Welcome to Mrs.

Nada’s Class
Commas, commas, commas …
Serial Commas
 I always bring my book, calculator, and
highlighter to math class.

 You can OMIT the last comma, also known

as the Oxford comma, but you have to be
careful that the last two objects don’t glom
together.

 This weekend I baked peppermint, peanut

butter and chocolate chip cookies.
 (Did I bake two types of cookies or three?)
The Oxford Comma
Commas and Coordinating
Conjunctions
 Coordinating conjunctions are word like and,
but, or, nor, for, yet, so
 They are used to separate two independent
clauses.
 Tom reads novels, but his friends read comics.

 You can OMIT the comma if the

independent clauses are brief and balanced.
 Our team is very good but their team is better.
Introductory elements
 Use a comma to set off introductory
elements such as adverb clauses.

 After the spring planting is done, there is still a

lot of work to do.

 The comma can be omitted if the

introductory clause is brief and the sentence
can be read easily without it.
 In spring farmers are busy planting crops.
Coordinating Adjectives
 Use a comma to separate coordinating
adjectives.
 The narrow, winding road was treacherous.
 (If you can put a but or and then put the
comma.)

 We ate two oversized blueberry muffins.

 (No comma – you would not say
We ate two oversized and blueberry muffins.
Commas Matter
Let’s practice
 Ted wants to study this morning but he
plans to jog first.
 During high school he read Romeo and
Juliet Julius Caesar and Hamlet.
 Sometimes I think you can eat too much
chocolate.
 The limping exhausted runner could
hardly finish the marathon.
Contrast
 Use commas to set off elements that
express a contrast or a turn in the
sentence.

 I got a B on the test, not the A I was hoping

for.

 Your essays should be written in ink, not

pencil.
States, Countries, Years, Titles
 Commas set off states, countries, years –
when the complete date is written, and
titles.

 On August 3, 1982, my daughter was born.

 Barak Obama, the forty-fourth president of the

United States, addressed the nation.

 We visited Paris, France, last summer.

Quotes
 Commas are used to set off quoted
language.

 “This is beautiful,” said Mrs Nada. “Keep

it going!”
Parenthetical Information
 This is the trickiest for most people

1. Appositive Phrases – these phrases can be removed from

the sentence and you are left with a complete sentence.
◦ Earth, the only planet in our galaxy known to support life,
is sometimes called the third rock from the sun.
2. Absolute Phrases – modify the whole clause and consist of
noun + participle + modifier/object(s).
◦ We devoured Aunt Lenora's carrot cake, our fingers scraping the
leftover frosting off the plates.
3. Addressed names
◦ Yes, Melissa, you do need a comma there.
4. Interjections
◦ Oh, that is a surprise!
Ewww! Does she really cook her
family and her dog… No, not grandma!

Commas Matter
Let’s Practice
 In front of the long column of troops on
the field the general introduced his
successor.
 I simply do not agree you realize with
your argument.
 State Highway 101 expanded to two lanes
in 1953 needs to be widened to at least
four lanes now.
 She was looking for the Pound Puppy toy
not the Littlest Pet Shop toy.
Your turn
Name: __________ Date: ___
1. Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay India on December
30 1865.

2. When I asked my father for advice he told me I was old

enough to make my own decisions.

3. If you see my mother the woman who usually sits at the

receptionist’s desk please tell her I will be home late.

4. The tall dark-haired and exotic-looking young star

captured the hearts of the audience.

5. I will bring the flour sugar and eggs to bake the cookies.

6. I want the one with pink stripes not purple polka-dots.

Thank you!
Have a Happy Winter Break!
See you in January!