2. Remember, use commas to: 1.Separate items in a series: We went to the store and bought apples, bananas, and peaches. 2.Join independent clauses linked with a coordinating conjunction (ex: and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet) (FANBOYS) Ex: We went to the store, and we bought a bunch of bananas. Remember: independent clauses can stand ON THEIR OWN!!!

3. Use commas to: 3. Mark off introductory information. Ex: After I went to the store, I went home. Heading out the door, I grabbed my keys. Although I hated going to the store, I knew that we needed milk at home. After paying all my bills, I still had money for groceries. 4. Set off nonessential clauses and interrupters. Nonessential: Ex: My sister, Kristin, loves to knit. (I only have 1 sister, so her name is non-essential). Interrupters, interrupt flow of sentence to add extra info. Not needed. One kind is an appositive phrase, which is a noun phrase that describes or provides information about the previous noun. Ex: Jane, my next-door neighbor, always had her groceries delivered. Monticello, a small town in central Illinois, only has two grocery stores. TIP! Commas come before “which” but not before “that.”

4. Let’s give it a whirl. Directions: Rewrite each sentence adding commas where needed. If the sentence is correct, write “C.” 1.Vests which were once popular have been out of vogue for several years. 1.The closet contained worn clothes old shoes and dirty hats. 1.Nevertheless I do not want to meet him. 2.The apples that fell out of the basket are bruised. 1.My mom Kathy loves to garden. 1.That Tuesday which happens to be my birthday is the only day when I am available to meet. 2.Yesterday I went on a run and I also went grocery shopping.

5. Do Now: Fix this sentence. Shakespeare is loved by many but I do not like him much. His plays poems and words confuse me and I would rather not study him.