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Punctuating Made Easy

Punctuating Made Easy. Commas and Interrupters. Use commas to set off an expression that interrupts a sentence. Nonessential appositives, appositive phrases. Appositive: noun, pronoun, phrase placed next to another noun or pronoun to identify or describe it

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Punctuating Made Easy

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  1. Punctuating Made Easy

  2. Commas and Interrupters • Use commas to set off an expression that interrupts a sentence

  3. Nonessential appositives, appositive phrases • Appositive: noun, pronoun, phrase placed next to another noun or pronoun to identify or describe it • Billy Henrie, the bane of her existence, was absent. • James Baldwin, the Black American author, wrote Go Tell it on the Mountain. • Mary, my friend, took her boyfriend, a Spanish Fork don, to Sweethearts.

  4. Noun of address • Noun of address is a word that names the person or object being spoken to: • Jannice, go help Murgatroyd. • You seem upset, Babe. • O bird of evil, let us in to your secret science.

  5. Parenthetical Expression • Side remark that adds information or shows a relationship between ideas • Some parenthetical expressions: • After all, I believe, naturally, at any rate, incidentally, nevertheless, by the way, in fact, of course, in general, on the contrary, for example, in the first place, on the other hand, for instance, meanwhile, that is, however, moreover, therefore, consequently, • For example, Minter likes peanuts. • She liked him; consequently, he ran like crazy.

  6. Contrasting expressions introduced by not are parenthetical: • Inkom, not Denning, is the small town she liked.

  7. Important interrupters • Use commas to set off nonessential subordinate clauses • Carla Schmidt, who won a competition by doing 17 sodoku puzzles in 15 minutes, suffers from a crippling chocolate addiction. • Because he wanted to marry her, he was careful not to run over her dog. • DON’T set off clauses ESSENTIAL to the meaning of the sentence • Carmen Lopez is the only senior who was offered a scholarship for her amazing basketball ability. • She accepted a scholarship to UVSC because her boyfriend was already attending school there.

  8. Use commas to set off nonessential participial phrases • Singing and dancing in the rain, the three girls made their way back to their dorms. • Unaware of the stalker following them, the girls took the path that lead through the darkened neighborhood. • They skipped merrily, thinking they were safe. • DON’T use commas to set off participial phrases essential to the meaning of the sentence • Any girl unaware of stalkers is likely in danger. • The man stalking them was classmate of Junie, the youngest of the three.

  9. Introductory Elements • Use commas after introductory elements (besides nonessential clauses and participial phrases)

  10. After yes, no, ormild exclamations such as well, or why at the beginning of sentences • Yes, you may hand in your paper now. • Why, the whole thing is ridiculous! • Introductory participles • Winning, they put in the least skillful players. • Tired, she collapsed on the bed.

  11. After two or more introductory prepositional phrase (or one long one) • On the hill at the east of the campus, she saw the man with the rifle. • On the day following her final tests in calculus and physics, she developed a tic. • After an introductory adverb clause. • While she put on mascara and combed her hair, she listened to Metallica. • Her boyfriend came over, and as soon as she finished her make up, they left for the concert.

  12. Don’t use commas to set off short introductory prepositional phrases unless they are parenthetical or confusing or awkward without the comma: • In spring the boys plow their gardens. • BUT: By the way, you’re late. • From Laura, Lewis had inherited his height.

  13. Conventional Uses for Commas • Situations dictated by tradition in which American English uses commas

  14. To separate items in addresses • The cold, calculating criminal happened to live at 2657 Glacier Way, Bend, Oregon 96699. • BUT He lived at 2657 Glacier Way in Bend. • To separate items in dates • She celebrated her first date on January 27, 1999. Her first kiss came on January 27, 2007 • BUT: However, she made up for lost time by kissing a lot in April 2007. • AND She’s getting married on June 20.

  15. After the salutation of a personal letter and after the closing of any letter Dear Brittany Spears, I think you sing well, but you are a horrible role model for teenage girls. I hope you reform and start wearing real clothes. Sincerely, Paris Hilton • To set off a title (Jr., Sr., or Ph.D.) following a person’s name • George Forman, Jr. • Andrea Webster, Ph.D. • Peter Romanov, Czar

  16. Separating Items in a Series • Use commas to separate items in series: • She liked vanilla ice cream, chocolate cake, strawberry mousse and spiced grasshoppers • If the items in the series already include commas, separate them with semicolons: • She liked fried, green grasshoppers; spiced, cinnamon buttered ants; gooey, greasy octopus and pasty, prune spread squid.

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