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Commas

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Copyright © 2017 Brookdale House

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Brookdale House www.brookdalehouse.com

Writing Through History Series (aka Write from History)

Want to save time when teaching your elementary student to write? Our elementary writing curriculum teaches writing, supplements history, and reinforces proper penmanship. A gentle writing curriculum for young students. (Available in both manuscript and cursive)

Writing Through Ancient History Level 1 Grades 1 to 3 Writing Through Ancient History Level 2 Grades 3 to 5 Writing Through Medieval History Level 1 Grades 1 to 3 Writing Through Medieval History Level 2 Grades 3 to 5 Writing Through Early Modern History Level 1 Grades 1 to 3 Writing Through Early Modern History Level 2 Grades 3 to 5 Writing Through Modern History Level 1 Grades 1 to 3 Writing Through Modern History Level 2 Grades 3 to 5

Easy Narrative Writing

Easy Narrative Writing is a middle school writing curriculum. This 1 text is appropriate as a 1 year writing curriculum for younger middle grade students or a 1 semester curriculum for upper middle grade students. (This book is currently sold as Writing from Rhetoric Book 1 which is available with a Student Book and Teacher’s Edition. The student text has been redesigned into Easy Narrative Writing. The

Teacher’s Edition is available.)

Bible Memorization Made Easy Series

The Bible is the most important textbook in Christian child’s education. The Bible Memorization Made Easy series provides Christian educators with a means to help their students memorize scripture, providing a life time of benefits.

Memorize the Sermon on the Mount Memorize Philippians

The Westminster Shorter Catechism Copybooks (Manuscript and Cursive) The Shorter Catechism is composed of 107 questions and answers that cover topics such as who God is, man’s sin, Christ and redemption, the ten commandments, Baptism and Communion, and the Lord’s prayer. Using the Catechism for copywork provides a gentle yet effective way to introduce this

information to children of all ages. It takes very little time but has enormous benefits.

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Bible Handwriting Practice Series

The Bible Handwriting Practice series is designed to teach proper penmanship to elementary students. Unlike most modern handwriting programs, the Bible Handwriting Practice series uses short Bible passages as models for handwriting. Over the course of the series, students progress from writing letters to Scripture copywork.

Handwriting Practice: From the Bible! Book 1 Handwriting Practice: From the Bible! Book 2

Sheldon's New Primary Language Lessons

Sheldon’s New Primary Language Lessons is a beginning grammar workbook for students learning the 8 parts of speech and the fundamentals of sentence and paragraph writing. It teaches grammar, writing via narration, copywork, and dictation, and reinforces proper penmanship. The value of a book of this kind is the measure of its power to train children in fluency of expression.

Grammar Workbook Set

The text, Grammar Workbook, is a grammar and composition workbook for students that are ready for an introduction to more advanced grammar. It is divided into four sections—sentences, the eight parts of speech, clauses and phrases, and punctuation. As students study grammar in the Grammar Workbook, they complete writing assignments that give them the opportunity to use the grammar they’ve learned.

The Fun Spanish

The Fun Spanish provides an incredibly fun method to teach young children to understand Spanish sentence structure as well as vocabulary and verb conjugation.

The Geography Drawing Series

If you’ve ever tried to teach children to learn geography by having them draw routes of famous explorers or find locations on a map, then you understand how difficult learning geography can be. This series helps children learn geography by drawing maps from memory. It works!

Drawing Around the World: USA Drawing Around the World: Europe

Contact Information: Kimberly D. Garcia

Brookdale House www.brookdalehouse.com

[email protected]

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Table of Contents Comma Rule #1 – Separate three or more nouns in a series ......................................................................... 5

Comma Rule #2 - Separate three or more verbs in a series .......................................................................... 9

Comma Rule # 3 - Between the day and the year in a date ........................................................................ 12

Comma Rule #4 - Between the name of the city and the name of the state, country, or province ............. 16

Comma Rule #5 - Set off a person’s name when using direct address ....................................................... 19

Comma Rule #6 - Set off introductory clauses or words ............................................................................ 22

Comma Rule #7 - After the greeting and after the closing in a friendly letter ............................................ 25

Comma Rule #8 - Set off the exact words someone says from the rest of the sentence ............................. 28

Comma Rule #9 - Use a comma in a compound sentence .......................................................................... 34

Comma Rule #10 - Use a comma in a complex sentence ........................................................................... 37

Comma Rule #11 - Set off a non-restrictive element in a sentence ............................................................ 40

Comma Rule #12 – Distinguishing nonrestrictive elements from restrictive elements in a sentence ........ 43

Comma Rules – Review .............................................................................................................................. 45

Comma Rule #1 - Answers ......................................................................................................................... 50









Comma Rule #10 - Answers ....................................................................................................................... 55

Comma Rule #11 - Answers ....................................................................................................................... 55

Comma Rule #12 – Answers ...................................................................................................................... 56

Comma Rules Review - Answers ............................................................................................................... 56

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Comma Rule #1 - Use commas to separate three or more nouns in a series. Nouns are names for persons, places, and things. Example: Ari ordered a cheeseburger, fries, and lemonade.

