tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73635562929688160472024-02-21T07:12:37.588+01:00Ana Bueno's English CornerIf you want to keep your English alive and continue learning outside the classroom, this is the place for you!Ana Buenohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08401439195588360652noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363556292968816047.post-1209521888882039652014-11-12T07:00:00.002+01:002014-11-19T14:03:03.157+01:00Problems with commas? Not me! <div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi there!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I'm going to post a video that you're absolutely going to love!! And I'm sure it will help you a lot with your commas!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll summarize it for you and then you can watch it at the end of the entry :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So... there are three characters!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkIdjfx06XMrsjr-zSUL9-_PrXRr8OERUFkindyh8t0T9R_Mi-1aOJ-AwrmCTg2i1Z2MsgiI1e7mWM-AQMksVHMQXbqugKns78kVjupDv6Da_Ods8E6n3hUNni_ifyyseQtTzungY5Tk/s1600/How-to-use-commas.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Comma rules" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkIdjfx06XMrsjr-zSUL9-_PrXRr8OERUFkindyh8t0T9R_Mi-1aOJ-AwrmCTg2i1Z2MsgiI1e7mWM-AQMksVHMQXbqugKns78kVjupDv6Da_Ods8E6n3hUNni_ifyyseQtTzungY5Tk/s1600/How-to-use-commas.png" height="240" title="comma rules with conjunctions" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>tiny</b> <strong>conjunctions</strong> </span>are small, and they connect clauses, words and phrases. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because they are so small, they often need the help of a comma, but not always. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They are easy to remember with the word </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">FANBOYS</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcW2qEUy0TEC16MZYaKm1dqKd6MeenQoN7Oa2haKtTZxkH-0z5S25sy2_i1XVbXwdTCzHvbn0KTFVGVeIi718ICNZAx3v-I4w4ZFhwFRuAIpc4jiyWPJ8RSkEJODmPuD1JfdcquG7OTQA/s1600/Conjunctions.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="comma rules" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcW2qEUy0TEC16MZYaKm1dqKd6MeenQoN7Oa2haKtTZxkH-0z5S25sy2_i1XVbXwdTCzHvbn0KTFVGVeIi718ICNZAx3v-I4w4ZFhwFRuAIpc4jiyWPJ8RSkEJODmPuD1JfdcquG7OTQA/s1600/Conjunctions.png" height="170" title="comma rules with conjunctions" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The <span style="color: #38761d;"><b>mighty</b> <strong>subordinants</strong></span> are the heavy-weight champions of sentences! They connect two unequal things, dependent and independent clauses:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDI5cfo6vDuxDaXkW8M1k87xcfG0nuNh9vvjzt32BiGFH1dycGpcQxix4zgW5RxfkI3NFifV7uVGoMqGPxE6Xibk1I_QBHHAwfpGYfx78sP1GRzGSBy6JH5bpmyfTiGtwvuyXK-ge_qLI/s1600/Subordination.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDI5cfo6vDuxDaXkW8M1k87xcfG0nuNh9vvjzt32BiGFH1dycGpcQxix4zgW5RxfkI3NFifV7uVGoMqGPxE6Xibk1I_QBHHAwfpGYfx78sP1GRzGSBy6JH5bpmyfTiGtwvuyXK-ge_qLI/s1600/Subordination.png" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Commonly used <strong>subordinants</strong> are:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPNnzVTG3ZF25ddzm265qVDhAYiJl0ozQjkxv4WSPZEt_r4NtWorLa16BfCnuwe42uiYV7GqS-G0jzKHyM0n5hkhwnlGbDD0Ozwiu6KbHx0fJMuAfVwx6X4hKmWFkaONur7AE_2OknKE/s1600/Subordinants.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="comma rules" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPNnzVTG3ZF25ddzm265qVDhAYiJl0ozQjkxv4WSPZEt_r4NtWorLa16BfCnuwe42uiYV7GqS-G0jzKHyM0n5hkhwnlGbDD0Ozwiu6KbHx0fJMuAfVwx6X4hKmWFkaONur7AE_2OknKE/s1600/Subordinants.png" height="322" title="comma rules with conjunctions" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They are very strong, so if the sentences are equally distributed on both arms, they don't need help. In other words, if the <strong>subordinate</strong> is in the middle of the sentence, commas are not needed.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5V_cBTYFurVeG9O6maS2xAUxpuoVDRee1vV0LAYNAGG8661xA_JgFqvSFq3xXk5aYTZmEnKOeWy9c3mvpMd4M9r_QUJBIyYrGmiozsAEO_FF5S8IJSz3fEi0T-VG_jz6YBXGala1uR4/s1600/Subordination-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="comma rules" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5V_cBTYFurVeG9O6maS2xAUxpuoVDRee1vV0LAYNAGG8661xA_JgFqvSFq3xXk5aYTZmEnKOeWy9c3mvpMd4M9r_QUJBIyYrGmiozsAEO_FF5S8IJSz3fEi0T-VG_jz6YBXGala1uR4/s1600/Subordination-1.png" height="161" title="comma rules with conjunctions" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>Bartheleme loves to sing <u><span style="color: #cc0000;">even though</span></u> he never sings in front of others.</i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, if the <strong>subordinate</strong> is at the beginning, we need a comma to help!