2. How to Use Commas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYXTX80i 1Cw&feature=related

3. Commas Serial commas separate items in a series –Corn Flakes, Cheerios, and Shredded Wheat are good cereals! –She sliced the bread, tossed the salad, and set the table.

4. A Misplaced Comma Changes Meaning

7. Commas enclose parenthetic expressions Parenthetic expressions are non-restrictive –My husband, the love of my life, is tall and handsome. (I only have one husband, so the phrase “the love of my life” is not needed to identify him.) Restrictive expressions are needed –My daughter who is married has two children. (I have more than one daughter; only the one who is married has children.)

9. Comma splices Do not join independent clauses with a comma alone (this is a comma splice) –INCORRECT: The situation is perilous, there is still a chance of escape. Do use a comma before a conjunction to join independent clauses: –The situation is perilous, but there is still a chance of escape. One point will be deducted from an essay grade for every comma splice

10. Do not break sentences in two Wrong: She was an interesting speaker. A woman who had traveled all over the world and lived in half a dozen countries. Correct: She was an interesting speaker, a woman who had traveled all over the world and lived in half a dozen countries.