 Use commas in lists when you have 3 or more things  Ex. I like purple, green, red, and yellow.  HOWEVER, in Rampage, we take out the last optional comma to comply with AP Rules  Ex. I like purple, green, red and yellow.

 Trickiest rule: ONLY USE a comma when you both:  Combine two COMPLETE sentences  AND use FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) to do it  Ex. I like the shirt, and I like purple. ▪ DO NOT USE: I like the shirt and purple. ▪ DO NOT USE: I like the shirt because it is purple.  AGAIN, only use the comma if you use a FANBOYS

 It’s simple. If you use what is called a “transition,” use a comma!  Examples would be things like:  Changing lanes, he noticed the car.  Deciding it was the right choice, Grace gave it up.  Almost winning, he came in second.  First, build the model.  Therefore, you can be free all day.  Read the sentences aloud. Notice how they require a little pause. That’s where the comma goes.

 Use 2 commas to set details off when describing something that is not necessary  His friend, Leo, is very nice.  He hugged Loretta, his mother, after he came home.  The book I am reading, The Scarlet Letter, is interesting.  Notice the differences:  The Rampage EIC, Humphrey, is cool.  The Rampage editor Chloe is cool. ▪ We use commas around Humphrey’s name because there is only one EIC–we don’t need the name. ▪ However, there are more than one editor, so Chloe is necessary in the sentence, hence we do not use commas.

 Use a comma between adjectives where and or but would normally appear.  He is a cool and kind fellow. TURNS INTO  He is a cool, kind fellow.  That lazy but nice cat. TURNS INTO  That lazy, nice cat.

 Set off UNNECESSARY lingering phrases with a comma.  I like iPods, which are Apple products.  Sue has an SD card, which is a memory chip.  Also, use a comma to set off contrasting phrases.  I work, not play, during the week.  You must now be silent, not loud.

 Use a comma between cities and their state and dates and its year  I live in Temple City, California.  Today is June 28, 2011.

Please, only use commas because there is a rule/reason! Don’t say you should use one just because you think there should be a pause there… you’re probably wrong.

 First, you need to buy basil seeds, soil and a pot. With these materials, you should fill your pot up with soil, but be careful to not overfill it, which would be too much. Then, look at your seeds. Find round, large seeds, and place them beneath about an inch, not two inches, of soil. Water the soil, and wait a few days. When you first see green, place the pot in the sunlight, a source of energy for the plant. You should have a well- established basil plant, a great herb, in a few weeks. Los Angeles, California is a great place to grow many herbs.