STOP THE COMMA DEATHS!
•“LET’S EAT GRANDMA.”
•“I LIKE COOKING MY FAMILY AND PETS.”
•“LET’S GET SOME STICKS AND MARSHMALLOWS TO ROAST KIDS!”
COMMAS SAVE MAMAS (AND
OTHER LIVES)!!!
BREAKING NEWS: 12
year-old boy saves
entire family with
COMMAS!
COMMAS CAN SAVE…
•“LETS EAT, GRANDMA.”
•“I LIKE COOKING, MY FAMILY, AND PETS.”
•“LET’S GET SOME STICKS AND MARSHMALLOWS TO ROAST, KIDS!”
OUR FIRST RULE!
•THE COMPOUND SENTENCE COMMA!
,
but first, this . . .
WHAT IS A CLAUSE?
A clause is a group of words that has both a subject and a
predicate. Every complete sentence is made up of at least
one clause.
TYPES OF CLAUSES?
1) Independent Clause
2) Dependent Clause
INDEPENDENT CLAUSE
➢AN INDEPENDENT CLAUSE CAN STAND ALONE (MAKES SENSE BY ITSELF). IT EXPRESSES A COMPLETE
THOUGHT.
Sarah bought a new cell phone. (One independent clause)
Sarah bought a new cell phone, but she still has the old one. [Two independent
clauses]
Although she still has her old one, Sarah now has a new cell phone. (Only the
second clause is independent.)
DEPENDENT CLAUSE
➢A DEPENDENT CLAUSE CANNOT STAND ALONE (DOES NOT MAKE SENSE BY ITSELF). IT DOES NOT EXPRESS
A COMPLETE THOUGHT.
Although she still has her old one. (Without the independent clause, a dependent clause is a sentence
fragment.)
Sarah now has a new cell phone although she still has her old one. (Dependent clause after an independent
clause)
Although she still has her old one, Sarah now has a new cell phone. (Dependent clause before the independent
clause)
Sarah, although she still has her old one, now has a new cell phone. (Dependent clause inside the independent
clause)
When he apologized to Beyonce . . .
COMPOUND
SENTENCE?
BUT WHAT’S A
COMPOUND
SENTENCE???
➢A COMPOUND SENTENCE IS A SENTENCE MADE BY JOINING TWO
INDEPENDENT CLAUSES.
UUUHHHHHHH…BUT WHAT DO COMPOUND
SENTENCES HAVE TO DO WITH COMMAS?
• COMPOUND SENTENCES ARE OFTEN FORMED WITH THE COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS BELOW
• THE COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS ARE PRECEDED WITH A COMMA!
Independent
Clause
A COMPOUND SENTENCE WILL HAVE TWO (OR MORE) INDEPENDENT
CLAUSES JOINED BY A COMMA AND A CONJUNCTION.
EXAMPLE:
Coordinating
Conjunction
She did not cheat on the test, for it was not the right thing to do.
Independent Clause
COMMA
Independent Clause
Independent
Clause
MORE EXAMPLES:
• I THINK I WILL BUY THE RED CAR, OR I WILL LEASE THE BLUE ONE.
• I REALLY WANT TO GO TO WORK, BUT I AM TOO SICK TO DRIVE.
• THERE WAS NO ICE CREAM IN THE FREEZER, NOR DID THEY HAVE MONEY TO GO TO THE STORE.
• SHOULD WE START CLASS NOW, OR SHOULD WE WAIT FOR EVERYONE TO GET HERE?
• EVERYONE WAS BUSY, SO I WENT TO THE MOVIE ALONE.
SO… DO I ALWAYS USE A COMMA BEFORE A
CONJUNCTION?
ANSWER: NOOOOO! ONLY USE A COMMA WITH A COORDINATING CONJUNCTION WHEN IT SEPARATES TWO
INDEPENDENT CLAUSES.
EXAMPLE:
SAM WAS TIRED AND DECIDED TO TAKE A NAP. ( DO NOT ADD A COMMA!!!)
Independent Clause
DEPENDENT clause—NOT independent
clause
WHY NO COMMA??? THERE ARE NOT TWO INDEPENDENT CLAUSES IN THE SENTENCE!!
Example #2:
The baby was sad and drove home alone.
LET’S PRACTICE! DO I NEED A COMMA OR
NOT? (IF I DO, WHERE DO I ADD IT?)
1.
THE SLOTH WAS HUNGRY AND ATE A BANANA.
2.
NURSE BETTY WAS TIRED YET SHE HAD FIVE MORE HOURS ON HER SHIFT.
3.
THE CAMPER IS AS SPACIOUS AS A HOUSE YET IT DRIVES ON THE ROAD.
4.
CARLY WAS HUNGRY YET DIDN’T CALL TO ORDER FOOD.
LET’S PRACTICE COMMA OR NOT? (ANSWERS)
1.
THE SLOTH WAS HUNGRY AND ATE A BANANA. [YES, SLOTHS LOVE BANANAS. BUT NO COMMA]
2.
NURSE BETTY WAS TIRED, YET SHE HAD FIVE MORE HOURS ON HER SHIFT. [YES COMPOUND; YES COMMA]
3.
THE CAMPER IS AS SPACIOUS AS A HOUSE, YET IT DRIVES ON THE ROAD. [YES, AND YES]
4.
CARLY WAS HUNGRY YET DIDN’T CALL TO ORDER FOOD. [NO COMPOUND SENTENCE; NO COMMA]
SOME PEOPLE LIKE EATING AT THE TABLE, YET OTHERS PREFER
EATING CORN ON THE COB IN PALM TREES.
PRACTICE CONT.
1.
KENDRICK ATE CEREAL YET DIDN’T EAT ANY OF THE PIZZA.
2.
THE CAT SCRATCHED THE COUCH BUT HE DIDN’T SCRATCH THE TWO CHAIRS.
3.
BOBBY MISSED HIS BASEBALL GAME SO HE HAD TO RUN 1000 EXTRA LAPS AT PRACTICE.
4.
MS. RONALD BOUGHT CONCERT TICKETS BUT NOT TICKETS TO PARK AT THE EVENT.
PRACTICE ANSWERS
1.
KENDRICK ATE CEREAL YET DIDN’T EAT ANY OF THE PIZZA. [CORRECT AS IS. NO COMMA]
2.
THE CAT SCRATCHED THE COUCH, BUT HE DIDN’T SCRATCH THE TWO CHAIRS. [YERP! COMPOUND. ADD COMMA IN!]
3.
BOBBY MISSED HIS BASEBALL GAME, SO HE HAD TO RUN 1000 EXTRA LAPS AT PRACTICE. [YERP! COMPOUND. ADD COMMA IN!]
4.
MS. RONALD BOUGHT CONCERT TICKETS BUT NOT TICKETS TO PARK AT THE EVENT. [CORRECT AS IS. NO COMMA]
• DID YOU GET THEM ALL CORRECT?
KENDRICK IS GOOD ON NUTRITION FOR THE MIND AND SPIRIT BUT
MAYBE NOT SO GOOD ON NUTRITION FOR THE BODY!
“. . . BEEP!” LET’S JUST SAY THAT KENDRICK ISN’T VERY FRIENDLY
TOWARD CHEERIOS, RAISIN BRAN, WHEETIES, ETC.