Directions: Rewrite the sentences, adding commas where needed.

1. Mr. Wilson was the school’s coach for soccer basketball and track.

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2. Steven liked to read adventure mystery and science fiction stories.

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3. The summer art classes featured water color painting charcoal sketching and ceramics.

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4. Nora sent postcards home from her travels to Paris London Berlin and Naples.

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5. The children decided to name the puppies Shadow Blackie and Snuggles.

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6. Friday Saturday and Sunday are discount days at the movie theater.

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7. Marco tried out for the positions of pitcher catcher and shortstop.

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8. Ms. White reviewed the addition subtraction multiplication and division of decimals.

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Directions: Read the text. Add commas where needed.

Uncle Leo

Uncle Leo flew to Nashville to visit me for my birthday. On the way he had stops at San Francisco Denver and Milwaukee. My father mother sister and I drove to the airport to pick him up. Uncle Leo then took us to an Italian restaurant for dinner. I couldn’t decide what to order but finally chose a combination dish that consisted of linguine ziti and pappardelle with marinara sauce. I made a good choice because it was delicious! At home we watched a movie on our large flat screen television. Uncle Leo said that the next day he’d like to see some of the sights Nashville has to offer. I thought he would enjoy the art museum the riverfront park and the sports stadium. After visiting the three places we headed home to celebrate my twelfth birthday. Dad ordered pizza. Mom then served carrot cake pistachio ice cream and hot chocolate.

Directions: Answer the questions using at least three nouns in a series. Be sure to use complete sentences.

1. What are some of your favorite hobbies?

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2. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

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3. What animals are your favorites?

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Writing with Commas Exercise: Write a paragraph using three or more nouns in a series.

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Comma Rule #2 - Use a comma to separate three or more verbs in a series. Verbs are words that show actions or indicate a state of being. Example: The airplane rolled down the runway, picked up speed, and climbed into the air.

Directions: Read each sentence. Add commas where they are needed, and then copy the sentence on the blank lines. 1. The triathlon participants swam three miles biked ten miles and ran a half marathon.

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2. Leslie volunteered to introduce the new student to his teachers show him around the school and sit with him at lunch.

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3. The history teacher showed a video about the Civil War took the kids on a fieldtrip to the local historical museum and invited a historian to speak to the class.

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4. The puppy opened its eyes yawned and fell back asleep.

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5. I don’t know where the custom came from to find a penny make a wish and toss it into a fountain.

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6. Lee took the slip of paper from his fortune cookie read what it said and then smiled.

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7. For his research paper, Kenzie went online copied down important information and wrote a first draft.

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The Camp Out

It was almost time to leave for summer camp. Patrick cleaned his room washed his clothes and packed everything he thought he’d need. After finding his sleeping bag Patrick called his grandmother texted his best friend and went on Facebook to let his other friends know he’d be gone for a week set his alarm clock and went to bed. At 7:00 a.m. he woke up turned off the alarm clock and quickly dressed. He set the table helped make breakfast and did the dishes. Then it was time to leave. He picked up his sleeping bag tossed his backpack onto his back and ran out to the car. His mom backed out of the driveway headed to the gas station and filled up the tank. Soon Patrick would be sailing on the clear lake hiking up a mountain trail and sleeping under the stars.

Directions: Answer the questions using at least three verbs in a series. Use complete sentences, and don’t forget to add commas where needed.

1. What are some chores you do to help out around the house?

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2. What are some of the activities you like at school?

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3. How would you go about planning a surprise birthday party for a friend?

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Writing with Commas Exercise: Write a paragraph using three or more verbs in a series.

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Comma Rule #3 - Use a comma between the day and the year in a date; use a comma to set off the year from the rest of the sentence.

Example: Sonya was born on August 27, 2000, and her mother was born, strangely enough, on August 27, 1980.

Directions: Read each sentence. Add commas where needed, and then copy the sentence to the blank lines. 1. Keesong planned to visit her grandmother in New York on October 6 2017.

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2. The astronaut circled the moon on January 31 2000 and also on February 1 2000.

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3. The library will be closed for Labor Day, which is September 6 2020.

