September 10, 2015
Comma Causers
She put her lunch tray on the table, plopped her backpack on the
floor, and sat down across from me.
- R.J. Palacio, Wonder (p. 51)
What do you notice about this sentence?
Jack Will, Julian, Charlotte, and I went down a big hallway to some
wide stairs.
- R.J. Palacio, Wonder (p.24)
What do you notice about this sentence?
His room smelled of cooked grease, Lysol, and age.
- Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
What do you notice about this sentence?
How are the sentences different?
Teacher
Notes
September 10, 2015
September 10, 2015
In
tio
vita
tate
i
m
I Now
n to
it's your turn. Practice using commas in a
series.
September 10, 2015
Rewrite the sentences adding commas .
My teacher collected our lunch money wrote down our lunch numbers
inserted the money into an envelope and sent the envelope to the
office.
We were required to purchase 3 binders 2 packages of dividers and
several highlighters for sixth grade.
Which sentence uses commas correctly?
A. Running around the track, jumping over hurdles and diving off the
board are a few of my favorite activities.
B. Running, around the track, jumping, over the hurdles, and diving off
the board are a few of my favorite activities.
C. Running around the track, jumping over the hurdles, and diving off the
board are a few of my favorite activities.
September 10, 2015
I'm not sure why, but all of the sudden I started to cry.
- R.J. Palacio, Wonder (p.59)
What do you notice about this sentence?
Everyone's way too hung up on being in the popular group, and
Teacher
Notes
he's just as far from the popular group as you can get.
- R.J. Palacio, Wonder (p. 145)
What do you notice about this sentence?
September 10, 2015
For
And
Sentence, Sentence.
Nor
But
Or
Yet
So
September 10, 2015
Which sentence uses commas correctly?
A. Windham ate hot dogs in the lunchroom on Monday but he
decided to take his lunch to school on Tuesday.
B. Windham ate hot dogs in the lunchroom, on Monday but he
decided to take his lunch to school on Tuesday.
C. Windham ate hot dogs in the lunchroom on Monday, but he
decided to take his lunch to school on Tuesday.
Which sentence is a compound sentence?
A. Matt quickly ate a snack, and headed outside to play with
friends.
B. My grandmother bakes the best sugar cookies, but my
grandfather eats most of them before I get there.
C. Sally wrote an amazing story about a magical world with
fairies, centaurs, and other mythical creatures.
September 10, 2015
Table of Contents
1. Paraphrasing
2. Commas in a series
3. Compound Sentences
4. Commas separating adjectives
September 10, 2015
Pita is a round, flat bread of the Middle East.
James Earl Jones certainly has a deep,
strong, commanding voice.
What is the purpose of the commas in these sentences?
Hint: To see whether a comma is needed between two
adjectives, insert the word and between the adjectives.
Try it: The tall pine tree swayed. (tall and pine) - No comma
His calm wrinkled face told a story. (calm and
wrinkled) - Needs a comma.
Hint: Sometimes the last adjective in a series is thought of
as part of the noun. In that case, do not use a comma
before the last adjective.
Example: Kimchi is a spicy Korean dish made with pickled
cabbage.
September 10, 2015
Try it: Which sentences have adjectives that require commas?
1. Francois Toussaint L'Ouverture was a brillant patriotic
Haitian leader.
2. The huge lively wriggling kingfish dropped from the hook.
3. There's a sleek shiny bicycle in the store window.
4. We read Chief Black Hawk's moving farewell speech.
Pull
5. I washed my hands in the cold clear spring water.
September 10, 2015
Interrupters
*Commas are used to set off an
interruption in the sentence.
Examples:
Yes, I'll call back later.
Well, I can't remember to bring my notes to class.
How did you do today in karate class, Kami?
Lucy, please grab my lunchbox off the table.
Practice
1. Michael will you read the haiku you wrote?
2. Why it's Arthur!
3. Class you are dismissed.
4. Please Mom can you drive me to rehearsal?
5. The proble my friends is simply lack of effort.
6. Yes you can use my pencil.
September 10, 2015
Mrs. Shaw, a gymnast, will coach us this afternoon.
This book is about geology, the science of the earth and its
rocks.
What is the purpose of the commas in these sentences?
Appositive Phrases renames/describes the noun before it.
Practice:
1. The park a beautiful place for a party was lit by
streetlights and had a bandstand.
2. Some of the men were wearing boasters straw hats popular
at that time.
3. Edward Finch the best dancer had his choice of dance
partners.
September 10, 2015
Appositive Phrases renames/describes the noun before it.
***Remember, to check whether a word or phrase is an
appositive, try removing it from the sentence. If you still
have a complete idea without it, it is an appositive and you
need to use commas to separate it from the rest of the
sentence.
September 10, 2015
Your turn! Write two
sentences that contain an
appositive phrase.
September 10, 2015
In the valley at the base of the hill, a herd of buffalo
grazes.
On the winter morning when Kenan discovered the strange
visitor, the rosebush burst into bloom.
On that page, you will see a map of the park.
What is the purpose of the commas in these sentences?
*Use a comma after introductory phrases and clauses.
Notice the difference between these two sentences:
After the show is over, we will go out to eat.
We will go out to eat after the show is over.
September 10, 2015
Practice:
1.Before eating the birds were singing noisily.
2. On the table in the kitchen dinner was getting cold.
3. In the morning we'll tour the Caddo burial mounds.
4. Because she missed the bus Jasmine was late for school.
Try writing 3 of your own sentences using introductory
phrases/clauses.
September 10, 2015
Practice proofreading this letter.
Proofreading a Letter.docx