The document discusses the different uses of commas. It provides examples of commas being used to separate items in a series, coordinate adjectives, and independent clauses in compound sentences. The workshop includes a quiz with sentences where commas are missing and participants determine the appropriate comma usage. Commas are used to separate words and groups, coordinate adjectives, and clauses.

1. Lunch & Learn
Comma usage 1

2. What do commas do?

3. Commas
Commas have several uses. We will look at
several of these uses in this workshop.

4. Let’s see some
commas in action!

5. What role is the comma
playing here?
I like apples, oranges, and
bananas.
She has visited Mexico, Iran, and
France.
Anita, Miguel, Rajinder, and Martin
will be here soon.

6. Use 1:Use commas to separate words and word
groups in a simple series of three or more items.
I like apples, oranges, and
bananas.
She has visited Mexico, Iran, and
France.
Anita, Miguel, Rajinder, and Martin
will be here soon.

7. Note: The last comma in a list (before the conjunction)
is optional. It is known by some as the Oxford comma.
It is optional, but is often used to avoid confusion.
For lunch we had soup, cheese
and crackers and vegan ice
For lunch we had soup, cheese
and crackers, and vegan ice

8. Note: The Oxford comma here is used to show that
cheese and crackers is one dish.
For lunch we had soup, cheese
and crackers and vegan ice
For lunch we had soup, cheese
and crackers, and vegan ice

9. What role is the comma
playing here?
Fido is a happy, lively, and well-
behaved puppy.
We awoke to the sound of cheerful,
beautiful and perky songbirds.
The rusty, creaking, spider-
ridden, ugly tractor rotted away in their
backyard.

10. Fido is a happy, lively, and well-
behaved puppy.
We awoke to the sound of cheerful,
beautiful and perky songbirds.
The rusty, creaking, spider-
ridden, ugly tractor rotted away in their
backyard.
Use 2: Use a comma to separate two or more
adjectives when the order of the adjectives is
interchangeable. These are called coordinate
adjectives.

11. What role is the comma
playing here?
Jon likes coffee, but he doesn’t
like tea.
You can not go to school, nor can
you go to the mall.
Patricia will visit you on the
weekend, you can visit her if you’d
like.

12. Jon likes coffee, but he doesn’t
like tea.
You can not go to school, nor can
you go to the mall.
Patricia will visit you on the
weekend, you can visit her if you’d
like.
Use 3: Use commas to separate independent
clauses found in compound sentences.

13. Ready for a quiz?
Read each sentence. Where would
you place the missing commas?
What comma use is presented?

14. The children played on the
large round multi-purpose field.
Example
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

15. The children played on the
large, round, multi-purpose
field.
Example
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

16. I think we will need an umbrella
rain coat and some rubber
boots.
1.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

17. I think we will need an umbrella,
rain coat, and some rubber
boots.
1.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

18. Jon bought milk eggs and
bread for lunch today.
2.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

19. Jon bought milk, eggs, and
bread for lunch today.
2.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

20. Natalia likes salad but Pei-jean
prefers to just eat chopped
vegetables.
3.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

21. Natalia likes salad, but Pei-jean
prefers to just eat chopped
vegetables.
3.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

22. The children bought a friendly
old playful dog.
4.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

23. The children bought a friendly,
old, playful dog.
4.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

24. Would you like soup for lunch or
would you prefer a salad?
5.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

25. Would you like soup for lunch,
or would you prefer a salad?
5.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

26. Wow! He just bought an
expensive long black limousine!
6.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

27. Wow! He just bought an
expensive, long, black,
limousine!
6.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

28. I dropped my pens papers and
books on the floor.
7.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

29. I dropped my pens, papers,
books, and money on the floor!
7.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

30. Johanna doesn’t like hockey
nor does she like baseball.
8.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

31. Johanna doesn’t like hockey,
nor does she like baseball.
8.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

32. She’s a very loyal hard working
ambitious leader.
9.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

33. She’s a very loyal, hard-
working, and ambitious leader.
9.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

34. They are clever convincing
business people
10.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

35. They are clever, convincing
business people
10.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

36. We are going to visit Calgary
Drumheller and Saskatoon.
11.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

37. We are going to visit Calgary,
Drumheller, and Saskatoon.
11.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

38. The children studied very hard
yet somehow they failed the
exam miserably.
12.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

39. The children studied very hard,
yet somehow they failed the
exam miserably.
12.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

40. The children behaved well at
school so they can go with you
to the show tomorrow.
13.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

41. The children behaved well at
school, so they can go with you
to the show tomorrow.
13.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

42. Margarita took a long restful
exciting vacation in Mexico.
14.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

43. Margarita took a long, restful,
exciting vacation in Mexico.
14.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

44. Put your gloves hat scarf jacket
and winter boots away. Winter
is over!
15.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

45. Put your gloves, hat, scarf,
jacket, and winter boots away.
Winter is over!
15.
To separate
a series of
words
To separate
coordinate
adjectives
To separate
simple
clauses in a
compound
sentence

46. Questions?
Iryna
@ yshuplyetsova@myenglishonline.ca
englishonlinemb10
Blaine
@ broberts@myenglishonline.ca
blaine_myenglishonline
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