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4. The first Modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, beginning on April 6 1896.

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5. On March 1 2008 my friend Jo-Jo competed in her first middle school track meet.

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6. My parents and I are planning to have a picnic on either May 20 2020 or May 21 2020, depending on the weather.

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7. Did the king’s coronation occur on May 4 1775 or on May 4 1776?

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Directions: Read the text and add commas where needed.

Our New Puppy

My dad always read the ads in the morning newspaper. On October 3 1996 he saw an ad for

poodles that would be born around October 15 1996. They’d be ready for sale by November 29

1996. Dad had grown up with poodles. We agreed that a new puppy would be great. I counted

the days till the puppies would be born. On October 15 1996 my dad called and asked about

them. Sure enough, the mother had given birth to five puppies! My father arranged for us to go

see then on October 22 1996. I couldn’t believe how cute they were. We finally decided we’d

like to buy a female puppy that was blacker than any of the others. Now I could hardly wait to

bring her home. She made a wonderful Thanksgiving present for the family, and I was thankful

Dad had seen the ad in the paper.

Directions: Answer the questions in complete sentences that includes a day and month. Be sure to use commas correctly.

1. When is your best friend’s birthday?

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2. When did you start kindergarten?

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3. Research a Nobel Peace Prize winner and tell who won the award, why, and when.

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Writing with Commas Exercise: Write a biographical paragraph about someone you are studying in history. Include information about the day and year in which they were born

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Comma Rule #4 - Use a comma between the names of a city and a state, country, or province. Use a comma to set off the name of a state, country, or province from the rest of the sentence.

Example: Abraham Lincoln was born in Hodgenville, Kentucky. He became the sixteenth president of the United States and lived in the White House in Washington, D.C., from 1861-1865.

Directions: Read each sentence. Add commas where they are needed. Copy the sentence to the blank lines. 1. My mother flew to Los Angeles California to visit her grandfather.

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2. Did you know that Quito Ecuador is located on the equator and that ecuador means equator in Spanish.

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3. The Eiffel Tower Paris France is one of the top tourist spots in the world.

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4. The Great Barrier Reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland Australia.

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5. Chengdu China is home to the first Chinese-born panda bear twins.

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6. The cafe in Montreal Quebec serves fresh croissants and specialty-brewed coffee all day.

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7. The 2016 Summer Olympics were held in Rio de Janeiro Brazil in August.

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Directions: Read the following text and add commas where needed.

The First World’s Fair Held in the United States

On May 1 1893 the Chicago illinois World’s Fair opened its gates. During the next six months, twenty-six million people would visit the 600-acre fairgrounds where they could sample the food and entertainment and view the artwork and other displays. The fair was designed to celebrate the four hundredth anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s voyage to The New World in 1492.

Chicago Illinois was not the only city where officials wanted to hold the fair. St. Louis Missouri New York New York and Washington D.C. all submitted bids to host the event. Because of the huge financial support from Chicago, the U.S. Congress selected that city.

Directions: Answer the questions in complete sentences with a city, state, country, or province. Be sure to use commas correctly.

1. Where were you born?

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2. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

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3. What is the largest city you have visited?

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Writing with Commas Exercise: Write a paragraph that tells about a famous event or invention. Include information about when and where the event occurred.

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Comma Rule #5 - Use a comma or commas to set off people’s names when directly addressing them.

Examples: Ricardo, please tell me what time the movie starts tonight. I can look online, Misha. It would be fun, Ricardo, to try that new Chinese restaurant.

Directions: Read each sentence. Add commas where needed, and copy the sentence to the blank lines.

1. Mrs. Clarke will you please tell me what time we leave for the fieldtrip on Thursday?

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2. First you find the common denominator, and then you add the fractions Meghan.

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3. After you finish your piano practice, Dee, will you please walk the dog?

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4. Sasha what kind of sandwich do you want for lunch?

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5. Do you think you could babysit for us tonight Cooper?

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6. Nora has a sharp pain in her stomach Dr. Clapman and also a slight fever. ______________________________________________________________________________

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7. Luis and Frederick it’s your turn to share your summary with the class.

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Katie’s Pen Pal

Katie first first met her pen pal David when she and her family visited her grandparents in Australia. His family and her grandma and grandpa were friends. She and David had been exchanging letters for several years.

“Katie have you received a letter from David recently?” her mom asked one day.

“No Mom the last time I heard from him was a few weeks ago.”

“Well Katie guess what? He and his family are is going to come to Chicago next month.”

“Wow Mom that’s great! I’ll write to him right away.”