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5x9AWDXwu8zI4NY-E_GkPGC8pdMa8YpFYQpFJLi5JYytCpcyZ-qxlGmwGRq9UpJNto6pMBis8QCZAJbhmKhWS64bPQyAZrhUobr2p3ZcpoFXj27KhXyFm2Ra4LVZqQERfsTzTqQfSAzw/s1600/Subordination-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="comma rules" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5x9AWDXwu8zI4NY-E_GkPGC8pdMa8YpFYQpFJLi5JYytCpcyZ-qxlGmwGRq9UpJNto6pMBis8QCZAJbhmKhWS64bPQyAZrhUobr2p3ZcpoFXj27KhXyFm2Ra4LVZqQERfsTzTqQfSAzw/s1600/Subordination-2.png" height="283" title="comma rules with conjunctions" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><u><span style="color: #cc0000;">Even though</span></u> Bartheleme loves to sing<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><u>,</u></span> he never sing in front of others</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tiny</b> <strong>conjunctions</strong> are not so strong, so they can ask for help when they connect <u>sentences</u>:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_LvAQ_NGbIt9Pzznrsh4yhd52YIOgdABSpkvMWsC7RhmY-xVqKDKiVwYR39QSlRp1mkQLiPVlHq0rhuX7oIKbN0qY6_NBwJC6mskxNcAftP9SVYCrSsB2jAbe4bzZaAlcclsCQFMuzY/s1600/Conjunctions.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="comma rules" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_LvAQ_NGbIt9Pzznrsh4yhd52YIOgdABSpkvMWsC7RhmY-xVqKDKiVwYR39QSlRp1mkQLiPVlHq0rhuX7oIKbN0qY6_NBwJC6mskxNcAftP9SVYCrSsB2jAbe4bzZaAlcclsCQFMuzY/s1600/Conjunctions.png" height="86" title="comma rules with conjunctions" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH7B2l_bcMNFJgcmfDsj64COrCDbF1RV3SLib2qSlVrIdeYfvUOq0hG8CDkr1-rez3QYhH4QLw-qLqkUZTUkRBvIIQuLNwwjaO4TKtlAnKNXsAQxqk8C-GyNxg_YGPQru3iPu2aO4FIA0/s1600/Conjunctions.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="comma rules" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH7B2l_bcMNFJgcmfDsj64COrCDbF1RV3SLib2qSlVrIdeYfvUOq0hG8CDkr1-rez3QYhH4QLw-qLqkUZTUkRBvIIQuLNwwjaO4TKtlAnKNXsAQxqk8C-GyNxg_YGPQru3iPu2aO4FIA0/s1600/Conjunctions.png" height="160" title="comma rules with conjunctions" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, the comma is not needed when they connect two phrases (<i>molecular biology or interpretive dance</i>):</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAgd60u0Zg5ajsXHWNRHOjwneRwPKux89CtzxdsmND4SLTY_oLoRLCZifpJd1H3OuAw0EXXzIMYi1TjbzFTfCxDcq127BeBRg9TpT5kIXbtEprw6-MtSSUIuQC_mY4A6HSzJFiWI3-_EI/s1600/Conjunctions.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="comma rules" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAgd60u0Zg5ajsXHWNRHOjwneRwPKux89CtzxdsmND4SLTY_oLoRLCZifpJd1H3OuAw0EXXzIMYi1TjbzFTfCxDcq127BeBRg9TpT5kIXbtEprw6-MtSSUIuQC_mY4A6HSzJFiWI3-_EI/s1600/Conjunctions.png" height="240" title="comma rules with conjunctions" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Watch the video now (activate the subtitles if you need to) and learn the whole story!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you want to know more about commas, don't miss these previous entries:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="http://anabuenoeoi.blogspot.com.es/2014/01/8-rules-for-using-comma.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8 rules for using commas</a></li>
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<li><a href="http://anabuenoeoi.blogspot.com.es/2014/01/when-not-to-use-commas-correcting-run.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When should you not use a comma: correcting a run-on sentence</a></li>
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Ana Buenohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08401439195588360652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363556292968816047.post-84702304887668178432014-01-23T10:00:00.000+01:002014-11-19T14:03:09.461+01:00When should you not use a comma: correcting a run-on sentence<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi there!</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QEAjN9hrQGo/Ut-_8orZorI/AAAAAAAAAOM/pM3INR5cVb4/s1600/36_ht_avoid_run_on_sentences_xxxlarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87Du24Q1C5J9KB2W1U43LvbMIG575IS2n1iIIlzwastXVWuZNUs0rHFHqYWEIzZQux-Ifr3tdS96YuFTVOJAQPtp8zWvJX-w_ITwRL1K24XHBzvaeWPAFU9Uc-I545oGAaVj1ZEaDegc/s1600/comma-rules.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="comma rules" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87Du24Q1C5J9KB2W1U43LvbMIG575IS2n1iIIlzwastXVWuZNUs0rHFHqYWEIzZQux-Ifr3tdS96YuFTVOJAQPtp8zWvJX-w_ITwRL1K24XHBzvaeWPAFU9Uc-I545oGAaVj1ZEaDegc/s1600/comma-rules.jpg" height="152" title="when should you not use a comma" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A couple of days ago I published an entry about <strong><a href="http://anabuenoeoi.blogspot.com.es/2014/01/8-rules-for-using-comma.html">rules for using commas</a></strong>. Today we're going to focus on the opposite: <strong>when should you not use a comma</strong>! More specifically, we're going to focus on run on sentences, which appear over and over again in your compositions. (You have some <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><b>practice</b></span> at the end of the entry).