2.  Use commas to separate items in a series  Write a sentence listing three things you have in your backpack or on your person right now.  Use commas to separate two or more adjectives preceding a noun.  Write a sentence describing the person sitting next to you with three adjectives. (Be nice)

3.  Combining independent sentences  Use a comma before a FANBOY to join two complete sentences  FANBOY’s = For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So I went to class, and we learned some English stuff.  Write your own example.  Separate non-essential, extra, or clarifying information  Use commas on both sides of the non-essential phrase or info He, the student, is brilliant. My favorite novel, The Great Gatsby, will come out as a movie in theaters in May. (True story – so excited!!)  Write your own example.

4.  Use a comma after an introductory element  Mild exclamations like “oh,” “well,” “yes,” etc. Yes, I heard you. Well, that’s interesting.  Participial or participial phrase (descriptive words or “ing” verbs that modify a noun) Looking very tired, the students sat down. Motivated, the team took the court.  After prepositional phrases In the 2 nd round of March Madness, Georgetown blew it. By the leaky water fountain, there was a pool of water.

5.  Directly addressing someone  Mom, what’s for dinner?  Hand me that, Billy.  Separating items in dates and addresses  Today is March 26, 2013.  42 Wallaby Way, Sidney, Australia (movie reference??)  Following the salutation and closing of a letter  To set off a title following a person’s name  Ken Griffey, Jr. was an awesome baseball player.

6.  Don’t use unnecessary commas.  Really, it was in the book.

8.  In one of your journal or free writes, circle all of your commas.  If you used the comma correctly, according to your rules, highlight it or somehow mark it with a different color.  If you used the comma incorrectly, fix the sentence, then mark it in a different color.