However, you will find that in english there are many other ways to use the comma to add to the meaning of a sentence or to emphasise an item, point, or meaning. Grammar and punctuation the blue book of grammar and. Grammar, punctuation, and mechanics commas what is a comma. A comma is a punctuation mark that can be used in many different ways. Omitting the comma after son would indicate that the son and nephew would have to split onethird of the estate. Read one of your sentences aloud and see where you would naturally pause, where you would draw a breath. Grammar and punctuation book by elementary with kelli tpt. Top 10 authors who ignored the basic rules of punctuation. Daily grammar lesson 368 mechanics punctuation commas. Mainly, its used to separate thingsfor instance, two thoughts in a sentence, multiple adjectives, or items in a list. Use commas to separate a series of three or more short clauses a clause is a group of words having a subject and a verb.
However, there are certain rules that everyone should follow. The use of commas is something of an art, more than a science, and sometimes they are used differently according to different styles. Below, youll find guidance for the trickiest comma questions. Use commas to separate words and word groups in a simple series of three or more items. A revised and updated new edition of the bestselling workbook and grammar guide the blue book of grammar and punctuation is a concise, entertaining workbook and guide to english grammar, punctuation, and usage. Include commas before the last item in a series only if the sentence is. This article is about commas with quotation marks enjoy your reading. Learn grammar punctuation with free interactive flashcards. The punctuation mark comma, has the following uses to connect the items in a list. Sep 25, 2018 we at welcome secretary pompeos focus on proper grammar and punctuation, and we welcome him to our unofficial society of grammar nerds.
Use a comma or commas to separate the exact words of the speaker from the rest of the sentence unless the sense of the sentence requires some other punctuation. Commas are used to connect the items in a list, except for the last two which are usually connected by a coordinating conjunction like and or or my favorite writers are charles dickens, emily bronte and jane austen. Inverted commas around taxonomic names imply that taxonomic attribution at this level is questionable. The three musketeers were arthos, porthos and aramis. Commas can be some of the most confusing punctuation to work with, and no one understands that more than the editors at dog ear publishing. Use a comma between two long independent clauses when conjunctions such as and, or, but, for, nor connect them. Learn the rules associated with commas if you want to use them correctly. Punctuation formerly sometimes called pointing is the use of spacing, conventional signs, and certain typographical devices as aids to the understanding and correct reading of written text, whether read silently or aloud. Note that while the comma following year is optional, it is certainly not incorrect. Proper punctuation is essential in written english to enable the reader to understand what it is you are trying to say. The blue book of grammar and punctuation leans towards usage rules in cms along with other authoritative texts and does not attempt to conform to the ap stylebook, which differs significantly in some aspects. From cambridge english corpus parentheses may be omitted following the usual conventions regarding the precedence of operators and conjunction may be expressed with the comma operator instead. The second grammer rule is about when to used a question mark. Commas and periods are the most frequently used punctuation marks.
The third grammer rule in the book are the letter i, names of people, pets, specific places, days. Your students will have practice with sentence structure, nouns, plural nouns, proper. Our mission is to provide a free, worldclass education to anyone, anywhere. A comma is a mark of punctuation used so the reader can. These unique activities are highly effective, quick, easy to teach, and more fun than any punctuation or grammar activities your students will ever do.
Other times, the comma separates grammatical components of the sentence. You can quickly see why punctuation is important if you try and read this text which has no punctuation at all. Daily grammar lesson 350 mechanics punctuation commas. However, commas are used differently depending on the situation. In the following sentences, click on the places where the comma is undesired, is missing, or should be changed to another piece of punctuation. The use of a comma before and is optional, but i generally advise using it because it prevents the reader from thinking that the last two items on the list are a pair. Commas, part 10 grammar and punctuation grammar blog. It gives herhim super powers in punctuation, grammar, usage, and reading comprehension for crystal clear communication. The blackandwhite workbook covers 25 grammatical and punctuation topics including sentences, parts of speech, contractions, punctuation, and. Commas quiz 2 from the blue book of grammar and punctuation. To avoid confusion, use commas to separate words and word groups with a series of three or more.