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A <strong>run on sentence </strong>(or<strong> run together sentence</strong>) is composed of two separate sentences punctuated as if they were only one. Normally, run-on sentences happen because you have in mind two closely related ideas and write them down quickly, with only a comma in between. For example,</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone felt happy, it was the first warm day of the year.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mike forgot the matches, I forgot the salt.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She likes quiz programs, he likes Westerns.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since you are concentrating on the meaning, you do not stop to notice that you have written two complete sentences which must be appropriately separated...!</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WARNING SIGNAL</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The second sentence of a run-together often begins with one of the following words: <i>then, there, now, he, she, it, we, they</i>. When you spot one of these "warning signals" in the middle of a sentence, check it carefully. There is a good chance that it is a run-together!!</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First she told us how to get there, <b>then</b> she drew a map.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jack didn't lie, <b>he</b> just exaggerated.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't wear the orange coat, <b>it</b> clashes with your dress.</span></i></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CORRECTING RUN-TOGETHER SENTENCES</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is more than one way to correct a run-together sentence. You decide which one to use!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">1.</span></b> Divide the run-together using a full stop:</span><br />
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<i><strike><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First she told us how to get there, then she drew a map.</span></strike></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First she told us how to get there<b>.</b> <b>Then</b>, she drew a map.</span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">2.</span></b> Use a semicolon (;) instead of a comma:</span><br />
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<i><strike><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had to leave Fluffy at home, Grandma doesn't like cats.</span></strike></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had to leave Fluffy at home<b>; Grandma</b> doesn't like cats.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">3.</span></b> Insert a connector like <i>and, but </i>or <i>because </i>after the comma, depending on how the sentences are related:</span><br />
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<i><strike><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The living-room is beige, the bedroom is green.</span></strike></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The living is beige<b>, and</b> the bedroom is green.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><strike><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last summer I did nothing, this summer I'm going to camp.</span></strike></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last summer I did nothing<b>, but</b> this summer I'm going to camp.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><strike><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ben wore his sunglasses to school, his regular glasses were broken.</span></strike></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ben wore his sunglasses to school<b>, because</b> his regular glasses were broken.</span></i></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PRACTICE</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></b>
Now it's time for you to practice! Click to take a quiz on <a href="http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/runons_quiz.htm"><strong>run-on sentences</strong></a>!</span><br />
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Ana Buenohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08401439195588360652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7363556292968816047.post-92114915757648082762014-01-21T13:47:00.003+01:002014-11-19T14:03:14.512+01:008 rules for using commas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-kmAGdFqrRh40vEuJ7Hv_OD9598EAjd_Zi6WyO8L7QfLLB_cptGdh6H7WYZjdAtYc37T7BV3hPh4xHhszFVLlakX-cflHM-HkB82PCJA-rVDZL0U6hED5xbCOBPbSUO3Wum4WRj_rpY/s1600/comma-rules.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="comma rules" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-kmAGdFqrRh40vEuJ7Hv_OD9598EAjd_Zi6WyO8L7QfLLB_cptGdh6H7WYZjdAtYc37T7BV3hPh4xHhszFVLlakX-cflHM-HkB82PCJA-rVDZL0U6hED5xbCOBPbSUO3Wum4WRj_rpY/s1600/comma-rules.png" height="190" title="rules for using commas" width="200" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We all know that punctuation is not easy, and we very often have trouble when writing our compositions. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today we're going to focus on </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8</b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><strong style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">rules for using commas</strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> that I hope will help you!</span><br />
