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East Los Angeles College MLA Essay Packet English Composition Courses

Constructing your Essay in MLA Format

Your First and Last Name

Instructor’s Last Name

Title of the Class

Due Date (e.g. 4 January 2007)

Creative and Relevant Title (Centered)

The first line of the essay must be indented by pressing the “tab” button. Then, the rest of

the essay is “left flush.” This means that the line goes all the way to the margin, just like this.

You can use your imagination for the rest.

Make sure to press “enter” only once between paragraphs so that you conform to the

double-spacing requirement throughout your paper. Also, be sure to leave TWO SPACES after

“sentence-ending” punctuation. There is only ONE SPACE after a comma (,), semi-colon (;),

colon (:), or quotation mark (“”). Use ONE INCH margins on the top, bottom and sides of all

pages.

How to Make a Header

1. Open Microsoft Word

2. Left click “View” on the toolbar to bring up the pull down menu

3. Left click on “Header/Footer”

4. The Header will automatically appear

5. Click on “Align Right” button

6. Type your last name, space and left click on “Insert Page Number”

7. Left click “Close”

8. You are now ready to type your MLA Heading in the top left hand corner (not in the

Header)


Introductions

A good introduction, generally speaking, does two things: it defines for the reader what

the essay (or other written work) is going to address, and it divides the topic of the essay into

parts that will be discussed. Remember: a good introduction leaves readers with a good idea of

what the essay is all about and how the writer intends to “tackle” his or her topic.

Different Ways to Approach Introductions

Begin with a quotation

Although this approach can be overused, it can be very effective when you have an

appropriate quotation. That quotation may relate directly to the subject or it may be only

indirectly related (and thus require further explanation). Do not force a quotation into this spot;

if an appropriate quotation is not available, select another method.

Ex. “Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul” (11). These opening lines of

Lolita reveal the essence of Humbert Humbert’s complexity and compulsion, his saving grace

and his damning passion.

Begin with a concession

Start with a statement recognizing an opinion or approach different from the one you plan

to take in your essay.

Ex. Many critics have pointed to the unrelenting word games and puns throughout Lolita as

proof of Vladimir Nabakov’s major concern has always been language and art. Although these

subjects certainly loom in all his works, a close examination of Lolita reveals that morality – the

way people treat each other – is just as major a concern for him as language and art.

Begin with a paradox

In 1959, Vladimir Nabakov’s novel Lolita had been banned in several cities as

pornographic. Today, it is required reading not only in literature courses, but also in philosophy

courses that explore the nature of love. Since its publication, the novel’s subject has not been

recognized to be love, not lust; art, not perversion.

Begin with a short anecdote or narrative

When the original movie version of Lolita was released in the early 1960s, Sue Lyon, the

young actress who starred as the provocative “nymphet” of the title, was judged too young to be

allowed to see the movie in the theater.

Begin with an interesting fact or statistic

Joseph Conrad and Vladimir Nabakov – two acknowledged masters of English prose –

were not even native speakers of English. Conrad’s native tongue was Polish; Nabakov’s,

Russian.


Begin with a question or several questions that will be answered in the paper

How could a book now acknowledged as a masterpiece not only of fiction but also of

English prose have been banned when it was published? How could a novel that dealt with love

and art be thought of as pornographic? Why would a society, so mindful of free speech as a

America, ban any book in the first place?

Begin with relevant background material

Background material should be presented concisely and should be clearly related to your

thesis. A rambling discussion of material only remotely related to your main point will confuse

and bore your readers.

Ex. Although he was born in Russia and lived for many years in England, Germany, and France

before coming to America in 1941, Vladimir Nabakov is now considered one of the great

American novelists of the 20th

century. This opinion, however, is not based solely on his

mastery of English prose. His novel, Lolita, has been said to have captured the essence of

American life in the 1950s better than any novel written by a writer born in this country.

Begin by stating a long-term effect or effects without immediately stating the cause

It caused howls of protest from the guardians of public morality in the 1950s. Indirectly

it helped bring about both artistic and personal freedom in the 1960s. Today, it is a recognized

classic of art and thought – Vladimir Nabakov’s Lolita.

Begin with an analogy

Like a hurricane that brings fear and panic along with its powerful winds, uprooting trees

and disrupting belief in an all-merciful God, so Lolita swept across America in the 1960s,

bringing fear and panic that pedophilia would be loose on the land. Instead, the novel, like a

hurricane, blew over trees of thought that were not deeply rooted in American experience,

exposing their gnarled premises while helping to clear the way for the artistic freedom of the

1960s.

