Commas 2

Separating AdjectivesAnd

Compound Sentences

Rule #2 -- Use commas to separate two or more adjectives preceding a noun.

• Example: Jack Russell terriers are small, energetic dogs.

• These intelligent, loyal, playful pets always enjoy a challenge.

• Practice: Did you hear about Macomber's short happy life?

• The hot crackling smoky fire roared through the beautiful, old forests of Yosemite.

• Hint: If you can put and between the adjectives and it makes sense, you can use a comma.

• Example: Jack Russell terriers are small and energetic dogs.

• These intelligent and loyal and playful pets always enjoy a challenge.

Rule #2 -- Use commas to separate two or more adjectives preceding a noun.

• When the final adjective in a series is thought of as part of the noun, do not use a comma before that adjective.

• Example: A skillful, enthusiastic dog trainer can teach a Jack Russell terrier to perform many exciting tricks.

• No comma is used between enthusiastic and dog because the words dog and trainer make up a compound noun.

• A comma should never be used between an adjective and the noun immediately following it.

• Incorrect: The cute, clever, terrier who starred in TV's Wishbone was really named Soccer.

• Correct: The cute, clever terrier who starred in TV's Wishbone was really named Soccer.

• Practice

• Where is a comma needed?

• a. A squat dark wood-burning stove stood in one corner.

• b. This book describes the harsh isolated lives of pioneer women in Kansas.

• c. They made a clubhouse in the empty unused storage shed.

• d. What a lovely haunting melody that song has!

• e. Katie Couric's upbeat intelligent approach to interviewing makes her an effective television anchor.

• Independent Practice -- Exercise 3, page 362-363, 5-10

• Rewrite each sentence, inserting commas where needed.

• 5. The delicate colorful wings of the hummingbird vibrate as many as two hundred times each second.

• 6. The hot unrelenting wind blew across the desert.

• 7. The movie is about a bright active girl who is badly injured while riding a horse.

• 8. Jade Snow Wong's strong focused determination led to her success as an author.

• 9. What is the quickest easiest most scenic way to get to Juneau?

• 10. Lupe like to read true stories about daring adventurous mountain climbers.

Rule #3 -- Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction (and, but, for, nor, or, so, or yet) when it joins independent clauses in a

compound sentence.

• Examples: I enjoyed The King and I, but Oklahoma! is still my favorite musical.

• Oscar Hammerstein wrote the words, and Richard Rodgers wrote the music.

• The musical comedy began as an American musical form, yet its popularity has spread throughout the world.

• When the independent clauses are very short, the comma before and, but, or or is sometimes omitted.

• Examples: I am tired but I can't sleep.

• The cat can stay inside or it can go outside.

• A comma is almost always used before nor, for, so, or yet when it joins independent clauses.

• Examples: We will not give up, nor will we fail.

• Everyone seemed excited, for it was time to begin.

• No one else was there, so we left.

• The water was cold, yet it looked inviting.

• Practice -- Add commas to the following sentences. Some sentences may be correct as written.

• a. Have you read this article or do you want me to tell you about it?

• b. Human beings must study to become architects yet some animals build amazing structures by instinct.

• c. The male gardener bower bird builds a complex structure and carefully decorates it to attract a mate.

• d. This bird constructs a dome-shaped garden in a small tree and underneath the tree he lays a carpet of moss covered with brilliant tropical flowers.

• e. Then he gathers twigs and arranges them in a three-foot-wide circle around the display.

• Independent Practice

• Exercise 4, page 364, 5-10. Follow book instructions.

Independent Practice• 5. Tailor ants might be called the ant world's high-rise workers for they gather leaves

and sew them around tree twigs to make nests like the one shown on the left.

• 6. These nests are built in tropical trees and the nests may be one hundred feet or more above the ground.

• 7. Adult tailor ants don't secrete the silk used to weave the leaves together but they squeeze it from their larvae.

• 8. The female European water spider builds a water-proof nest under water and she stocks the nest with air bubbles.

• 9. This air supply is very important for it allows the spider to hunt underwater.

• 10. The water spider lays her eggs in the waterproof nest and they hatch there.