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The Comma: The Punctuation

Device That Can Save Your Life!
Contributor: Kristen Gardiner. Resource ID: 10427

No ice cream! No, ice cream! Which would YOU prefer? You'll learn all the rules for commas
before playing online games and creating a Comma PSA to help others understand just how
important commas are!

CATEGORIES SUBJECT
Grammar English / Language Arts
LEARNING STYLE PERSONALITY STYLE

Visual Otter
GRADE LEVEL RESOURCE TYPE

Intermediate (3-5) Dig Deeper

Get It!
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The Comma — The punctuation device that can save your life!

Take a look at the sentence hovering over the girl's head above. I'm sure she wouldn't
appreciate being literally cut-and-pasted. A simple comma can save her from serious
discomfort!

The comma is not just a useful piece of punctuation that helps to improve sentence structure; it
has the power to completely change the meaning of a group of words. By the conclusion of this
lesson, you may find that the comma is your best friend.

Here is another example of our shy and mild-mannered little friend swooping in to save the day:

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What are the rules for using our good friend, the comma?

Use commas to separate independent clauses (clauses that can stand alone because they have
their own subject and predicate) when they are joined by any of these seven coordinating
conjunctions: "for," "and," "nor," "but," "or," "yet," "so."

What does this mean?

It means that you need to use a comma when you form a compound sentence. For example, "I
am going to the store, but Sean is staying home."

"But" is one of our seven coordinating conjunctions, and it is used to join these two clauses.

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When we join these two independent clauses with the coordinating conjunction "but," we need
to use a comma.

Use commas after introductory dependent clauses and introductory phrases.

Introductory dependent clauses help to set the scene for the action or big news of the
main clause. Remember, dependent clauses CANNOT stand alone.
These are usually adverb clauses.
For example:

Introductory phrases also set the stage for the main action of the sentence, but they are
not complete clauses. Phrases don't have both a subject and a verb that are separate
from the subject and verb in the main clause of the sentence.
For example:

Words that come before the main clause. Use a comma after introductory words like
"however," "still," "furthermore," "meanwhile," and "please."
For example: "Louie was relieved that the sign was only a misprint. Meanwhile, the
children in Mr. Payne's computer class learned how to use the cut and paste
features in MS Word."
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For example: "Please, stop leaving your dirty socks on the dining room floor!"
Don't forget to use a comma with interjections when the feeling's not that strong!
For example: "Rats, I forgot my science book."
This same rule also applies when you directly address someone in a sentence: "Bob,
shut the door."

Use a pair of commas in the middle of a sentence to set off clauses, phrases, and words that
really don’t impact the meaning of the sentence. Use one comma before to indicate the
beginning of the pause and one at the end to indicate the end of the pause.

An example of this can be an appositive, a group of words that act as an adjective phrase to
describe the subject.

For example, "Mr. Styles, my next door neighbor, works for the power company." In this
example, "my next door neighbor" really has nothing to do with the meaning of the sentence.
The only function of this group of words is to further explain the identity of Mr. Styles.

Do not use commas to set off essential elements of the sentence, such as clauses beginning
with "that" (relative clauses). That clauses after nouns are always essential. For example, "The
car that is parked by the back door belongs to my brother.

That clauses that follow a verb expressing mental action are always essential. For example,
"Daniel is driving that car while his is in the shop."

In both cases, the that clause answers the question, "Which?," making it essential to the
sentence.

Use commas to separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses written in a series.

Here is a BAD example:

Susan enjoys cooking her family and her dog.

This sentence gives the impression that Susan enjoys cooking strange thing, when in fact there
are three separate things listed.

This sentence should read, "Susan enjoys cooking, her family, and her dog."

Use commas to separate two or more adjectives that describe the same noun. Be sure never to
add an extra comma between the final adjective and the noun itself. For example, "When it
comes to punctuation, nothing beats the amazing, diverse comma." Here, we have two clearly
exclusive adjectives describing the same noun.

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Use commas to set off all geographical names, items in dates (except the month and day),
addresses (except the street number and name), and titles in names. For example:

1. (city, state) or (city, country) or (landmark, state), e.g., New Brunswick, New Jersey | Milan,
Italy | Empire State Building, New York
2. (month, year) or (day, date), e.g., April, 2020 | Tuesday, September 12
3. (street, apartment or suite number) or (city, state), e.g., 135 Main St., Suite 102 |
Anchorage, Alaska
4. (name, title), e.g., Mary, Queen of Scotts | Henry Higgins, Jr. | Margaret R. Gardiner,
Esquire

Use a comma to shift between the writing and a quotation. This could be in a piece of fiction
where the quotation indicates dialogue between two or more characters, or it may be used in
non-fiction to show the use of another person's (usually an expert) exact words to help prove a
point. For example:

"Good morning, Mr. Smith," Sean sang as he strolled into the building on the last day
before summer vacation. "And a fine morning to you as well, Sean," Mr. Smith replied with
equal emotion.
Dr. Smith states in his latest book, Mysteries of the Deep, "The elusive narwhal is the
unicorn of the sea" (1010).

Use a comma near the end of a sentence to separate contrasted elements or to show an
intentional, even DRAMATIC, pause:

Bob is coming for dinner, isn't he?

Sean is so peaceful when he sleeps, angelic almost.
Peter is doing well in math this year, quite well in fact.

There are some other dos and don'ts when it comes to using commas, because with a device
that is so super amazing, there are bound to be more uses. For now, however, you are well on
your way to saving lives and improving your writing.

So, intrepid student, continue on to the Got It? section for some interactive, educational fun!

Got It!
As you have learned, a missing comma can change the entire meaning of the sentence. You
have the ability, with just a tiny swipe of a pen, to avoid tragedy, drama, and maybe worse.

1. Complete the activity below.

2. Review your answers with your teacher or parent. Do you understand the ones you got
incorrect?

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3. Be ready to refer back to the nine rules to explain how you placed the commas in each
sentence.

Now, go on to the Go! section to warn others about the dangers of comma misuse!

Go!
Be a part of the solution

Have you ever seen a public service announcement? A public service announcement,
commonly known by the acronym "PSA," is a message spread in the interest of the public. The
purpose of a PSA is to raise awareness and possibly change opinions or behavior towards an
issue. These messages can be instructional, inspirational, or even shocking. The goal is to get
your audience to do what you are asking in your PSA.

A PSA can take a few different forms; however, for this assignment, you will create either a
poster or a comic. Here's what you need to do:

1. Select one of the comma rules above that you feel is important or often overlooked.
2. Create a storyboard that will educate and motivate others to stop the comma abuse and
improve writing overall.
3. Include the rule on your project.
4. Present your idea in a creative way through the use of Make Beliefs Comix, or your own
artistic skills with poster-making materials.

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Here is a rubric to follow when creating your Comma PSA:

When you are ready, present your PSA to your teacher, parents, and friends. Have your teacher
evaluate your work using the rubric above!

You have becomma comma expert!

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