Begin with a definition of a term that is important to your essay

Avoid simple dictionary definitions. Create an expanded definition that explains how the

term applies to your topic and essay.

Ex. Every few years the ugly charge of “pornography” is aimed at some novel or movie. Never

was the term more inappropriately used than in the case of Lolita, yet the taint of that word still

lingers in the minds of many when they hear the book’s title. What exactly is “pornography”

that it should still stir such feelings and be so hated? The problem, of course, is that no one can

agree on what pornography actually is. That it has something to do with sex is clear; beyond

that, there is a chaos of opinion. When the small-minded or special-interest definitions are

pushed aside, however, we are left with D. H. Lawrence’s provocative definition: pornography is

anything that “does dirt on sex.” By definition, Lolita is the opposite of pornography – it is a

celebration of sex and love.


Words for the wise:

If readers don’t understand what the writer is up to, they won’t be very interested.

Make sure your lead-in introduces your thesis.

In general, the beginning should offer clues not only to the subject of the essay, but

also to the way it is to be treated, and the opening sentences should set the tone of the

discussion.

Both the writer and the reader must have a sense that the starting is logical and/or

natural. Don’t apologize or complain about your assertions.


Titles and Conclusions Reference Sheet

A Great Title Will:

Attract the reader’s attention/interest (catchy, creative, and relevant)

Announce the tone of the essay

Suggest content

Not be underlined (should be in the same size and font as the rest of the essay)

Be capitalized according to MLA guidelines (first word capitalized, and then all

nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs are capitalized)

How to Write a Good Concluding Paragraph

A reemphasizes both the thesis and the essay’s major points

An evaluation of the importance of the essay’s subject

A call to action

A witticism that emphasizes or sums up the point of the essay

A quotation that emphasizes or sums up the point of the essay (should not come at

the end of the paragraph)

An image or description that lends finality to the essay

A rhetorical question that makes the reader think about the essay’s main point (a

rhetorical question is a question that is not meant to be answered; only to make

you think. The answer to the question should be obvious)

Avoiding Errors in Conclusions

Avoid a mechanical ending

Don’t introduce new points

Don’t tack on a conclusion

Don’t change your stance or point of view

Avoid trite expressions (overused phrases, slang, clichés, etc.)


The Body Paragraphs

The Body of Your Essay

The body of the essay is composed of paragraphs that support the thesis

statement.

Each body paragraph usually presents and develops one main point in the

discussion of your thesis.

A new body paragraph signals another major point in the discussion of your

essay.

What is a Topic Sentence?

The main point of each body paragraph is expressed in a topic sentence. Topic sentences

guide each paragraph similar to how a thesis statement guides the essay.

The Purpose of a Topic Sentence

It supports the thesis by clearly stating a main point in t he discussion.

It announces what the paragraph will be about.

It controls the subject matter of the paragraph (keeps you focused on what you are

writing about)

Paragraph Development

The information in each paragraph must adequately explain, exemplify, define, or

in some other way support your topic sentence.

The paragraphs should be long enough to accomplish their purpose and short

enough to being interesting (prove your point in a well-developed paragraph).

A paragraph must stay focused to its announced subject; it must not drift away

into another direction.

Paragraph Coherence

All of the sentences and ideas in your paragraph need to flow together to make a clear,

logical point about your topic.

Ways of Achieving Coherence

A natural or easily recognized order

Transitional words and/or phrases

Repetition of key words

Substitution of pronouns for key nouns (i.e. he, she, they vs. names; it vs. subject)

Parallelism (similarity to structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or

clauses)

a. Parallelism of words

She tried to make her pastry fluffy, sweet, and delicate.

b. Parallelism of phrases

Singing a song or writing a poem is joyous.

c. Parallelism of clauses

Perch are inexpensive; cod are cheap; trout are abundant; but salmon are

best.


The Thesis Statement

What is a Thesis Statement?

The thesis statement declares the main point of the controlling idea of your entire essay.

A Good Thesis Statement Will:

1. State the writer’s clearly defined opinion on a subject (i.e. what side are you on)

2. Assert one main idea that is easily recognized (it will let your reader know exactly

what you want to say)

3. Have something worthwhile to say

4. Be limited to fit the assignment (avoid broad topics)

5. Be clearly stated in specific terms (the more detailed the better!)

6. Often be located in the first or second paragraph of your essay

HINT: A great many clear and engaging thesis statements contain words like “because,”

“since,” “so,” “although,” “unless,” and “however.”

