British Literature February 5, 2008 Ms. Smith

Tuesday’s Agenda 1. Turn in your comma homework. 2. ACT Comma Rules 3. SUPER TUESDAY Response

SUPER TUESDAY RESPONSE: If by some strange historical change, you had the option to vote for which Plantagenet would succeed Henry, who would you select? Identify the character and explain why that character would get your vote.

COMMAS More than half of the punctuation questions on the ACT concern the proper use of commas. Too few commas in a sentence can create confusion as to where one thought ends and another begins. Too many commas break up the flow of a sentence.

Comma Rule #1: Items in a Series Commas are used to separate items in a series. Look at the entire sentence, not just the portion that is underlined. Look for a series or list of three or more items or actions.

Items in a series Example: When Mary walked into the classroom, she saw a school teacher a doctor and a woman eating a bagel and a bird. When Mary walked into the classroom, she saw a school teacher, a doctor, a woman eating a bagel, and a bird.

Comma Rule #2: Separating Clauses and Phrases The ACT tests your ability to use commas correctly when two clauses, or a clause and a phrase, appear in the same sentence. Independent Clause and Dependent Clause

Dependent Clause A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb but does not express a complete thought. A dependent clause cannot stand on its own as a sentence.

Identify the Dependent Clause in the sentence below. 1. Before Mary could reach the teacher she saw the woman offer the bird part of the bagel. “Before Mary could reach the teacher” cannot stand by itself so it needs a comma. Before Mary could reach the teacher, she saw the woman offer the bird part of the bagel.

Independent Clause An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb and expresses a complete thought. An independent clause is a sentence. When two independent clauses appear in the same sentence, a comma is needed before the conjunction.

Independent Clause Example 1.Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz. (IC) 2.Mary wondered why there was a bird in the classroom and she decided to ask the teacher what the bird was doing indoors.

Identify the Independent Clauses 1.Mary wondered why there was a bird in the classroom, and she decided to ask the teacher what the bird was doing indoors.

3 rd Comma Rule: Separating “Restrictive” and “Nonrestrictive” Elements A “restrictive” clause or phrase is essential to the meaning of a sentence, and it should not be separated from the rest of the sentence by commas.

Example: People who snore are advised to sleep on their sides. “Who snore” is essential to the meaning of this sentence. The sentence is not saying that all people should sleep on their sides, just the ones who sore.

Identify the nonrestrictive clause in the sentence below: Mary who by now was very confused stopped in front of the woman.

The nonrestrictive clause is “who by now was very confused.” This clause modifies the noun that precedes it – in this case, “Mary” – but is not essential to the meaning of the sentence. “Mary stopped in front of the woman” can stand on its own. To set off the clause from the rest of the sentence, you need to surround it with a pair of commas.

Mary, who by now was very confused, stopped in front of the woman.

“Only a person who is a little peculiar would feed a bagel to a bird!” thought Mary.

“Only a person who is a little peculiar would feed a bagel to a bird!” thought Mary. “Who is a little peculiar” is a restrictive clause because it adds essential information to the sentence. Thus, it does not require separation by commas.

Identifying Restrictive/Nonrestrictive Comma Errors Look for differences in punctuation among the answer choices Check to see whether the underlined portion of the sentence is part of a restrictive or nonrestrictive phrase or clause.

Comma Check Look out for... Words and phrases in a series Introductory phrases and words Mid-sentence phrases that are not essential to the sentence

HOMEWORK 1) Complete Comma Worksheets Pages 280, 284, 286, 287, 177, 179