1. I’M ESSENTIAL!!! DON’T PLACE COMMAS AROUND ME!
Essentials
I’M ESSENTIAL!!! DON’T PLACE COMMAS AROUND ME!

2. Essential Elements
Essential elements are elements within a sentence that cannot be set off with commas because :
doing so would alter the meaning of the sentence
or result in nonsense.

3. However I love bacon. I don’t, however, like bacon with eggs.
Non-essential (set off with commas)
I love bacon; however, I don’t like bacon and eggs.
IS ESSENTIAL
Would not make sense if we took it out
Use semi-colon and not comma when “however” begins a dependent clause

4. However Practice
London is a very old city. It does however contain some modern neighborhoods.
London is a very old city however it does contain some modern neighborhoods.

5. Essential relative clause
Relative clause that should not be set off by commas because it is needed to distinguish which one.
The man who ordered another double anchovy pizza claims to have a pet dolphin in his backyard pool.
Which man among the billions of human males on the planet? The one who ordered the double anchovy pizza!
Freddie hopes to return to the city where he met a woman with haunting green eyes.
Which of the many cities on the planet? The one where Freddie met a memorable woman!

6. Non-essential
Those clauses are now non-essential because what is being described is specifically identified.
Mr. Hall, who ordered another double anchovy pizza, claims to have a pet dolphin in his backyard pool.
Freddie hopes to return to Cairo, where he met a woman with haunting green eyes.

7. ACT QUESTION
Normally, customers have one year from the purchase date to return unwanted or defective items; however, customers, who make purchases on February 29th, have four years to return their items.
A- NO CHANGE
B- customers, who make purchases on February 29th
C- customers who make purchases on February 29th,
D- customers who make purchases on February 29th

8. Infinitive phrase
If the infinitive phrase is the subject of a sentence, do not put a comma after it.
Never use a comma to split a subject and a verb.
To beat Mitchell Poynter at the St. Chris 5k this summer is my goal.
NO COMMA because infinitive phrase=SUBJECT

9. THAT VS WHICH A clause beginning with THAT is always ESSENTIAL
A clause beginning with WHICH is always NON ESSENTIAL
Parrots are one of the most difficult pets that a person could have, which is why I’m not likely to buy one.
DON’T use commas with THAT
WRONG- Parrots are one of the most difficult pets, that a person could have.

10. ACT TRICKSTERS Using sentences where “that” is optional
Parrots are one of the most difficult pets (that) a person could have because they are intelligent, demanding, and live for many years.
Sentence would read WITHOUT the word THAT and be acceptable
WRONG- Parrots are one of the most difficult pets, a person could have because…

11. Commas with names
Determine whether the name is ESSENTIAL or NON-ESSENTIAL
Is it essential to specify which one?
If essential…NO COMMAS
If non-essential…COMMAS
I ate, Grandma.
I ate Grandma.
My brother Michael is taller than I.
My brother, Michael, is taller than I.

12. Commas/Names My friend Jane has more gardening experience than me.
What DIFFERENT ideas do these sentences express?

13. ACT style question
Along with her husband Martin Luther King, Coretta Scott King played an important role in the Civil Rights movement.
A- NO CHANGE
B- husband Martin Luther King
C- husband, Martin Luther King,
D- husband, Martin Luther King

14. ACT style question
There was just one problem—I’d never actually planted one. So I called a friend who had a lot more gardening experience than I did. Luckily, that friend, Jane, agreed to come over the next day.
A- NO CHANGE
B- friend, Jane
C- friend Jane,
D- friend Jane

15. ACT style question
There was just one problem—I’d never actually planted one. So I called my friend, Jane who had a lot more gardening experience than I did.
A- No change
B- my friend, Jane, who
C- my friend Jane. Who
D- my friend Jane who

16. ACT style question
Ada Lovelace and her acquaintance, Charles Babbage, were two of the most influential figures in the history of computer science. After Babbage sketched out his ideas…
A- NO CHANGE
B- acquaintance Charles Babbage
C- acquaintance Charles Babbage,
D- acquaintance, Charles Babbage