Clark Sentence Craft: Basic Uses of Commas

Suggestions to Instructors: You could work as a class through the five basic uses with the model kernel sentence. Then give them another kernel sentence and have them do pair-share, or work independently. Then, if possible, put a student draft on the screen and model how to go through the draft sentence by sentence. (If they have hard copies but no electronic versions, you can put the hard copy on a document camera and work on it that waywhich nicely models exactly what you want them to do at their desks!) Emphasize reading aloud with expression. I exaggerate, using my radio announcer voice. Try to get them to do the same, so that they start to hear their own sentences. You might also work on having them find the kernel sentences in their own writingWheres the actual sentence here, the part that we have to have for this to be a sentence? -- and seeing how they already write very sophisticated structures, with all kinds of phrases and clauses. Its just a matter of how to punctuate all that. Writing that lacks proper punctuation often sounds fine when read aloud. It just doesnt look right and is not reader friendly. Please note that most fragments are merely punctuation errors; the fragment is usually either an introductory or a concluding phrase that simply needs to be attached with a comma (or sometimes nothing) to its parent sentence, to the left or the right. The problem of comma splices will definitely arise. Point it out but . . . thats another lesson . . . sort of.

Clark Sentence Craft: Basic Uses of Commas 1. After introductory materialwords, phrases, or subordinate clauses. --Listen: Do you hear a pause? --Test: Does the sentence more or less make sense without the introductory material?

2. Before added material at the end (especially ing phrases!) Listen: Do you hear a pause? Test: Can you cut the added material and still have a sentence that makes sense?

3. On both sides of inserted material: Listen: Do you hear a pause on either side? Test: Does the sentence make sense if you take the inserted material out?

4. Between Three or more items in a series: X, Y, and Z. Check for parallelism!

5. Between clauses (S-V units) separated by a FANBOYS. Listen: Can you hear the pause? Test: Could the material on each side of the FANBOYS stand on its own as a sentence?

Clark Sentence Craft: Practice with Basic Uses of Commas Instructions: Use the kernel sentence below and build larger sentences, as directed. Then try with more kernel sentences of your own. Marita would do her homework. Introductory material: Add a word:

Add a phrase:

Add a subordinate clause:

Inserted material: Add something between Marita and would

Concluding material: Add an ing phrase at the end.

Items in a series: Replace homework with specific subjects she studied.

Two clauses joined with a FANBOYS: Add another clause to the end of the sentence, using and; now using yet or but; now using so. Write a sentence that makes sense.

Now, go read the sentences in your draft aloud from back to front. 1)Listen for your pauses and add commas as seems necessary; 2) Can you identify which of the main uses of comma above applies each time? 3) Can you connect fragments to one of the sentences on either side, so the fragment becomes introductory or concluding material? 4) Watch out for run-ons, where a comma isnt enough! Try adding a FANBOYS. (Prepared by Dan Clark: 2 January 2014)