L.I.E.S.

Simple:
L
: LISTS:
Place a comma between the items in a series.
(The comma before the final item in a series is optional, but more formal.)
I
E
:INTRODUCTIONS:
Place a comma before elements that precede the subject.
:EXTRA INFORMATION:
Divide extra (non-essential) information of all kinds with a comma on each side of the extra information.
S
:SENTENCES:
Divide independent clauses (sentences) with a comma and a conjunction.

Expanded:
• Use commas to separate individual words, phrases, or clauses in a series (at least three).
– I love eating meat, vegetables, and a salad.
– I love eating a full meal: meat, vegetables, and salad.
– I love eating a full meal: meat, vegetables and salad.
– I love eating a full meal: meat, vegetables, salad.
• Use commas to separate coordinate adjectives that equally modify the same noun.
– Mattie was tired of working in the hot, smelly kitchen and decided to take her usual morning walk.
Test: smelly and hot (yes) morning and usual (no)

Expanded
• After an introductory participial phrase.
– Determined to finish the sweater by Thanksgiving, my grandmother knits night and day.
• After an introductory prepositional phrase longer than 3-5 words.
– In the oddest places, my son can find interesting rocks.
• After an introductory adverb clause.
– After the practice was over, Tina walked home.
• After an interjection or a weak exclamation.
– Hey, what are you doing?

Expanded
• To separate parenthetical/contrasted elements
– Ally stepped into class , late as usual, and sat down.
• To enclose explanatory words
– They stood together , clear of the window, and talked.
• To set off appositives
– Benson , our enthusiastic terrier, tore up my homework.
• To set off nonrestrictive participial phrases and clauses.
– The aquarium , which was built last year, is busy every day.
(clause)
– Students , trying to raise their ACT score, came to the workshop.
(phrase)
• To set off an adverb clause that begins with although, even though, while or another conjunction expressing a contrast.
– Tina walked home , even though it was raining very hard.

Expanded
• Between two independent clauses that are joined by a coordinating conjunction:
FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
– I wanted to come , but I lost my ticket.
• To set off dialogue
– “I love this English class,” exclaimed Brandon.
• To set off a noun of direct address
– “But , Mr. Johnson, we can go back there again.”
• To set off interruptions
– For me , well, it’s just a good reason.

L.I.E.S.
• To set off dates
– He began working on December 1, 2000, but quit by
May 1, 2001 .
• To set off items in addresses
– Mail the box to Friends of Wildlife, Box 402, Spokane,
Washington 20077.
• In numbers
– 1,101 25,000
• To Enclose titles or initials
– Until Martin Luther King , Sr., was 15, he never had much schooling.

• Use commas to avoid word collision that results in confusion.
• Use Commas to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n a sentence.
• Eliminate commas to SPEED UP a sentence.
• Unnecessary commas hurt comprehension.

S
L
S entence ist entence
-L ist
E xtra
I nformation
L ist
And then the leaves break out on the trees , and the petals drop from the fruit trees and carpet the earth with pink and white.
The centers of the blossoms swell and grow and color: cherries and apples , peaches and pears , figs which close the flower in the fruit.
All California quickens with produce , and the fruit grows heavy , and the limbs bend gradually under the fruit so that little crutches must be placed under them to support the weight.
Behind the fruitfulness are men of understanding and knowledge and skill , men who experiment with seed , endlessly developing the techniques for greater crops of plants whose roots will resist the million enemies of the earth: the molds , the insects , the rusts , the blights.

When you compose: be able to justify each comma as one of the following:
L
: LISTS:
Place a comma between the items in a series.
(The comma before the final item in a series is optional, but more formal.)
I
E
:INTRODUCTIONS:
Place a comma before elements that precede the subject.
:EXTRA INFORMATION:
Divide extra (non-essential) information of all kinds with a comma on each side of the extra information.
S
:SENTENCES:
Divide independent clauses (sentences) with a comma and a conjunction.