Commas in a Series
What is a comma?
 A comma (,) tells a reader when to pause.
 Commas make sentences easier to understand, and
can also change the meaning of a sentence altogether.
Using Commas in a Series
 A series is a list of three or more items in a sentence.
 A comma is used to separate the items.
 Beth, Ann, John, Paul, and I are in the same class.
 Beth Ann, John Paul, and I are in the same class.
Using Commas in a Series
 Sara writes poems, short stories, and plays.
 Her newest play will have two, three, or four characters.
 The play takes place under a tree, on a porch, and in a
classroom.
 *Note: commas are used to separate all of the items listed,
except for the last word, which is separated using a
conjunction (and, or).
Where are commas needed?
 My class has written directed and produced a musical.
 Everyone will sing dance or play an instrument.
 The performances will be on Thursday Friday and
Saturday.
 Karl Peter and Jim found props made scenery and
planned the customes.
Commas could save lives!
 Let’s eat, kids!
 Let’s eat kids.
 Turkeys gobble, Grandma.
 Turkeys, gobble Grandma!
More Uses for Commas
Commas and Introductory Words
 Words such as yes, well, and no are called
introductory words when they begin a sentence.
 When they start a sentence, put a comma after them.
 Well, it is time to do my homework.
Nouns in direct address
 The name of a person who is spoken to, or addressed,
is called the noun in direct address.
 We use commas to make it stand out in the sentence.
 Maria, will you play the piano?
 Place your sheet music there, Maria.
 Thank you, Maria, for playing that song.
Where are commas needed?
 No I don’t know which instrument I should play Jo.
 Well do you like the trumpet trombone or tuba?
 Pedro I think you should try the trumpet.
 I can’t Jo because the music room is not open today.
Interjections
What is an interjection?
 An interjection is a word or words that show feeling
or emotion.
 Common interjections:
 Hurray
 Good Grief
 Okay
Hey
Ah
Oh
Oh, no
Oops
Ouch
Well
Whew
Wow
Using Interjections
 If the interjection shows strong feeling, it stands alone
and is followed by an exclamation point.
 Wow! What a great pitch!
 Good grief! That pitcher is outstanding!
 If it shows mild feeling, it begins the sentence and is
followed by a comma.
 Ah, the breeze is nice.
 Well, let’s go sailing!
What are the interjections below?
 Hey, this boat needs a few repairs.
 Good grief! Can we repair it in time for the race?
 Oh, I hope so!
 Oops! The sail is torn.
 Whew! Someone remembered to bring the sewing
box.
What is the missing punctuation?
 Ah there’s nothing like a windy day for a race.
 Well let’s get everything ready.
 Oh, no The race begins in an hour!
 Hurray The jackets are in the boat!
 Hey it’s getting windier.
Quotations
Using Quotation Marks
 A direct quotation gives a speaker’s exact words and
is set off by quotation marks (“”).
 Hannah announced, “My aunt works in a fire tower.”
 Note: a comma separates the quote from the rest of the
sentence; a capital letter begins the quotation, and
there is end punctuation inside the quotation marks.
Using Quotation Marks
 “What a great job she has!” exclaimed Henry.
 “Do you know the time?” asked Pete.
 Note: the exclamation point and question mark are
inside the quotation marks.
Using Quotation Marks
 “Do you think,” asked Henry, “that we could see the tower?”
 Note: a comma ends the first part of the quotation; a comma is put after
Henry; the second part of the quotation is not capitalized; the end
punctuation is inside the quotation marks.
 “I know that we can,” replied Hannah. “Let’s call my aunt.”
 Note: in this case, the second part of the quotation is beginning a new
sentence so it is capitalized.
Fix the following:
 Jean asked was there a terrible earthquake in 1906
 Peter replied yes, it happened in San Francisco
 Over the years said Jean the city has been rebuilt
 how beautiful san francisco is now exclaimed sara
Abbreviations
What is an abbreviation?
 An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word.
 Usually begins with a capital letter and ends with a
period.
Common abbreviations
Titles
 Mr.
Mister
 Mrs. Married woman
 Ms. Any woman
 Dr. Doctor
 Jr.
Junior
 Sr.
Senior
Common abbreviations
Businesses
 Co.
Company
 Corp. Corporation
 Ltd. Limited
 Inc. Incorporated
Common abbreviations
Days
 Tues.
Tuesday
 Wed. Wednesday
Common abbreviations
Months
 Feb.
February
 Aug. August
 Ltd. Limited
 Inc. Incorporated
Common abbreviations
Addresses
 Ave. Avenue
 Apt. Apartment
 Rte. Route
 P.O. Post Office
Common abbreviations
States
 MI




Michigan
CA California
TX Texas
FL
Florida
OH Ohio
Titles
Writing Titles
 Capitalize the first, the last, and all important words.
 Do not capitalize words such as a, in, and, of, the…
 “The Ways of Trains”
 The Treasure Is the Rose
Writing Titles
 When titles are written in printed materials, they are
italicized (Prince Caspian).
 They should be underlined when hand writing them
(Prince Caspian).
Writing Titles
 Some titles are set off by quotation marks, especially
short stories, poems, chapters, and songs.
 I recited the poem “Take Sky.”
 My sister showed me the article “Wonder of Words.”
How would the following titles be
written?
 Cricket (magazine)
 Water life (book chapter)
 My side of the mountain (book)
 The los angeles times (newspaper)
 Endangered animals (article)