Comma Rules 1-3 and Mini Lesson One

We have three items broccoli spinach and Brussels sprouts in that list and they're separated using commas. Another example, the letters, X, Z, and Q are the least frequently used letters of the alphabet. Again, we have X comma Z comma and Q to separate out that list of three items. And the third example, our tasks for the party are blowing up balloons, comma, setting the table, comma, and planning the music, those three tasks blowing up balloons, setting the table and planning the music, are separated with commas. Rule number two, using commas to separate introductory material from the rest of the sentence. We could separate a prepositional phrase. For example, after running the marathon, Tiffany no longer felt indefatigable. We could separate out a dependent clause, for example, when Michael Jackson died, people all across the world wept, or we could separate an adverb being used as a transition. 

For example, lately, I've been feeling more energized because I'm going to bed earlier. Now, if you need a refresher on what a preposition is or what an adverb is, I'm going to include two videos. They're both from grammar rock, which is definitely old, but still very, very good. It's a classic. So watch them if for nothing else, watch them to be entertained. And then rule number three last one for today. Use comments between two complete sentences that are connected with a coordinating conjunction. We know all about coordinating conjunctions. It's that fanboys collection that we use so much. It's when we have two independent clauses, and we connect them with a comma, and then something from fanboys. For example, mason broke his leg in the accident, and his car was badly damaged. Bella has a stomach ache, and she had old sushi for lunch.

Austin's glasses broke, so he mended them with duct tape. Okay, so those are the three rules you're gonna use today, and I will talk to you about your assignment in just a minute. Your assignment for today, it is another slides document. And I know a couple of people struggled with those before, but I do think that we can make these work. So this first slide is just the directions, many lesson one, drag and drop the comments from the margins around the slides, zoom out using the magnifier if you can not see them. And insert them in the correct places in the sentences. If you need more commas than what is provided, just copy and paste the ones that are already there or create new ones using a text box. So here is the first part. The first thing you're going to do is put your first and last name and your class period here. That is super important. 

Please do not forget to do it. Then you're going to type in comma rule number one, comma rule number two and comma rule number three. If you forgotten what these are, you can go back to the slides presentation and find them there. Then you have practice exercise number one. Insert commas where necessary, some sentences require more than one. So number one, P is Lima beans and corn are my favorite vegetables. Well, I know from rule number one, that I need to separate out a list of three items or more with commas, so I'm gonna take a comma from the side and put it after peas. So that's the first item on my list. And then I'm going to grab another comma and put it after Lima beans. Here we go. Because that's the second item on my list. 

So now I have peas, Lima beans, and corn are my favorite vegetables. So you're going to go through with the rest of these and complete them, and then the next page gives you a mentor sentence. We've talked about mentor text before how it gives you a good example of text to mimic or copy from. So you're going to look at the mentor sentence, figure out which comma rule it's using. And then create your own imitation sentence using that same common rule. So this first one says, with a sigh of relief, comma, he climbed the cold stone steps to his flat. And this is in quotes because it's from the unmapped chronicles by Abby elphinstone. 

So I'm going to click here and there we go. Start my own. And now, you can branch out and use any preposition you want. If you want to keep it simple for this, I'm okay with that too, and you can use the preposition that's available here. So I could say with a guilty laugh, the students backed away from the smelly lacquer. And then there's that for you. Okay, that's it. Don't forget to check in and ask me any questions if you have them. Thanks guys.