Common Errors in Thesis Statements

Don’t make your thesis merely an announcement of your subject matter or a

description of your intention.

Don’t clutter your thesis with such expressions as “in my opinion,” “I believe,”

and “in this essay I will argue that . . .” Also, avoid sounding vague or unsure by

always using active voice. Stay away from phrases such as “would be,” “seem,”

etc.

Don’t be unreasonable (for example, getting rid of all motor vehicles to decrease

air pollution is not a plausible solution)

Don’t merely state a fact (choose a topic that is arguable, and use facts in your

body paragraphs to support your claims)

Don’t express your thesis in the form of a question (the reader needs to know

what you think)

Examples of Good Thesis Statements

Because of its free services, well-trained tutors, and useful learning aids, the Study Skills

Center is an excellent place for first-year students seeking academic help.

Despite their high-tech special effects, today’s graphically violent horror movies do not

convey the creative use of cinematography or the emotional impact that was seen in the classic

horror films of the 1940s and 50s.


Transitions and Transitional Phrases

Conjunctions: and, but, or, for, nor, neither, so, yet

Introduction to a Topic: as for, concerning, with regard to, with respect to, in terms of

To Summarize: in all, in a word, in brief, briefly, in other words, in short, in summary, that is,

finally, generally, in conclusion, on the whole, therefore, to sum up, to conclude, and so,

this shows

To Compare: by comparison, here again, in the same way, in a similar

manner, likewise, similarly, so too, as, also, equally, accordingly, moreover, as well, and

To Contrast: conversely, however, instead (of), in spite of that, anyhow, on the contrary, on the

other hand, otherwise, rather than, still, yet, nevertheless, in contrast, notwithstanding, in

spite of this, although, but, despite, even though

To Show Cause and Effect: accordingly, as a consequence, as a result, consequently, for this

reason, hence, it follows that, so/so that, then, therefore, thus, thereupon

To Explain: actually, admittedly, because, certainly, for example, in fact, indeed, really of

course, since, that is, for instance, namely, specifically, such as, to illustrate, in particular,

in this manner, thus

To Show Conviction: after all, at least, at the same time, apparently, even so, evidently,

certainly, conceivably, conclusively, doubtless, no doubt, perhaps, possibly, presumably,

probably, surely, undoubtedly

To Show Various Conditions: in this event, in these circumstances, this (that) being so, provided

that, in spite of, none/nevertheless, at the same time, even if, if, unless, otherwise,

although, even though, though, despite

To Add Information: add to this, again, also, besides, equally, further, furthermore, in addition,

moreover, once more, then too, too, yet again, yet another, and, as well, beyond that,

even, next, similarly

To Show Chronological Order: after that, afterwards, later, shortly, subsequently,

concurrently, in the meantime, in the meanwhile, now, simultaneously,

when/while/was, first, second, etc., formerly, earlier, previously, before that, then,

already, at last, at length, by that time, finally, during, immediately, next, soon, still, in

the interim, presently, at the same time, in the end, temporarily, thereafter

To Show Concession: admittedly, after all, all the same, at any rate, granted, however, in any

case, in spite of, it is true that, nevertheless, obviously, of course, still, to be sure

Location/Spatial: above, below, beyond, farther, further, here, hereby, opposite, there, to the

left/right, under


GRAMMAR 101

English 101 is not Grammar 101. Please use this handout to help you improve your grammar

skills. If the following doesn’t help, by all means come and see me. Learning proper grammar is

a skill, so the more you practice writing the more you’ll improve.

"To" and "too," "affect" and "effect," . . .

These are errors which occur because two words sound similar or the same, but are spelled

differently and have different meanings. Some of the more common sound-a-like errors:

"To" and "too"

"Too" means "also" or "to a great extent." "To" means "in the direction of" or indicates an

infinitive. You go to the store; if someone else goes along with you, then she goes too. If fifteen

people go with you, that's far too many to take one car.

"Accept" and "except"

To "accept" something means to receive that thing; you accept a reward, you accept blame, you

accept a FedEx package. "Except" means "with the exclusion of" or "but;" for instance, "I work

every day except Saturday and Sunday." Just think: E is for Except, E is for Exclusion.

"Affect" and "effect"

These two words are entirely different parts of speech. "Affect" is a verb: "Your insults do not

affect me." "Effect" is a noun; that is, it is an actual thing. Slings and arrows have an effect on

me; they injure me, and the injuries are things. "You cannot affect me; your idle chatter has no

effect on me."

