COMMAS

1
COMMAS

• Using commas for adding information to sentences
  (main and subordinate clauses).
• Plus a general punctuation revision exercise to
  embed the use of commas with existing skills.

2
Teacher information

• Students add commas to the sentences.
• Differentiation
• Low ability tell students the rules (slides 3
  4) put commas either side of added
  information (subordinate clause) and after it if
  it comes at the beginning of the sentence.
• Then do the exercise (slides 5 6).
• High ability pupils do the exercise (slides 5
  6) then mark it (answers are on this Ppt). They
  then write their own rules for the use of the
  comma.

3
Rules for using commas

• Put commas either side of added
  information/subordinate clause and after it if it
  comes at the beginning of the sentence.
• E.g.
• The cat, purring loudly, sat on the mat.
• Purring loudly, the cat sat on the mat.

4
You might remember the use of the two commas if
you think of it like a mole pushing the main
clause apart. The moles paws are the commas.

• The cat, purring loudly, sat on the mat.

5

• Commas Exercise
• Write out the following sentences, putting in
  commas wherever they are needed.
• A Lucky Find
• Worried about his finances Mr Farmer was driving
  one morning.
• The Farmer noticing an unusual object stopped his
  van.
• He opened the door of his cab which needed
  repairing and jumped down.
• He picked up the object which seemed to be made
  of metal and rubbed it on his sleeve.
• Intending to examine it more closely later Mr
  Farmer put the object in his pocket.
• Continued/

6

• 6 That evening when tea was over he went to his
  jacket pocket.
• 7 He took the object to his daughter Charlotte
  who was reading.
• 8 Charlotte who had a vivid imagination said it
  might be a golden bracelet.
• 9 Mr Farmer who doubted that it was valuable said
  he would take it to the local museum.
• 10 The curator who at first was skeptical was
  astonished at what he saw.

7

• Answers
• Worried about his finances, Mr Farmer was driving
  one morning.
• The farmer, noticing an unusual object, stopped
  his van.
• He opened the door of his cab, which needed
  repairing, and jumped down.
• He picked up the object, which seemed to be made
  of metal, and rubbed it on his sleeve.
• Intending to examine it more closely later, Mr
  Farmer put the object in his pocket.
• That evening, when tea was over, he went to his
  jacket pocket.
• He took the object to his daughter, Charlotte,
  who was reading.
• Charlotte, who had a vivid imagination, said it
  might be a golden bracelet.
• Mr Farmer, who doubted that it was valuable, said
  he would take it to the local museum.
• The curator, who at first was skeptical, was
  astonished at what he saw.
• Now write a rule or rules to help you to remember
  how to use commas for added information/subordinat
  e clauses.

8

• Punctuation Exercise
• Rewrite the following passage, punctuating it
  properly.
• Dancing with Danger
• visitors from minden who are in town for the
  town-twinning celebrations saw a display of
  dancing yesterday the display which was held on
  the seafront began at 230 p m the first
  performers who gave the program a lively start
  were a modern dance group the dancers who are all
  members of the shorewell youth center had been
  trained by mrs amy grover
• Continued/

9

• the second group which was making its first
  public performance was the shorewell irish
  country dancing team they worked hard to
  entertain the packed crowd their performance
  which lasted fifteen minutes was marred by an
  unfortunate accident to mr john cullum who fell
  through the temporary platform mr buxton a local
  hotelier twisted an ankle
• siobhan oconnells irish dancers who are aged
  from five to eight concluded the program they
  encountered some difficulties that resulted from
  the damage to the platform but most of the
  missing dancers were recovered later

10

• CORRECTLY PUNCTUATED
• Dancing with Danger
• Visitors from Minden, who are in town for the
  town-twinning celebrations, saw a display of
  dancing yesterday. The display, which was held
  on the seafront, began at 230 pm. The first
  performers, who gave the program a lively start,
  were a modern dance group. The dancers, who are
  all members of the Shorewell Youth Center, had
  been trained by Mrs Amy Grover.
• Continued/

11

• The second group, which was making its first
  public performance, was the Shorewell Irish
  Country Dancing Team. They worked hard to
  entertain the packed crowd. Their performance,
  which lasted fifteen minutes, was marred by an
  unfortunate accident to Mr John Cullum who fell
  through the temporary platform. Mr Buxton, a
  local hotelier, twisted an ankle.
• Siobhan OConnells Irish dancers, who are aged
  from five to eight, concluded the program. They
  encountered some difficulties that resulted from
  the damage to the platform but most of the
  missing dancers were recovered later.
• 55 possible marks.