UWF%20WRITING%20LAB%20RULES%20OF%20THUMB%20FOR%20COMMA%20USAGE

1
UWF WRITING LAB RULES OF THUMB FOR COMMA USAGE

• from Real Good Grammar, Too
• by Mamie Webb Hixon

NOTE Comp I students are responsible for only
the rules covered on the first two slides.
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USE A COMMA

• with a coordinating conjunction to connect two
  independent clauses.
• Betty is the homecoming queen, and Bill is the
  king.
• to separate introductory phrases, words, or
  clauses from the main part of the sentence.
• After the Vietnam War ended, a number of veterans
  were hospitalized.

3
USE A COMMA

• to separate nonrestrictive clauses, phrases, and
  appositives from the rest of the sentence.
• The scout leader, overweight and out of shape,
  trudged up the hill.
• DO NOT set off restrictive information with
  commas .
• Twains novel Huckleberry Finn is on the censored
  list.

4
USE A COMMA

• to separate direct quotations from the phrase
  identifying the speaker.
• John said, "The fishing is great in Bear Lake.
• to separate the names of smaller geographic units
  from the names of larger units.
• Denver, Colorado, is called the Mile High City.

5
USE A COMMA

• to separate items in a date. Omit the comma when
  just the month and year or month and day are
  given.
• Kennedy was assassinated November 22, 1963, in
  Dallas, Texas.
• to separate names of titles or degrees that
  follow the name.
• Harold Johnson, Ph.D., will speak in the Commons
  on Tuesday.

6
USE A COMMA

• to separate short, tightly, interrelated clauses
  in a series.
• John phoned, Mary stopped by, and Phil left a
  message.
• to mark allowable omissions of repeated words,
  especially verbs.
• Your analysis is superb your execution,
  appalling.

7
USE A COMMA

• to provide clarity and prevent misreading, even
  if none of the other rules apply.
• We left him, assured that he would fail.
• (We were sure that he would fail.)
• We left him assured that he would fail.
• (He was sure that he would fail.)
• to separate three or more items or phrases in a
  series.
• Golfing, swimming, and bowling are my favorite
  activities.

8
USE A COMMA

• to separate a series of two or more adjectives
  not connected by a conjunction if the order of
  the adjectives can be reversed and still retain
  the same meaning.
• Your friend is a clever, sensitive person.
• to separate interrupters or parenthetical and
  transitional words from the rest of the sentence.
  
• Most of them, however, do try to act friendly and
  courteous.

9
USE A COMMA

• to separate contradictory phrases from the rest
  of the sentence.
• It was Betty, not Joan, who was elected queen of
  the prom.
• to separate names used in direct address or other
  isolates such as yes, no, and thank you from the
  rest of the sentence.
• Tell me, John, did you vote for Joan?
• No, I am not voting for myself.

10
USE A COMMA

• to separate tag questions from the rest of the
  sentence.
• You did that on purpose, didn't you?
• to separate words and abbreviations that
  introduce an example or an illustration,
  including namely, that is, to wit, i.e., e.g.,
  for example, and for instance.
• Many of my friends, for example, Fred, Dean, and
  Pete, like to golf.

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Questions and Answers

• Does anyone have a question about the rules of
  comma usage?
• PLEASE ASK!!!

12
LETS PRACTICE!!!

• I have told one million lies in my life and that
  is the Gospel truth.
• life, and that
• As a child I was the kind of kid my mother told
  me not to play with.
• As a child, I was
• Denver which is the capital of Colorado has an
  altitude of one mile.
• Denver, which is the capital of Colorado, has
• The city which is the capital of Colorado has an
  altitude of one mile.
• No commas (restrictive)

13
LETS PRACTICE A LITTLE MORE!!!

• Linda asked Do you think shell ever speak to
  him again?
• Linda asked, Do you
• Paxton Florida is the home of the mighty Bobcats.
• Paxton, Florida, is the
• The No Child Left Behind Act was signed in on
  January 2 2002.
• January 2, 2002.
• July 1990 is the date for the Progress 90
  celebration.
• No comma (2 items in the date)

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LETS KEEP GOING!!!

• The commencement speaker was Juliet Brown Ph.D.
• Juliet Brown, Ph.D.
• He shot pool he drank Anchor Steam beer and he
  rarely went home.
• He shot pool, he drank Anchor Steam beer, and he
  rarely went home.
• To the winners we give prizes to the losers
  consolation and to the spectators a good show.
• to the loser, consolation and to the
  spectators, a good show.

15
ALMOST THERE!!!

• The morning after a policeman came to the door.
• The morning after, a policeman
• Jeff collected a change of clothing shoes and
  golf gear before he set off for the day.
• a change of clothing, shoes, and golf gear
• A large green bug settled on the torn autumn
  leaf.
• A large, green bug

16
WERE IN THE HOME STRETCH!!!

• The order however was not filled that day.
• The order, however, was not
• Pneumonia begins with a p not an n.
• with a p, not an n.
• Thank you Susan.
• Thank you, Susan.

17
LAST ONES!!!

• Youre going arent you?
• Youre going, arent you?
• Many of my friends for example Rachel, Jennifer,
  and Allen, enjoy going to the movies.
• Many of my friends, for example, Rachel,