"Allowed" and "aloud"

"Allowed" means "permitted," as in "I am not allowed to go to the party tomorrow." "Aloud"

means "out loud," as in "Read the book aloud." The word "aloud" has the word "loud" in it,

which makes these two easy to remember.

"Advise" and "advice"

These two words are also different parts of speech. "Advise" is a verb; you advise someone to do

something. "As your lawyer, I advise you to keep your mouth shut." It's pronounced "advize."

"Advice" is something that you give someone, or someone gives you. "I did not follow my

lawyer's advice, and now I'm in trouble."


"Discreet" and "discrete"

These words sound the same, but are completely unrelated. "Discreet" means "unobtrusive" or

"with good judgment," as in "If you are going to follow someone, it's best to be discreet." A

person who is discreet shows discretion, as in "Discretion is the better part of valor." "Discrete,"

on the other hand, means "made up of distinct parts," as in "A telephone has three discrete parts:

a handset, a base, and a cord."

"Lose" and "loose"

"Lose" is pronounced "looze." It means "to misplace," as in "I always lose my car keys," or "to

be defeated, as in "We will lose the game without Bob. "Loose" means "not tight" ("This shirt is

too loose on me"), or "not confined" ("the dog got loose when the door on his kennel broke").

"Site" and "sight" and "cite"

"Site" is a place. "Sight" has to do with vision. "We went to the crash site" means "the place

where the crash happened;" "the enemy is in sight" means "the enemy is visible." This is a web

site, not a web sight. "Cite," which is pronounced just like "site," is entirely different; it means to

quote, as in "Can you cite any studies that prove what you're saying?"

"Then" and "than"

"Then" refers to time; "We went to the store, then we went to the movies" or "When you finish

your homework, then you can go outside." On the other hand, "than" is a conjunction used in

comparisons: "He is older than she is," or "that is easier said than done."

"Its" and "it's," "you're" and "your," . . .

"You're" vs "your," "they're" vs "there" and "their"

If a pronoun has an apostrophe in it, it's a contraction. "You're" means "you are," always. "Your"

means "belonging to you."

The same is true of "they're" and "their." "They're" has an apostrophe; it is a contraction. It

means "they are." "Their" means "belonging to them." "There" means "somwhere that is not

here."

"Its" and "it's"

This is probably the single most common grammatical mistake on earth. People get confused

about this one because they remember a rule from their childhood days: possessive nouns get an

apostrophe. "That is Bob's car." "That is the horse's barn."


Problem is, the word "it" is not a noun. It's a pronoun! Pronouns never, ever, ever get an

apostrophe to indicate possession. Think about it: You don't say "mi'ne" or "hi's" or "her's"--and

you don't say "your's" or "it's" to indicate possession.

"It's" means "it is" or "it has." If you get confused, take out "it's" and put in "it is." If the

sentence makes no sense, don't use the apostrophe.

"A group of people is going to the movies," "a bunch of marbles is on the floor" . . .

The subject of a sentence and the verb of a sentence must agree with one another: "A person is

smart; people are dumb, stupid panicky animals." This can get a little complicated, though, when

there are prepositional phrases between the subject and the verb: "A bunch of people spells

trouble."

The subject of a sentence is never found in a prepositional phrase; if a noun appears after a word

like of, the one thing you can be sure of is that it's not the subject. Collective nouns such as

"group" and "bunch" and "pile" are singular, not plural; the plural versions are groups, bunches,

and piles. So you would say "A group is going" or "Two groups are going."

When a prepositional phrase follows the subject, the verb must still agree with the subject, not

the prepositional phrase. So you would say "A group of people is going to the movies," not "a

group of people are going to the movies"--the phrase 'of people' is a prepositional phrase, and is

not the subject of the sentence.

"I couldn't care less," "nothing fazes me," . . .

These are errors which occur because two words may be confused, or because someone has

misstated a common expression and hasn't really thought about it. Some of these may involve

soundalike errors as well. For example:

It's "A lot," never "alot."

"A lot" is two words, as in "We have a lot of food in the kitchen" or "Florida is being hammered

by a lot of hurricanes this season." It means "A large quantity." You would never say "abunch;"

it's two words--"a bunch." Same thing.

It's "All right," never "alright."

"All right" means "okay." Literally, "all is right." It's not one word.

It's "Lo and behold," not "low and behold."

The word "lo!" is a Middle English expression of surprise. "Lo and behold" is kind of the

equivalent of saying "Well, hey, look at that!"


It's "Nothing fazes me," not "nothing phases me."