Directions: Write three sentences addressing a person directly. Use the name at the beginning of the first sentence, in the middle of the second one, and at the end of the third.

1. (name first)

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2. (name in the middle)

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3. (name at the end)

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Writing with Commas Exercise: Write a conversation using direct address.

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Comma Rule #6 - Use a comma to set off an introductory clause. Also use commas after certain single introductory words, such as meanwhile, furthermore, suddenly, unfortunately, interestingly, well, yes, no, and hooray. However, commas after prepositional phrases at the beginning of sentences usually are optional—unless the phrase is long and/or complicated.

Example: During the first quarter of the game, there was no score. Hooray, the Badgers finally scored!

Directions: Read each sentence and add commas where needed. Then copy the sentence to the blank lines. 1. Yes the strong winds damaged a lot of homes along the coast.

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2. Well that math problem was much easier than this one!

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3. Unfortunately I was unable to beat my opponent in the chess game. ______________________________________________________________________________

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4. During the past winter Toby learned to ski.

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5. Since the beginning of the year Ezra has never missed a day of school.

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6. No it isn’t raining, but the weather forecaster says snow is on the way. ______________________________________________________________________________

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7. Furthermore the research needs to be completed tomorrow and the reports turned in by Friday.

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Directions: Read the text and add commas where needed.

Unicorns

Interestingly people used to believe that unicorns actually existed. Furthermore the unicorn was usually depicted as a white horse with a pointed, spiraling horn protruding from its forehead. During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance the unicorn was described as a wild woodland creature that was always beautiful and magical Some references claim that the unicorn’s horn had powers to heal the sick. Surprisingly, this view persisted for hundreds of years.

Directions: Write each sentence using a comma to set off the introductory clause or after single introductory words. Copy the sentence to the blank lines.

1. Use “suddenly” as an introductory word.

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2. Use “meanwhile” as an introductory word.

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3. Use “during a recent Saturday morning at the mall” as an introductory phrase.

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4. Use “while Margot was eating dinner” as an introductory phrase.

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5. Use “early in the morning” as an introductory phrase.

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Writing with Commas Exercise: Write a paragraph that contains sentences with both introductory phrases and clauses.

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Comma Rule #7 - Use commas after the greeting and the closing in a friendly letter. A friendly letter is a one you write to a person you know well, such as a family member or a friend.

Example: Dear Grandma, (greeting)

Thank you for the birthday gift. I can’t wait to see you this summer.

Love, (closing)

Your grandson Luke

Directions: Read each sentence and add commas where needed. 1. 2.

3.

Dear Mom and Dad

I learned to dive off the high dive at camp. We have sailing lessons. I can’t wait!

Love,

Sal

Hi Laura

I just returned from our school fieldtrip to Madison, Wisconsin. I couldn’t believe the steps it

takes to pass a bill in the State Senate. It was really interesting to see. Next we toured the

Wisconsin Historical Society and viewed several exhibitions about early explorers and Native

Americans. That was interesting, too!

Your friend

Molly

Dearest Friends

We hope you are all well. We just relocated to Dayton, Ohio, and are settling in. Mr. Cho has

a new job with United Airlines, and Mrs. Cho is finishing graduate school. The kids

are already on the swim team. This weekend we are going to the Wright Cycle Company Complex to see where the Wright brothers worked.

Fondly

The Chos

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Directions: Write three short, friendly letters in which you use commas after the greeting and after the closing. Use the openings and closings listed below.

1. Greeting: Dear Angie

Closing: Sincerely

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2. Greeting: Hi, Mr. Wilson

Closing: Yours truly

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3. Greeting: Good Morning

Closing: Your friend

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Comma Rule #8 - Use a comma to set off quotations from the rest of the sentence. Quotations are the exact words someone says. Here are some examples.

Examples:

The president said, “Let’s all do our part to promote world peace.” A comma appears before and after the quotation marks if the person’s name comes before the quotation itself.’

“Let’s all do our part to promote world peace,” the president said. A comma appears within the quotation marks if the person being quoted is named last in the sentence.

“Let’s do our part,” the president said, “to promote world peace.”Two sets of commas appear within each part of a quotation that is separated into two parts.

“Let’s do our part,” the president said. “We can promote world peace.” Again two sets of commas appear in this example. This is because there are two sentences that are separated by telling who the speaker is.

Directions: Read each sentence. Add commas where needed. Copy the sentence to the blank lines.

1. The scientist said “Global warming is causing arctic glaciers to melt.”

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2. “The price of a new phone has gone down” Mr. Olson reported.

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3. “The tennis match is at 6:00 p.m. tonight” Carli told me. ______________________________________________________________________________

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4. “Would it be possible” Sara asked “to give me change for a dollar?”

