COMMAS
Rather than begin with a ton of grammar, I thought it would be easier to master a few comma rules that can be implemented in your writing immediately. This page will demonstrate certain sentences that will be easy to master and provide the illusion that you have a better grasp on comma usage than you actually do.
Introductory Adverbial Phrase: This is a sentence that begins with a preposition. If you remember, a preposition is everywhere a doggie can go. It can go around, above, through, beneath, within, in, outside, around, between, ... the house. Here are a few examples:
*In the immediate future within World Conflicts, I will compose sentences with an introductory adverbial phrase.
*Within my four wonderful years at Hastings High School, I have learned to develop my analytical skills.
Introductory Adverbial Clause: The same as the above situation; however, it will have a verb within it. Here are examples:
*Under the skies moving above my head, we see the reality of life.
*Within the special walls of B-214 crying constant learning every hour, my friends and I entered the room with the hopes of preparing for college.
Verbals: Beginning a sentence with a verbal, a word that appears to be a verb but is used as another part of speech, an individual will need a comma. Hopefully, you remember that there are three types of verbals: gerunds, infinitives, and participles. Gerunds have an "ing" ending and act as a noun, infinitives have "to" in front of a verb and appear as a noun, and participles are words that appear as verbs but are used as adjectives.
*Hoping that my future would be impacted by the additional composition in B-214, I composed as many papers as possible within a semester." (This is a gerund beginning a sentence.)
*To hope throughout the period of their senior year, Thai and Abi truly believed their goals would be reached in B-214.
Appositive: This is a very popular technique in a social studies paper. If you remember, an appositive further defines a term or adds information to the sentence. Use these!!!!!!
*Alex and Mitch, two football players on the Varsity in 2011, represented the team well within World Conflicts this year.
*After years of awaiting the senior moment, Jenny and Megan, two students attempting to improve their writing skills, are creating the papers that make Mr. Schwartz actually cry.
Introductory Adverbial Phrase: This is a sentence that begins with a preposition. If you remember, a preposition is everywhere a doggie can go. It can go around, above, through, beneath, within, in, outside, around, between, ... the house. Here are a few examples:
*In the immediate future within World Conflicts, I will compose sentences with an introductory adverbial phrase.
*Within my four wonderful years at Hastings High School, I have learned to develop my analytical skills.
Introductory Adverbial Clause: The same as the above situation; however, it will have a verb within it. Here are examples:
*Under the skies moving above my head, we see the reality of life.
*Within the special walls of B-214 crying constant learning every hour, my friends and I entered the room with the hopes of preparing for college.
Verbals: Beginning a sentence with a verbal, a word that appears to be a verb but is used as another part of speech, an individual will need a comma. Hopefully, you remember that there are three types of verbals: gerunds, infinitives, and participles. Gerunds have an "ing" ending and act as a noun, infinitives have "to" in front of a verb and appear as a noun, and participles are words that appear as verbs but are used as adjectives.
*Hoping that my future would be impacted by the additional composition in B-214, I composed as many papers as possible within a semester." (This is a gerund beginning a sentence.)
*To hope throughout the period of their senior year, Thai and Abi truly believed their goals would be reached in B-214.
Appositive: This is a very popular technique in a social studies paper. If you remember, an appositive further defines a term or adds information to the sentence. Use these!!!!!!
*Alex and Mitch, two football players on the Varsity in 2011, represented the team well within World Conflicts this year.
*After years of awaiting the senior moment, Jenny and Megan, two students attempting to improve their writing skills, are creating the papers that make Mr. Schwartz actually cry.