Quotation marks the blue book of grammar and punctuation. In fact, the rules for using commas are really rather simple, though complicated by the fact that the comma has four distinct uses. Learn english punctuation english punctuation rules. Punctuation english grammar today a reference to written and spoken english. To begin with, forget anything youve ever been told about using a comma wherever you would pause, or anything of the sort. The comma is a valuable, useful punctuation device because it separates the structural elements of sentences into manageable segments. In the current edition of the blue book of grammar and punctuation and on the. Commas punctuation rules the blue book of grammar and. This selfpaced course will help you learn what you need to polish your grammar and punctuation skills. We use commas to separate a list of similar words or phrases. Also note that the punctuation for the reference listing at the end of the sentence depends upon the format.
Quotation marks are used for components, such as chapter titles in a book, individual episodes of a tv series, songs from a broadway show or a music album, titles of articles or essays in print or online, and shorter works such as short stories and poems. Commas show your reader that there is a pause in the sentence they are reading. Colons and semicolons are two valuable pieces of punctuation that separate sentence elements from each other. You use punctuation marks to structure and organise your writing. For example, in eric carles the very hungry caterpillar write the sentence on the board which lists what the caterpillar ate, and remove all the commas. Commas usually indicate that there is a brief pause in the sentence. The first course in this specialization is a refresher on some tools needed for good writing. Punctuation english grammar today cambridge dictionary. This book takes the average punctuation marks and turns them into fun characters with their own likes, dislikes and personalities. In american english usage, many writers and editors feel that a comma should precede and with three or more items in a series. Using commas, semicolons, and colons within sentences. In this article, were going to cover some of the rules as painlessly as possible. There are some general rules which you can apply when using the comma.
The blue book of grammar and punctuation, eleventh edition. You do have to put a comma before but if it precedes an independent clause for example. They also live in argentina, bolivia, and ecuador, where they reside mainly on estuaries, lagoons, mud flats, and salt lakes. When using a comma to separate items in a list of three or more items, use a comma after each item and insert the word and between the secondtolast and last items. Tips on grammar, punctuation and style if the rules you learned about commas and semicolons dont mean much to you, forget them and try this. Discuss list composition and the purpose of commas to separate words, phrases or numbers in a series. This book is great and very easy for a child to understand and not get fustrated. As the flame front propagates hot combustion products expand, resulting in a rapid pressure increase. We use capital letters for the titles of books, magazines and newspapers, plays and music. Another description is, it is the practice action or system of inserting points or other small marks into texts in order to aid interpretation.
The book explains each grammer topic very well breaking them down in simple terms, so you can explain it to child. The comma, is a punctuation mark that appears in several variants in different languages. For words in which the verb form is the same as the noun form, a comma separates like same form elements. Punctuation for citation with free interactive flashcards. Capital letters full stops question marks exclamation marks speech marks apostrophes i hope to create another booklet including the more complex punctuation. Printed books, whose letters were uniform, could be read much more rapidly than manuscripts. Author of the original blue book of grammar and punctuation. Top 10 authors who ignored the basic rules of punctuation by may huang while the majority of sentences in published texts including this article depend on punctuation to make sense, the literary world is nonetheless no stranger to great writers.
The parenthetical element is sometimes called added information. Rule 1 use a comma when beginning sentences with introductory words such as. For example, if easter is coming up, have students write a letter to the easter bunny using appropriate commas. Of all the punctuation marks in english, this one is perhaps the most abused and misused. Rule 2 it is preferable to use a semicolon before introductory words such as namely, however, therefore, that is, i. Nov 06, 2009 this is an instructional video with simple rules of comma usage. Commas quiz 2 the blue book of grammar and punctuation.
There are lots of rules about comma usage, and often the factors that determine whether you should use one are quite subtle. At the end of each lesson will be a brief quiz andor assignment based on the lesson material. The students asked for a second chance to rewrite the exam, but the teacher did not grant it. This post is all about inverted commas punctuation is the name for the marks we use in. In addition to a writing and grammar textbook and workbook, i also included grammar and punctuation, grade 2 in our writing lessons as supplement practice on important grammar and punctuation rules. Use commas in a list of three or more things by putting a common after each item in the series until the last item. Commas point out brief pauses in a complex sentence or separate items in long lists. If a clause makes sense on its own, then it is an independent clause an independent clause will always have a subject and a verb.