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5. “The apples are ripe enough to pick now” our neighbor added.

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6. “Hey” the coach shouted “it’s time for practice!”

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7. “Okay” my friend told me when I asked her to come over and play a video game.

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Directions: Write sentences using a quotation marks and commas to separate what is being said. Copy the sentences to the blank lines.

1. Begin the sentence with: “Mr. Jones said” ______________________________________________________________________________

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2. End the sentence with: “Peter responded”

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3. Put “Kwon commented” in the middle of the sentence. You can have either a period or a comma after Kwon commented.

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Writing with Commas Exercise: Write a short story that includes dialogue.

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Comma Rule #9 - Use a comma in a compound sentence, that is, a sentence made up of two complete thoughts or clauses. Each, though complete in itself, is related to the other. The two independent clauses are separated by conjunctions, such as “and”, “but”, and “or”.

Example: Grandfather took us fishing, and we caught three large trout. It was getting late, but Teddy wanted to continue fishing. Grandfather said he could take those of us who wanted to leave back to the cottage in his boat, or those of us who wanted to stay could fish until he returned.

Directions: Read each sentence, and add commas where they are needed. Copy the sentence to the blank lines.

1. Our grandparents invited us to their cottage and we decided to stay there for a week.

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2. My parents were going to sleep in the spare bedroom and the children were going to sleep in the bunk house.

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3. Grandpa promised us an outdoor fire but it was raining so hard we had to roast the marshmallows over the store in the cottage. ______________________________________________________________________________

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4. It was way past our bedtime but my brother, sister, and I didn’t feel tired.

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5. Grandma said, “Would you rather eat breakfast at home or would you like to go to a restaurant?”

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6. Dad said he would teach us to water ski or we could learn to jet ski instead. ______________________________________________________________________________

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7. I said that I wanted to learn both and Dad agreed.

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Directions: Read the text, and add commas where needed.

Narwhals

The narwhal is a medium-sized, toothed whale. The male has a long, straight tusk but the female doesn’t have a tusk. Narwhals live in the Arctic waters of Greenland, Canada, and Russia. Their total size can range from about thirteen to eighteen feet and they weigh about 1,800 to 3,500 pounds. Narwhals don’t have a dorsal fin but they can swim fast and dive deep. During the winter, they feed mostly on flatfish found under the thick ice and during the summer, they feed on Arctic cod and Greenland halibut. They communicate similarly to other toothed whales by using clicks, whistles, and knocks. They can live up to fifty years but many die of starvation before that. There are about 75,000 narwhals living today and they are listed as “Near Threatened” under the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Inuits in northern Canada and Greenland hunt the narwhal for meat and for ivory but this activity is limited by specific rules. In past times the narwhal’s tusk was thought to be magical and it was often compared to a unicorn’s horn.

Directions: Write the finished sentence on the lines that follow.

1. Compose a compound sentence with two independent clauses separated by the word “and”.

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2. Compose a compound sentence with two independent clauses separated by the word “but”.

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3. Compose a compound sentence with two independent clauses separated by the word “or”.

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Writing with Commas Exercise: Write a paragraph that includes three or more compound sentences.

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Comma Rule #10 - Each complex sentence contains a dependent clause, which cannot stand alone as a complete thought, and an independent clause which can stand alone. The dependent clause is always preceded by a conjunction. Use a comma to separate the dependent clause from the independent clause. However, you should use a comma to separate the clauses only when the dependent clause comes first. (The following are conjunctions: although, as if, as long as, because, if, since, so, that, though, unless, until, when, where, and while.)

Example: When I have a sleepover, my mother lets us order pizza. You wouldn’t need a comma if the sentence read, “My mother lets us order pizza when I have a sleep over.

Directions: Add commas where they are needed in the following. Then copy the sentence to the blank lines. 1. When the sun came out during the rainstorm a colorful rainbow filled the sky.

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2. Although there was not much time to plan the party it turned out to be a major success.

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3. As if he had been juggling his entire life Saki placed first in the novice division.

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4. As long as my aunt is here for a visit I want to spend as much time with her as possible.

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5. Because the weather is finally warming up we can ride our bicycles to school.

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6. Even though I previously didn’t know how to make a power point presentation, I learned to do it this year. ______________________________________________________________________________

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7. If it were up to my dad we would be able to stay up much later than our normal bedtime.

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Directions: Add commas where needed in the following.

