions: AKA- FANBOYS: ◦ For

◦ And

◦ Nor

◦ But

◦ Or

◦ Yet

◦ So

*Thing to remember: You put the comma before the FANBOY!

•You also have to have 2 subjects, 2 verbs, and both sentences have to make sense alone!

Example: Sam wanted to play rugby for the Falcons this year, but he couldn’t play both rugby and football.

Rule # 3Comma Rule #3: Use commas with standard conventions.

◦ 1. In salutations and closings of letters ◦ 2. After the day AND year in a sentence

Example: The tryouts for football are Wednesday, May 10, 2013, and it will be an important day for Sam.

◦ 3. After the city and state if it is in the middle of a sentence.Example: I want to go to Dallas, Texas, because I have always loved the Cowboys.

◦ 4. Between the street address and the city in an address in a sentenceExample: You attend school at 500 Red Hawk Parkway, Smyrna, Tennessee, at Stewarts Creek Middle

*Things to remember: if you have a comma in the convention, you need a comma after it, too!

Rule # 4Comma Rule #4: To set off non- essential (= extra information) elements (clauses, phrases, words)

These are generally the appositives (words that rename something else).

Can also be direct address. • Let’s eat, Grandma.Examples:

1. Allison, my best friend, is going on vacation next week. –Phrase

2. The teacher, who taught seventh graders everyday, was a little nervous about his new student.— Clause

3. Mark, please participate in class.—Word

Rule # 5Comma Rule #5: Use a comma after introductory items – Words, Phrases, or Clauses

Examples:

--Words: First, I would like a hamburger.

--Phrases: Phrases DO NOT have both a subject and verb and CANNOT stand alone.

Examples:

• Without representation, a criminal will surely get convicted.

• Hoping for a new cell phone, my brother couldn’t sleep at all the night before his birthday.

--Clauses: Have BOTH a subject and a verb (generally subordinate—can’t stand alone)

Example: After the sun went down, the music drifted on the night air.

Comma Rule #6

Comma Rule #6: When you use a series of adjectives (the part of speech that describes a noun), you often separate the adjectives with commas.

You ONLY use a comma between adjectives when the word and can be inserted between them.

Examples:He is a strong, healthy man.

It’s an easy five-mile hike. (You would not say “easy” and “five-mile”, so no comma.)

Exit Ticket

Why are commas so important to our writing?

How does the understanding of the following two sentences/ phrases change when the comma placement changes?

◦ Well done steak

◦ Well done, steak!

Comma Book InstructionsYou will use the Comma Notes you completed after viewing the powerpoint to make a

comma book.

1. Fold two pieces of construction paper in half. Your teacher will staple them together for you.

2. Label the outside of the front cover “Comma Book”. Write your first and last name and classperiod in the top righthand corner.

3. Using your comma powerpoint notes, cut on the lines between each comma rule.

4. Beginning with the inside of the front cover, glue each comma rule on its own page. Yourteacher will help you staple the comma book inside your composition notebook.

Bellwork (“Do-Now”) Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016

Commas—An Introduction

Some people use commas the way they sprinkle crushed Oreos onto their ice cream—they let the Oreopieces fall randomly over the ice cream without giving much thought to where they should go. This isNOT the way we should use commas. We have comma rules to help us understand where commas shouldgo, but why do we have those rules? Why do we need commas? Write the following in theNotes/Bellwork section of you composition notebook and title it “Comma Thoughts”:

1. Write one complete sentence about why we need commas in our writing.

2. Write one other complete sentence discussing how you believe we could use writing with commas in real life.

Bellwork (“Do-Now”) Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016Word Wall Word: edit

Directions: Complete all four boxes

Word: revise What It Is:

Part of Speech: verb Explain in your own words what it

Definition: review and correct grammar, means to edit.

punctuation, capitalization, and spelling of

a draft

What It Is Not (antonym): Picture Representation:

Explain in your own words what Draw a picture that represents

edit does not mean. edit to you.

Bellwork (“Do-Now”) Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016

Get out your Comma Practice Homework and check it for accuracy. We will grade these in class for Bellwork.

Bellwork (“Do-Now”)Friday, Sept. 30, 2016

Short Free Write:

Write your response to the following in the Notes/Bellwork section of your composition notebook and title it “Crime Free Write”.

On your phone, you decide to catch up on the local news. When you check the crime page on the news website, you notice a familiar name: yours. The article says you’re wanted for a crime you didn’t commit. Suddenly, you hear three loud knocks on the door, followed by a man yelling, “Police! Open up!” What crime did the website and the police say you committed, and what evidence are you going to use to prove you didn’t commit it?