Commas and Quotation Marks

1. Commas and Quotation Marks English II 21 August 2012

2. When to use commas… • Separate items in a series • After an introductory phrase or word • To set off a direct address • Interrupters • Some appositives • At least two items in a date or an address • To avoid misreading • Coordinate adjectives

3. To separate items in a series • Example: • Mom, Dad, and Carla packed for their vacation.

4. After an introductory phrase or word… • Interjections- words that show emotion or exclamation • Example: • Wow, what a beautiful girl! • In the light of the moon, the flowers opened. • DO NOT USE A COMMA IF THE VERB COMES DIRECTLY AFTER THE PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE. • At the edge of the gardenwere many flowers.

5. To set off a direct address… • Example: • Marquis, do you have a ruler? • Next, class, we will begin our practice assignment. • We changed your oil, Mr. Harris.

6. To set off interrupters… • Example: • He was, I believe, a talented athlete. • You, on the other hand, are exempt from the assignment.

7. To set off appositives… • Example: • Vanessa, my favorite cousin, is coming to visit me. • WHEN THE OPPOSITIVE IS NESSECARY, A COMMA IS NOT. • My favorite cousin Vanessa is coming to visit me.

8. To set off dates and addresses… • Example: • Biloxi, Mississippi, is found on the Gulf of Mexico. • On the Gulf of Mexico is Biloxi, Mississippi. • On December 22, 1981, I was born.

9. To avoid misreading… • Example: • Those who can, can go home now. • In the summer, time seems to fly more quickly. • DO NOT USE COMMAS TO SEPARATE “had had” • He had had the mumps before he had the measles.

10. Coordinate Adjectives… • Two or more adjectives that modify the same noun EQUALLY. • Hint, they can be flipped without changing the sentence’s meaning. • Example: • It was a cool, windy night. • She was a sweet, thoughtful girl.

11. When to use Punctuation Marks… • Direct quotes- when you tell a person’s exact words • Titles of shorter works

12. Direct Quotes… • When the speaker comes at the beginning of the sentence, put the comma after the noun or pronoun. The end punctuation will go inside the quotation mark if it is a simple statement. • Example: • The boy asked, “Can I have ice cream?” • His mother squalled, “You are spoiled!”

13. Speaker at the end… • With a simple statement, the period becomes a comma inside the quote. • “I want some ice cream,” Willie stated. • If it is an exclamation point or question mark, no comma is used. • “He is a brat!” the girl exclaimed. • “Do I have to?” he questioned.

14. Speaker in the middle… • You need commas surrounding the speaker, but YOU DO NOT CAPITALIZE the second half of the quote. • “I like,” she said, “to ride horses.” • “That girl,” the boy cooed, “is very pretty.”

15. Titles… • Poems, but not epics • Single TV Episodes • Short Stories • Speeches • Song Titles • Articles

16. Quotes/Short Work Titles Within Quotes… • Use a single quote within a quote. • Megan answered, “The quote is actually ‘Money doesn’t buy happiness.’” • “Have you read,” Dane asked, “ the short story ‘The Lottery’?”

17. Good luck!