First Chess Tournament

It was going to be the first time that Toby and Hillary played in the school chess meet. Since the event was out of town those attending needed to be at school by 7:00 a.m. to catch the bus that would take them there. So that the students could practice ahead of time Mr. Black arranged for them to have a practice room at the competition site. Toby and Hillary’s names were entered in the beginning division. Though they had been successful during weekly chess practices this was their first year of competition. Unless they won fifty percent of their first games they would remain in the beginner’s division for the next day’s competition. They played the best they could, managing to win more games than they lost.

Directions: Use commas to separate the two clauses in the following sentences. Then copy the sentences to the blank lines.

1. Begin this sentence with “when.”

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2. Begin this sentence with “where”.

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3. Begin this sentence with “while”.

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Writing with Commas Exercise: Write a paragraph that contains 3 or more complex sentences.

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Comma Rule #11 - Use commas to set off a nonrestrictive phrases or clauses in a sentence. A nonrestrictive phrase or clause provides extra information. When it’s taken away, the sentence still makes sense.

Example: My best friend took me to Starbucks, his favorite cafe, to drink coffee and chat. The Starbucks downtown, next to Little Caesar’s, is open until 10:00 p.m.

Directions: Read each sentence. Add commas where they are needed. Copy the sentence on the blank.

1. The stallion named Lightning was the fastest horse at the stables.

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2. My grades especially in math class greatly improved this quarter.

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3. Joni’s favorite aunt who had just moved to the area was paying for Joni’s dress for the dance.

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4. The neighbors the Olson family moved to the United States from Norway.

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5. The twins who were identical were difficult to tell apart.

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6. Joanna couldn’t believe that her puppy a West Highland terrier enjoyed playing with many of the larger dogs at the dog park. ______________________________________________________________________________

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Opening Up a Savings Account

Jenni wanted to open up a savings account. She took her money to the bank People’s Central. She showed the bank teller the necessary identification a picture ID from school and then handed over her money. The teller totaled up Jenni’s savings and explained how much interest two percent Jenni would from her new account. Jenni went home to tell her parents what she’d done. They were pleased that she had opened up the savings account at People Central the bank they used.

Directions: Write sentences using a comma to set off a nonrestrictive phrases or words.

1. Write a sentence about your favorite sport.

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2. Write about a holiday.

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3. Write a sentence about the weather.

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Writing with Commas Exercise: Write a paragraph that contains both non-restrictive phrases and clauses. Remember a clause contains both a subject and a verb.

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Comma Rule #12 - Whereas a nonrestrictive phrase or word provides extra information in a sentence, a restrictive word or phrase helps identify the subject. This means it is necessary to the sentence and is not set off with commas. For example: The man in the blue shirt is my dad. The phrase “in the blue shirt” is necessary to the sentence because it points out exactly who the speaker is talking about. If we omitted the phrase from the sentence it wouldn’t tell us anything useful.

Directions: Decide which of the following sentences contain restrictive phrases and which contain nonrestrictive phrases. Use commas to set off the nonrestrictive phrases.

Set 1: (A.) Our family’s cottage at Thunder Lake is over 100 years old.

(B). My friend John Phillips just received his driver’s license.

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Set 2: (A.) My sister who enjoys all sorts of music is a terrible dancer..

(B.) That car with the crunched up fender is the one my neighbor wrecked.

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Directions: Add commas where needed in the following. There are three nonrestrictive elements. A prompt is listed after the sentences that need commas. Then write what each sentence means on the blank lines.

A Friday Dance

It was time for the school dance the first of the year at Jefferson Middle School. (1-nonrestrictive element). The dance started at 7:00 p.m. and was held in the school gym. The cost was $ 3.00 to enter and food would be served for an additional cost. Margo was excited to meet her friend Ben there. (2-nonrestrictive element). She hoped the D.J. called the Wild Man would play some of her favorite songs. ( three- nonrestrictive element). Ben was waiting for her, and the D.J. did play the songs she liked best!

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Directions: Write two sentences, one with a nonrestrictive phrase and one with a restrictive phrase ______________________________________________________________________________

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Comma Rules- Review Directions: Add commas where needed. Then write the sentence on the blank lines

1. The vendor was selling hot dogs peanuts and soda at the baseball game.

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2. The horse trotted galloped and slowed down before eating its oats.

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3. The history final would be June 2 2020 of next year.

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4. The Green Bay Packers play at their home stadium in Green Bay Wisconsin.

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5. Tim knocked on his friend’s door. “Hey Peter are you at home?” he called.

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6. Sure I would love to have dessert!

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Hello

I am wondering how you are doing? I hope to see you soon.

Your friend

Billy

7. Just add commas below. There’s no need to rewrite the letter.

8. “The fieldtrip is this Friday” the teacher said. “Don’t forget to bring your money.”