To "faze" is to disturb or frighten. "She was unfazed" means "she retained her composure." "He

was unphased" means "he was not made of a number of waveforms that were in

synchronization." Big difference, folks.

"I couldn't care less," not "I could care less."

"I could care less" means "I do care." It would be possible for me to care less, because I already

care. If I do not care at all--if the amount I care about something is zero--then it would be

impossible for me to care any less, because I can't care about something less than a zero

amount...I couldn't care less.

It's "etc," not "ect."

"Etc" is an abbreviation for "et cetera" (two words), which is Latin for "and so forth." "Et" means

"and," which is why "etc" is sometimes written "&c". "Etc" is correct. "&c" is correct but

archaic. "Ect" is not, never has been, and never will be correct.

The abbreviations "ie" and "eg" do not mean the same thing!

You use "ie" when you mean "in other words." It's Latin for "id est," which means "that is." For

example: "He is a businessman; ie, he makes his money by operating a business." On the other

hand, "eg" is used to mean "for example." It's Latin for "exempli gratia." "I do not like spectator

sports--eg, football and baseball."

For example: eg. In other words: ie.

"Insure" and "ensure" do not mean the same thing either!

"Ensure" means "to make sure of." Double-check your math on your tax return to ensure you

don't get an embarrassing phone call from the IRS. "Insure," on the other hand, means "to

provide insurance for," you insure your house in order to ensure that you won't be financially

ruined if it burns down.

To be caught "between the devil and the deep blue sea" does not mean "between two

unattractive options."

It means "to be in a position where you have no room to manuver." The 'devil' on a wooden

sailing ship is the main spar of the ship--a brace that runs the whole length of the ship from front

to back, around which the frame of the ship is built. There is a very narrow space--typically less

than 3' high--between a ship's devil and the bottom of the hull; this was sometimes the space

where the most lowly members of a ship's crew slept--"between the devil and the deep blue sea."

It's a very, very tiny space.


"You have piqued my interest," not "you have peaked my interest" or "you have peeked

my interest."

The word "pique" (pronounced like "peek") means "to excite or arouse." "You have piqued my

interest" means "you have aroused my interest"--that is, I wasn't interested before, but now I am.

A group is a "clique," not a "click"

"Clique" is pronounced like "click." However, the meaning is completely different. "Clique" was

originally a French word; hence the weird spelling.

Something that's stylish is "chic," not "sheik"

"Chic" is another confusing French import. It's pronounced like "sheik" but means "elegant,

stylish, or sophisticated."

It's "whet my appetite," not "wet my appetite."

"Whet" means "sharpen." A tool that sharpens a knife is called a "whetstone." To "whet" one's

appetite means to sharpen one's appetite--"That appetizer really whetted my appetite!" To "wet"

one's appetite means to make it soggy.

"Data" and "datum," "phenomena" and "phenomenon," . . .

English has a long history of borrowing words from other languages--many of which don't

follow standard English rules for pluralization. As a result, there are many English words which

are normally plural, but don't look plural because they don't end in the letter S. A partial list:

Singular Plural

Datum Data

Phenomenon Phenomena

Stimulus Stimuli

Criterion Criteria

Die Dice

Graffito Graffiti

Medium Media

Stratum Strata

Nucleus Nuclei

Crisis Crises

Syllabus Syllabi

Octopus Octopi

So for example, you would never properly say "The data shows I'm right" (the correct form is

"The data show I'm right"), and you would never properly say "The media is becoming

increasingly right-wing" (but rather "The media are becoming increasingly right-wing").


"Media" in this sense means "all the media used to distribute information--eg, newspapers,

television, and radio."

Debris is the only English noun with no plural.

An alumnus is a graduate of a school. When you're talking about a group of graduates, you use

alumni if all the graduates are male or if there's a mix of male and female graduates; if all the

graduates are female, the proper form is alumnae.

The plural of mouse is mice only if you're talking about rodents. If you're talking about a

computer mouse, the accepted plural is mouses.

The Middle English root of "ruthless" is "ruthe," meaning "compassion." It has survived in the

Modern English ruthless, but its opposite, ruthful ("compassionate") is considered archaic and

is rarely used.


Everybody Loves Commas! NOT!

Here are seven easy steps to becoming a comma expert. If you master this information you can

charge your friends whenever they ask you, “Did I put the comma in the right place?”

