This is a PPT for my students to learn to use commas and semicolons.

1. Love the Comma
Senior English

2. Complete Sentence
• Has a SUBJECT
• Has a VERB

3. Fragment
• Missing a SUBJECT or
• Missing a VERB

4. Run On
• Too many subjects or
• Too many verbs or
• Incorrect use of commas,
semicolons, or colons

5. A Comma Splice
• Using a COMMA to join two
complete sentences:
–Example: Mary had a little
lamb, it’s fleece was white as
snow.

6. The Myth
• Put a comma where you
take a breath…
–UM, NOOOOO, What if you
have Asthma????
–What if you are Icelandic?

7. The Facts
• 4 Reasons to use COMMAS
(not including dates, addresses, numbers)
–FANBOYS
–Intro/Exits
–Special Information
–Lists

8. FANBOYS
• For • Yet
• And (**) • SO
• Nor
• Or
• But

9. FANBOYS
• FANBOYS connects two
INDEPENDENT CLAUSES
–We call them sentences…
–EX: Mary had a little
lamb, and her fleece was
white as snow.

10. Introductory Clauses
• We call them phrases!
–EX: Although she preferred
cats, Mary had a little lamb,
and her fleece was white as
snow.

11. Exit Clauses
• We call them phrases!
–EX: Mary had a little lamb,
and her fleece was white as
snow, as well.

12. Flava!
• More detailed information in
the middle of a sentence…
–Still a phrase…
–EX: Mary, my little
sister, had a little lamb, and
her fleece was white as
snow.

13. Lists, Lists, Lists
• Use commas for lists!
– Some professors use this
format: Mary had a little
lamb, a cow, and a cheetah.
– Some use this format:
…lamb, a cow and a
cheetah.

14. Much Ado about AND
• AND can be a tricky little word
–Sometimes it connects and
sometimes it doesn’t!
–EX: Mary had a little lamb
and a cat named Dexter.

15. The Mighty Semicolon
• AND can be replaced by a
semicolon if it connects two
LIKE ideas!
–EX: Mary had a little lamb;
it’s fleece was white as snow.

16. Ready to Work????
• Get ready to
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, and
LOVE the COMMA!!!!