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9. “The book is checked out” the library told me “but it will be returned soon.”

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10. “If it snows tonight, don’t blame me,” the weatherman joked. ______________________________________________________________________________

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11. My two goldfish the most beautiful I’ve ever seen have grown too big for their bowl.

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12. The woman walking pushing the stroller is my mom’s best friend.

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Writing with Commas Exercise: Write a short story. When you are done, circle the commas in your story. How many comma rules did you use?

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Comma Rule #1 - Answers 1. Mr. Wilson was the school’s coach for soccer, basketball, and track. 2. Steven liked to read adventure, mystery, and science fiction stories. 3. The summer art classes featured water color painting, charcoal sketching, and ceramics. 4. Nora sent postcards home from her travels to Paris, London, Berlin, and Naples. 5. The children decided to name the puppies Shadow, Blackie, and Snuggles. 6. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are discount days at the movie theater. 7. Marco tried out for the positions of pitcher, catcher, and shortstop. 8. Ms. White reviewed the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of decimals.

Uncle Leo

Uncle Leo flew to Nashville to visit me for my birthday. On the way he had stops at San Francisco, Denver, and Milwaukee. My father, mother, sister, and I drove to the airport to pick him up. Uncle Leo then took us to an Italian restaurant for dinner. I couldn’t decide what to order but finally chose a combination dish that consisted of linguine, ziti, and pappardelle with marinara sauce. I made a good choice because it was delicious! At home we watched a movie on our large flat screen television. Uncle Leo said that the next day he’d like to see some of the sights Nashville has to offer. I thought he would enjoy the art museum, the riverfront park, and the sports stadium. After visiting the three places we headed home to celebrate my twelfth birthday. Dad ordered pizza, and Mom later served everyone carrot cake pistachio ice cream and hot chocolate.

Comma Rule #2 - Answers 1. The triathlon, participants swam three miles, biked ten miles, and ran a half marathon. 2. Leslie volunteered to introduce the new student to his teachers, show him around the school, and sit with him at lunch. 3. The history teacher showed a video about the Civil War, took the kids on a fieldtrip to the local historical museum, and invited a historian into the class. 4. The puppy opened its eyes, yawned, and fell back asleep. 5. I don’t know where the custom came from to find a penny, make a wish, and toss it into a fountain. 6. Lee took the slip of paper from his fortune cookie, read what it said, and then smiled. 7. For his research paper, Kenzie went online, copied down important information, and wrote a first draft.

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The Camp Out

It was almost time to leave for summer camp. Patrick cleaned his room, washed his clothes, and packed everything he thought he’d need. After finding his sleeping bag, Patrick called his grandmother, texted his best friend, and went on Facebook to let his other friends know he’d be gone for a week, set his alarm clock, and went to bed. At 7:00 a.m. he woke up, turned off the alarm clock, and quickly dressed. He set the table, helped make breakfast, and did the dishes. Then it was time to leave. He picked up his sleeping bag, tossed his backpack onto his back, and ran out to the car. His mom backed out of the driveway, headed to the gas station, and filled up the tank. Soon Patrick would be sailing on the clear lake, hiking up a mountain trail, and sleeping under the stars.

Comma Rule # 3 - Answers 1. Keesong planned to visit her grandmother in New York on October 6, 2017. 2. The astronaut circled the moon on January 31, 2000, and also on February 1, 2000. 3. The library will be closed for Labor Day, which is September 6, 2020. 4. The first Modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, beginning on April 6, 1896. 5. On March 1, 2008, my friend Jo-Jo competed in her first middle school track meet. 6. My parents and I are planning to have a picnic either be May 20, 2020, or May 21, 2020, depending on the weather. 7. Did the king’s coronation occur on May 4, 1775, or on May 4, 1776?

Our New Puppy

My dad always read the ads in the morning newspaper. On October 3, 1996, he saw an ad for poodles that would be born around October 15, 1996. They’d be ready for sale by November 29, 1996. Dad had grown up with poodles. We agreed that a new puppy would be great. I counted the days till the puppies would be born. On October 15, 1996, my dad called and asked about them. Sure enough, the mother had given birth to five puppies! My father arranged for us to go see then on October 22, 1996. I couldn’t believe how cute they were. We finally decided we’d like to buy a female puppy that was blacker than any of the others. Now I could hardly wait to bring her home. She made a wonderful Thanksgiving present for the family, and I was thankful Dad had seen the ad in the paper.