Commas, Commas, and More Commas

Commas help your reader figure out which words go together in a sentence and which parts of

your sentences are most important. Using commas incorrectly may confuse the reader, signal

ignorance of writing rules, or indicate carelessness. Although using commas may have seemed

mysterious before, using them correctly is easy if you follow a few guidelines and have the

patience to do so.

Beware of popular myths of comma usage:

A really long sentence may be perfectly correct without commas. The length of a

sentence does not determine whether or not you need a comma.

Where you pause or breathe in a sentence does not reliably indicate where a comma

belongs. Different readers pause or breathe in different places.

You can use the following procedures to help test your writing for common comma errors. Read

through an essay you have written and look at each comma. If none of the five situations

described in this handout apply, you probably don’t need one at all.

You probably already know at least one of the following guidelines and just have to practice the

others. These guidelines are basically all you need to know; if you learn them once, you’re set

for all but the most unusual situations.

1. Introductory Bits (Small-Medium-Large)

Setting off introductory words, phrases, or clauses with a comma lets the reader know that the

main subject and main verb of the sentence come later. There are basically three kinds of

introductory bits: small, medium, and large ones.

There are small (just one word) introductory bits:

Generally, extraterrestrials are friendly and helpful.

Moreover, some will knit booties for you if you ask nicely.

There are medium introductory bits (often these are two- to three-word prepositional phrases):

In fact, Godzilla is just a misunderstood teen lizard of giant proportions.

On the other hand, Bert and Ernie are known to have worked closely with Flipper.


There are large introductory bits(more than 3 words). You can often spot these by looking for

key words/groups such as although, if, as, in order to, and when:

If you discover that you feel nauseated, then you know you’ve tried my Clam Surprise.

As far as I am concerned, it is the best dish for dispatching unwanted guests.

2. FANBOYS

FANBOYS is a handy mnemonic device for remembering the coordinating conjunctions: For,

And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So. You should always have a comma before FANBOYS that join two

complete thoughts (with two subjects and two verbs).

If you do not have two subjects and two verbs separated by the FANBOYS, you do not need to

insert the comma before the FANBOYS. In other words, if the second grouping of words isn’t a

complete thought, don’t use a comma:

3. The Dreaded Comma Splice

If you don’t have FANBOYS between the two complete and separate thoughts, using a comma

alone causes a "comma splice" or "fused sentence" (some instructors may call it a run-on). Some

readers (especially professors) will think of this as a serious error.

BAD: My hamster loved to play, I gave him a hula-hoop.

ALSO BAD: You wore a lovely hat, it was your only defense.

To fix these comma splices, you can do one of three things: just add FANBOYS, change the

comma to a semicolon, or make each clause a separate sentence.

GOOD: You wore a lovely hat, for it was your only defense.

ALSO GOOD: You wore a lovely hat; it was your only defense.


STILL GOOD: You wore a lovely hat. It was your only defense.

4. FANBOY Fakers

However, therefore, moreover, and other words like them are not FANBOYS (they are called

conjunctive adverbs). They are really small introductory phrases that begin the second complete

thought in a long sentence. When you want to use one of these words in the middle of a sentence,

check to see if you have a complete thought on both sides of the "conjunctive adverb". If you do,

then you need a semi-colon after the first complete thought and a comma after the small

introductory phrase in the second complete thought.

Another option is to break the two parts of the long sentence into two separate sentences.

5. X,Y, and Z

Put commas between items in a list. When giving a short and simple list of things in a sentence,

the last comma (right before the conjunction–usually and or or) is optional, but it is never wrong.

If the items in the list are longer and more complicated, you should always place a final comma

before the conjunction.

EITHER: You can buy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in Los Angeles.

OR: You can buy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in Los Angeles.

BUT ALWAYS: A good student listens to his teachers without yawning, reads once in a while,

and writes papers before they are due.


6. Describers

If you have two or more adjectives (words that describe) that are not joined by a conjunction

(usually and) and both/all adjectives modify the same word, put a comma between them.

He was a bashful, dopey, sleepy dwarf.

The frothy, radiant princess kissed the putrid, vile frog.

7. Interrupters

Two commas can be used to set off additional information that appears within the sentence but is

separate from the primary subject and verb of the sentence. These commas help your reader

figure out your main point by telling him or her that the words within the commas are not

necessary to understand the rest of the sentence. In other words, you should be able to take out

the section framed by commas and still have a complete and clear sentence.

Bob Mills, a sophomore from Raleigh, was the only North Carolina native at the Japanese food

festival in Cary.

Aaron thought he could see the future, not the past, in the wrinkles on his skin.

If you still have further questions, please feel free

to ask during class or conferences.

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