Mini Lesson on Commas
1) Write the following rules on the board. Instruct students to copy them in their notebook:
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Use commas to separate items in a series.
o I want peace on Earth, quality family time, and no credit card debt for Christmas.
Use commas after introductory words or mild interjections.
o Yes, I am unrealistic.
Use commas to set off words of direct address.
o Bob, why don't you help me.
Use commas to set off one or more words that interrupt the flow of a sentence.
o Lebron James, as you can see in this video here, dominates all his opponents.
Use commas to set off nonessential items: clauses, participial phrases, appositives.
o Barrack Obama, the President of the United States, might have a 4th of July hot
dog eating contest at the White House.
Insert a comma between two independent clauses that are joined with a coordinating
conjunction.
o My dog chased three rabbits out of the woods, but they all got away.
Use commas to separate subordinate clauses at the beginning of sentences.
o Before eating three candy bars, I should have thought of the consequences.
2) Now have students write in the correct commas in the following sentences:
a. There was no question that John's painting a huge colorful and ugly mural was the worst
entry in the art exhibit.
b. Werner von Braun Willy Ley and Edward Teller noted authorities in the field of rocket
development have done much to guide the missile program of the United States.
c. Mr. Cready's ability to say the wrong thing at the wrong time is I believe amazing.
d. Running around the house the dog was abruptly stopped by a fence.
e. If the opposition should win our candidate would never have any political future.
f. Gracefully lightly and daintily the ballerina moved across the stage.
g. Glamour the woman's fashion magazine recently incorporated with Charm another
fashion journal.
h. Joe was born on May 7 1955 and his best friend was born exactly two months later on
July 7 1955.
i. Mr. and Mrs. Kwon my parents' best friends sat in front of us at the football game.
j. November 11 1918 the armistice ending World War I was signed.
3) Go over the answers and include a discussion. Why did we place the common in the
sentence? If need be, reflect on what rules are used in each sentence.
Activity: Take a longer paragraph you used recently in one of your writing assignments. Copy it
down on a separate sheet of paper without any commas. After you pass your paper over to
another student, see if you can find all the necessary commas in the paragraph. Then compare,
contrast and defend your commas! (Or the teacher can provide a no comma paragraph, but I
believe personal paragraphs will be more effective.)