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The rule for omitting the final comma in a series was and still is taught by many teachers today. When using commas in a series make sure your students know to use the conjunction word and or or before the last element of the list.
Otherwise the reader wont understand if the last item.
Using commas in a series. In English you can use series commas when you list items. Separating items in a list helps clarify things. Imagine that you text a shopping list to your roommate Charlie whos at the store shopping for your birthday party.
Everythings on one line. Commas are used to separate three or more words phrases or clauses in a series. This means that when three or more items are being listed in a sentence a comma goes between each item in the list.
Commas in a Series. A comma separates elements in a sentence such as items in a list or series but it also shows that those elements are connected to each other within the same sentence. A comma is never used as an end mark and it is read with a shorter pause than an end mark.
One use of the comma is to separate three or more words. Youre probably familiar with the basic idea of using commas in a series but here are some examples just in case. You should use a comma to separate words phrases or clauses in a series.
Each morning I jump out of bed get dressed brush my teeth eat breakfast and rush out the door. Your Turn Read the rules about commas in a series. Then read the paragraph which needs commas.
Write each series showing where the commas go or print the lesson to mark your corrections. When three or more words or phrases are joined with the word and or or a comma should follow each item except the very last. Bacon lettuce and tomato.
Use commas to separate words and word groups in a simple series of three or more items. My estate goes to my husband son daughter-in-law and nephew. When the last comma in a series comes before and or or after daughter-in-law in the above example it is known as the Oxford comma.
Most newspapers and magazines drop the Oxford comma in a simple series apparently feeling its unnecessary. In English language punctuation a serial comma or series comma also called an Oxford comma or Harvard comma is a comma placed immediately after the penultimate term ie. Before the coordinating conjunction usually and or or in a series of three or more terms.
Commas in a Series Using commas correctly is a tricky skill to learn. Give your child the extra practice she needs with this punctuation worksheet. Using commas to separate series of items.
In these worksheets students add commas to sentences to separate series of 3 or more items. In our answers we generally have not included the comma immediately before and or or the so called Oxford comma or serial comma though it is completely acceptable to do so. Jan 23 2016 - Explore Erica Sledges board commas in a series on Pinterest.
See more ideas about commas in a series teaching grammar teaching writing. The rule for omitting the final comma in a series was and still is taught by many teachers today. Comma omissions in a series are also common practice among journalists because they follow the AP Stylebook guidelines which recommend leaving out the final comma in a series.
There are also a number of advocates for the Oxford comma. Commas to Separate a Series of Words Worksheet. Re-write the following sentences on the lines below.
Add commas to separate the series of words. John Frank and Ivan went to the baseball game. John Frank and Ivan went to the baseball game.
We are going to eat talk and watch a movie. I went to the game to laugh have fun and talk with my. When using commas in a series make sure your students know to use the conjunction word and or or before the last element of the list.
Without this the reader will not know if the list is inclusive or mutually exclusive. The conjunction must also be preceded with a comma. Otherwise the reader wont understand if the last item.
Use a Comma to Separate Items in a Series Use a comma between words phrases or clauses that appear in a series of three or more. You get injected inspected detected infected neglected and selected Guthrie 1967. Walking at night sleeping by day and eating raw potatoes he made it to the Swiss border Hicken 1968.
Patti and her friends are debating about the serial commathe comma that comes before the final conjunction in a list. Heres a sentence that uses a serial comma. According to the website Box Office Mojo the top-grossing movies of all time in the United States are currently Avatar Titanic and The Dark Knight.
Whether to use the serial comma is a style issue which is why Patti and her. Using commas to separate words in a series To avoid confusion we use commas to separate three or more words and word groups in a series. Students practice using commas in this type of sentence in these grammar worksheets.
Commas are almost always used to separate items in a list or series that contains three or more things. More specifically some lists contain a comma thats known as the Oxford comma. This punctuation sits immediately after the lists next-to-last item just before the and or the or.