A Presentation of When and Where to use a Comma The Big five Grammar and Punctuation 1 Fragments Incorrect Unless you want more coverage We have made all the arrangements Correct Unless you want more ID: 271352
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Slide1
Commas, Commas, and more Commas
A Presentation of When and Where to use a CommaSlide2
“The Big five”Grammar and Punctuation
1. Fragments
Incorrect: Unless you want
more coverage.
We have made all the arrangements.
Correct: Unless you want more
coverage,
we have made all the arrangements
.
We have made all the arrangements unless you
want more coverage.
Here, “unless” is a
subordinating conjunction
making
it a
dependent clause
(a
fragment), so it cannot stand alone.
If a sentence begins with a subordinating conjunction, use a comma at the end of the dependent clause. If the sentence has a subordinating conjunction in the middle, don’t use a comma.Slide3
2. Run-on sentences (fused sentence)
Incorrect: He drove off in a hurry Erica watched him go.
Correct: He drove off in a hurry, and Erica watched him go.
Correct: He drove off in a hurry; Erica watched him go.
Glue together
two
independent clauses
with
a
comma and a coordinating conjunction OR with a semicolon
.
Coordinating conjunctions:
for, and
,
nor, but
,
or, yet
,
so
FANBOYSSlide4
3. Comma Splice
Incorrect: He drove off in a hurry, Erica watched him go.
Correct: He drove off in a hurry; Erica watched him go.
Correct: He drove off in a hurry, so Erica watched him go.
A comma is not strong enough to glue together
two indepen
dent
phrases
by itself. It must have a coordinating conjunction with it.Slide5
4. Subject/Verb Agreement (number agreement)
Incorrect: The head of the school and his two helpers
waits
in the doorway.
Correct: The head of the school and his two helpers
wait
in the doorway.
Incorrect: The teacher
wait
in the classroom.
Correct: The teacher
waits
in the classroom
If the subject is plural, don’t add an “s” to the verb.
If the subject is singular, you add an “s” to the verb.Slide6
5. Pronoun Agreement
Incorrect: When a person loves someone, they are happy.
Correct: When a person loves someone, he/she is happy.
Correct: When people love someone, they are happy
If the subject is singular, use a “singular” pronoun.
If the subject is plural, use a “plural” pronoun.Slide7
When to use commas
1. Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction.
Always double check to make sure there is a sentence before the coordinating conjunction and a sentence after the coordinating conjunction
. If not, no comma.
2. Use a comma after an introductory word, phrase, or dependent clause.
Use a comma after adverbs, prepositional phrases, and dependent clauses
EX: Finally, the students arrived.
EX: After the show, the students drove home.
EX: After the show was over, the students drove home.Slide8
3. Use commas around words, phrases, and clauses in the middle of a sentence when they are not essential to the meaning of the sentence (extra info). Many times, these words are adverbial, so they can move.
EX: The
student, however,
did not understand the content.
EX: This was not, in other words, something the students agreed upon.
EX: Barak Obama, who is a Democrat from Chicago, will be speaking tomorrow.Slide9
4. Use commas between items in a series (list
).
EX: The students brought apples, bananas, and oranges to the classroom. (The comma before “and” is optional).
5. Use commas before and after a quotation within a sentence.
EX: “Cooperation among students and faculty,” the teacher said, “must be present in the classroom.”Slide10
6. Use a comma before an afterthought or contrasting element.
EX: To understand a particular culture, we must consider the society as a whole, not its individual parts.
EX: For Canada, the War of 1812 was very important, far more important
than
it was for Britain.
7. Use commas to set off geographical names, items in dates, and professional titles.
EX: The teacher is from Chicago, Illinois.
EX: Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809.
EX: Taylor Maddox, M.D., will be speaking tomorrow.