The punctuation for the second sentence is covered on the website and in the book in rule 2 of the chapter on semicolons, where it says. What are grammar rules to use a punctuation comma in a. This is the most difficult rule in punctuation because it is sometimes unclear what is added or. This post is all about inverted commas punctuation is the name for the marks we use in writing. Punctuation puzzler rescues students from boring drill and practice. Beginners guide to english punctuation a 10part course with how to spell. The presence or lack of a comma before and or or in such a list has become the subject of much spirited debate. Punctuation formerly sometimes called pointing is the use of spacing, conventional signs, and. Use commas to enclose clauses not essential to the. Punctuation is used to create sense, clarity and stress in sentences. All it takes is the blue book of grammar and punctuation. This is an instructional video with simple rules of comma usage.
The comma before the conjunction a conjunction is a word that joins other words, phrases groups of words, or clauses groups of words with a subject. The first grammar rule in the book is how to write a proper sentence. Luckily, german punctuation is similar to english punctuation in many respects. There are many rules that tell us how commas should be used, but dont let it scare you. When period, comma, exclamation point and question mark try to figure out what to do for the day, they just cant seem to agree. Sep 21, 2015 this chart from grammar girl presents the ultimate writing guide for students gives examples of the 15 most common ways to use a comma. Holidays are the perfect time to practice grammar and punctuation skills. Comma definition in the cambridge english dictionary. Jun 05, 2009 use commas in a list of three or more things by putting a common after each item in the series until the last item. Although we are often taught that commas are used to help us add breathing spaces to sentences they are, in fact, more accurately used to organise blocks of thought or logical groupings. The comma, is very frequently used and very frequently used wrongly. Rules for comma usage guide to grammar and writing.
With a little practice, itll start to feel like second nature. Also use the semicolon when you already have commas within a. Choose from 500 different sets of grammar punctuation flashcards on quizlet. This chart from grammar girl presents the ultimate writing guide for students gives examples of the 15 most common ways to use a comma. With over 200,000 copies sold, this is one of the most highly trusted english language resources available. Commas are useful for breaking up long sentences, but only to show a natural break. For example, below the person does three activities. We at welcome secretary pompeos focus on proper grammar and punctuation, and we welcome him to our unofficial society of grammar nerds. My estate goes to my husband, son, daughterinlaw, and nephew. Used between clauses main or subordinate clauses ex.
At the end of the school year, mothers day and fathers day are great occasions to practice letter writing. Commas show division within the sentence and add clarity. What are grammar rules to use a punctuation comma in a long. For example, the associated press ap stylebook is a guide specific for news media and journalists while the chicago manual of style cms is used by many book publishers and writers. In addition, learn how to use conjunctions as well as punctuation to express complex ideasclearly. In british english, punctuation such as periods and commas are placed outside the closing quotation mark. Use commas in place of conjunctions to separate elements in a list of three or more items. Punctuation and grammar 101 is divided into two subjects which focus on grammar and punctuation topics. In 10 easytofollow lessons, joanne explains the right way to use commas, semicolons, apostrophes, hyphens, and terminating marks.
Each punctuation mark only speaks in sentences that match their mark. Quotation marks are also used for the titles of books, novels, films, dramatic. This userfriendly resource includes simple explanations of. My grammar and punctuation book can be used as a book or you can use each page individually to introduce and model new grammar and punctuation rules to your students. The following conjunctions socalled coordinating conjunctions are used in such case. The use of the oxford comma is optional before and ecuador and and salt lakes, however, i like it best when its there. Although we are often taught that commas are used to help us add breathing spaces to sentences they are, in fact, more accurately used to.
It doesnt take a lifetime to master english grammar and punctuation. It seems as if commas have more punctuation rules than any other form of punctuation. When each item is separated by a comma, the reader can expect that the items are the same parallel word forms. I am not the original author of any of these worksheets, but have collected them from various places or people to create one basic punctuation booklet.
745 1248 1248 1072 1360 141 181 699 320 1378 447 777 379 1146 373 127 503 723 732 150 85 332 10 129 882 16 1230 1254 57 984 1303