Mini-Lesson: Listing Comma

The listing comma is used when you are

listing a string of information.
Ex: I went to the store and bought eggs,
milk , bread, cheese, and broccoli.
Ex: The lovely, radiant princess kissed the
vile, ugly frog.
Ex: A good student listens to his teachers
without yawning, reads, and writes
papers before they are due.
 Mini-Lesson: The Oxford Comma
The Oxford comma is used after the second-
to-last item on a list of three or more items
before and or or
I love cheese, bagels, and pasta.
I love cheese, bagels and pasta.
 Mini-Lesson: The Oxford Comma
Without the Oxford
comma
I love my parents, Lady
Gaga and Kanye West.

With the Oxford

comma
I love my parents, Lady
Gaga, and Kanye West.
 Mini-Lesson: Apostrophes
What do you know about when to use an
apostrophe?

Omission apostrophe

Possessive apostrophe
Mini-Lesson: Direct Address Comma
Would you like to
Whenever a sentence directly addresses
someone, you must use a comma to
notate it.
eat, Iron Man?
Spiderman, your webs weave a
complicated path.
The height of the building made saving
the girl seem impossible, yet you made
Would you like to
it look easy, Superman.
On you, Green Arrow, the color green
looks much more appealing.
eat Iron Man?
Mini-Lesson: Conjunctions & Connector
Commas
When do we use semi colons?

Semicolons show us that there is a relationship

between the two clauses, conjunctions make that
relationship clear.
Conjunctions are words that connect other
words, phrases and clauses.
You cannot use a conjunction to connect
clauses without using a connector comma.
 Mini-Lesson: Connector Comma
Small conjunctions can be remembered
from the mnemonic device FANBOYS (for,
and, not, but, or, yet, so).
Clause 1 Clause 2
She is a graceful dancer. People enjoy watching her.
She is a graceful dancer, and people enjoy watching her.
She is talented. She will attract many fans.
She is talented, so she will attract many fans.
Her technique is unconventional. The effect is striking.
Her technique is unconventional, but the effect is striking.
She can fill an audience with joy. She can bring people to tears.
She can fill an audience with joy, or she can bring people to tears.
 Mini-Lesson: Introductory Commas
Introductory commas are used to separate
background information from the main part of the
sentence.

Introductory phrases often start with words like:

after, although, if, before, since, until, when, etc.
If they want to win, athletes must exercise every day.
Although I am tired, I will not take a nap in class.
Yes, I am very happy to have Mr. Harris as my teacher.
No, you cant eat that turkey in class.
Mini-Lesson: Non-essential detail comma
Non-essential detail commas separate the
main part of the sentence from extra
information. The red parts in the examples
below are the main parts of the sentences.
According to my mom, you should take
vitamin C every day.
Luckily for you, class of 2020s field day
color is yellow, my favorite color.
My chemistry book, which weighs about 100
pounds, has some really great examples.
Mini-Lesson: Omission apostrophes
The omission apostrophe is used when we
write contractions.
Contractions are two words that are
shortened in to one.
Words Contractions
Has not Hasnt
For the MOSTWill notthe apostrophe is insertedWont
part, where the missing
Might have letters are! Mightve
Might have Mightve
That will Thatll
The apostrophe takes the place of the missing ha
You have Youve
She is Shes
Mini-Lesson: Possessive apostrophes
The possessive apostrophe is used to show that
something belongs to some one or some thing.
Possession with a singular noun is formed by
adding an apostrophe and an s.
The lawyers fee
The childs toy
Marianas favorite hat.
Possession with a plural noun is formed by
adding only an apostrophe when the noun
ends in an s, and by adding an apostrophe and
an s when it doesnt.
Excessive lawyers fees.
Childrens toys.
Teachers favorite class.
Mini-Lesson: Possessive apostrophes
If a singular noun ends in an s, you can simply
place an apostrophe at the end of the word to
show possession.
I touched the cactus prickly needles
Mr. Jones favorite holiday is Halloween.
ALWAYS place the apostrophe outside of the
word in question.
Ex: Mr. Hastings has a pen. Is it
Mr. Hastings pen.
OR
Mr. Hastings pen.
 Mini-Lesson: The Semicolon
The semicolon indicates that the two sentences
on either side of it are closely related ideas.
Unlike a colon, the two sides of a semicolon
must be able to stand alone as their own
clauses.
The ice cream truck man drove by my
house today. He had a big, white hat on.
The ice cream truck man drove by my
house today; he had a big, white hat on.
 Mini-Lesson: Figurative vs. Literal
Literal language means exactly what it
says.
Figurative language uses similes,
metaphors, hyperbole, personification,
analogies, and idioms to describe
something.
You need to FIGURE out what it means.
 Mini-Lesson: Figurative vs. Literal
LITERAL FIGURATIVE
It started to rain. Raindrops danced along the street.
(personification)
The warehouse is dirty and The warehouse is a dusty, silent,
creepy. tomb.
(metaphor)
My cousin is really good at My cousin has a green thumb.
growing plants. (idiom)
She ate a lot of pizza. She ate a thousand slices of pizza.
(hyperbole)
The line at the movie theater The line at the movie theater moved
moved slowly. like a snail.
(simile)