The Comma

Separating sentence elements. Elements of lists. Dates July 11, 1982. Afte searations
Basicaly, everything, is great. I want to go swimmng, and then sailing. I need to get
squid, pickles, and chocolate at the grocery store. I’m going to go for a run, read a
chapter of my book, and go see the new Colonel Justice movie.

Salutations and Valedictions

Dear Prudence, I received the plum jam you sent me.

With love, Brue Ben-Bacharach.

Commas in space and time!

Addresses – Nero Wolfe, 454 W 35th St, New York, NY 10001.

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Dates : On Tuesday, October 5th, 2010, I ate a cricket.

Commas and Introductory elements

When you come in, please take of your shoes. – Please take off your shoes when you
come in.

Sentence adverbs: Initially, I was afraid. Basically, you’re the greatest.

Mores uses for commas

You like cheese, don’t you? This won’t hurt, will it? (tag questions)

Paige, how are you? Yes, I would love some cheese! No, I hate cheese.

Commas in dialogue.

Guillermo said, “I have no idea where I put that moonstone.”

“They’re probably pirates,” Roxane said.

The Appositive

(ad positio)

My lder sister, Griselda, is going to college in the fall. They stopped selling my
favorite snack, the Cookie Cat.

The Oxford Comma

I’d like to thank my parents, Mahatma Gandhi, and my pet hamster.

His favorite artists are Elvis, a tiny Norwegian harpist and Frida Kahlo.
Apostrophes and contractions

The Apostrophe can do 3 things: 1. Contractions I didn’t eat the cookie.

2. Possession >shows ownership : That’s David’s cursed skull. –That cursed skull
belongs to David.

3. SUPER RARE (Plural)

Lowercase letter plural s’s – I like to draw j’s I’s to denote that they are plural.

Contractions

I will>I’ll She would-She’d He is-He’s Will not-won’t

Apostrophes and Plurals

You need to remember to always dot your i’s. David’s capital As look like trees.

CDs DVDs MP3s use apostrophe only in lower case letter.

Introduction to the possessive

The rabbit’s carrot was delicious. Alexander Hamilton’s surfboard.

Jess’s hat. The Bus’s air conditioning is broken. Texas’s chili culture.

Advanced Plural Possession

The dog’s bone – five dogs’ bones - the dogs’ favorite park –

Burns name – Burnses’ – women’s men’s mice’s

Choosing between its and it’s

It’s (contraction) – it is or it has – it’s a lovely day outside!

Its is a possessive pronoun – Ilike ribeye steak because of its rich flavor.