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Read the rules and the examples below carefully, and check them again when you write your next composition. If you do this regularly, little by little these rules will become automatic and you won't need to look back at them! :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Adapted from <a href="http://www.eslbasics.com/blog/student-posts/15-rules-for-using-a-comma/">www.eslbasics.com</a>)</span></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RULE #1:</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>
Use commas to separate words or phrases in a series of three or more.</span><br />
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<i>I need to pick up bananas, tuna, bread, and ice cream from the grocery store today.</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><b>RULE</b><b> #2:</b></span></span><br />
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Use a comma to separate independent clauses when they are joined by <i>and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet</i>. You do not need to use a comma if both independent clauses are short.</span><br />
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<i>We agreed to come with Sarah, but we told her that we would need to leave early.</i></span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RULE #3:</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Use commas when the relative clause is non-defining, that is, when it gives extra, unnecessary information.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mr. Perryman, who enjoys playing golf, decided to retire in Florida.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The boy who lives next door to us is in the fourth grade.</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><b>RULE</b><b> #4:</b></span></span><br />
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Use commas after introductory phrases and clauses that come before the main clause. If the introductory phrase has less than three words, the comma is optional.</span><br />
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<i>When the clock struck midnight, the carriage turned back into a pumpkin.</i></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After you leave school, make sure to pick up the mail.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next Saturday we will be getting married.</span></i><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">RULE #5:</span></b></span><br />
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Use commas before and after "interrupting words" such as <i>however</i> and <i>therefore</i>.</span><br />
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<i>I would, therefore, like to continue this conversation at another time.</i></span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">RULE #6:</span></b></span><br />
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Use a comma after introductory adverbs.</span><br />
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<i>Fortunately, Samir had remembered to back up his files.</i></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unsurprisingly, Raul passed the class with flying colours.</span></i><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">RULE #7:</span></b></span><br />
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Use commas when directly addressing a person (vocative).</span><br />
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<i>Have you, Millie, considered going to college?</i></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What do you think that means, Doctor?</span></i><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">RULE #8:</span></b></span><br />
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Use a comma before question tags.</span><br />
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<i>You're a senior in college, aren't you?</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you have found this entry useful! Now make sure you also check the entry <a href="http://anabuenoeoi.blogspot.com.es/2014/01/when-not-to-use-commas-correcting-run.html"><b>When should you not use a comma</b>: <strong>correcting a run-on sentence</strong></a>. Little by little we'll become punctuation experts! :)</span>Ana Buenohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08401439195588360652noreply@blogger.com0