Comma Rule #4 - Answers 1. My mother flew to Los Angeles, California, to visit her grandfather. 2. Did you know that Quito, Ecuador, is located on the Equator and that the word ecuador means equator in Spanish? 3. The Eiffel Tower, Paris, France, is one of the top tourist spots in the world. 4. The Great Barrier Reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia. 5. Chengdu, China, is home to the first Chinese-born panda bears twins. 6. The cafe in Montreal, Quebec, serves fresh croissants and specialty-brewed coffee all day. 7. The 2016 Summer Olympics were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in August.

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The First World’s Fair Held in the United States On May 1, 1893, the Chicago, illinois, World’s Fair opened its gates. During the next six months, twenty-six million people would visit the 600-acre fairgrounds where they could sample the food and entertainment and view the artwork and other displays. The fair was designed to celebrate the four hundredth anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s voyage to The New World in 1492. Chicago, Illinois, was not the only city where officials wanted to hold the fair. St. Louis, Missouri, New York, New York, and Washington, D.C., all submitted bids to host the event. Because of the huge financial support from Chicago, the U.S. Congress selected that city.

Comma Rule #5 - Answers 1. Mrs. Clarke, will you please tell me what time we leave for the fieldtrip on Thursday? 2. First you find the common denominator, and then you add the fractions, Meghan. 3. After you finish your piano practice, Dee, will you please walk the dog? 4. Sasha, what kind of sandwich do you want for lunch? 5. Do you think you could babysit for us tonight, Cooper? 6. Nora has a sharp pain in her stomach, Dr. Clapman, and also a slight fever. 7. Luis, and Frederick, it’s your turn to share your summary with the class.

Katie’s Pen Pal Katie first first met her pen pal David when she and her family visited her grandparents in

Australia. His family and her grandma and grandpa were friends. She and David had been exchanging letters for several years.

“Katie, have you received a letter from David recently?” her mom asked one day. “No, Mom, the last time I heard from him was a few weeks ago.” “Well, Katie, guess what? He and his family are is going to come to Chicago next month.” “Wow, Mom, that’s great! I’ll write to him right away.”

Comma Rule #6 - Answers 1. Yes, the strong winds damaged a lot of homes along the coast. 2. Well, that math problem was much easier than this one! 3. Unfortunately, I was unable to beat my opponent in the chess game. 4. During the past winter, Toby learned to ski. 5. Since the beginning of the year, Ezra has never missed a day of school. 6. No, it isn’t raining, but the weather forecaster says snow is on the way. 7. Furthermore, the research needs to be completed tomorrow and the reports turned in by Friday.

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Unicorns

Interestingly, people used to believe that unicorns actually existed. Furthermore, the unicorn was usually depicted as a white horse with a pointed, spiraling horn protruding from its forehead. During both the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the unicorn was described as a wild woodland creature that was always beautiful and magical Some references claim that the unicorn’s horn had powers to heal the sick. Surprisingly, this view persisted for hundreds of years.

Comma Rule #7 - Answers 1. 2.

3.

Comma Rule #8 - Answers

Dear Mom and Dad,

I learned to dive off the high dive at camp. We have sailing lessons tomorrow. I can’t wait!

Love,

Sal

Dearest Friends,

We hope you are all well. We just relocated to Dayton, Ohio, and are settling in. Mr. Cho has a new job with United Airlines. Mrs. Cho is finishing graduate school in education. The kids are on the swim team. This weekend we are going to the Wright Cycle Company Complex to see where the Wright brothers worked. Fondly,

The Chos

Dear Laura,

I just returned from our school fieldtrip to Madison, Wisconsin. I couldn’t believe the steps it takes to pass a bill in the State Senate. It was really interesting to see. Next we toured the Wisconsin Historical Society and viewed several exhibits about early explorers and Native Americans. That was interesting, too.

Your friend,

Molly

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1. The scientist said, “Global warming is causing arctic glaciers to melt.” 2. “The price of a new phone has gone down,” Mr. Olson reported. 3. “The tennis match is at 6:00 p.m. tonight,” Carli told me. 4. “Would it be possible,” Sara asked, “to give me change for a dollar?” 5. “The apples are ripe to pick now,” our neighbor added. 6. “Hey,” the coach shouted, “it’s time for practice!” 7. “Okay,” my friend told me when I asked her to come over and play a video game.

Comma Rule #9 - Answers 1. Our grandparents invited us to their cottage, and we decided to stay there for a week. 2. My parents were going to sleep in the spare bedroom, and the children planned to sleep in the bunk house. 3. Grandpa promised us an outdoor fire, but it was raining so hard we had to roast the marshmallows over the stove in the cottage. 4. It was way past our bedtime, but my brother, sister, and I didn’t feel tired. 5. Grandma said, “Would you rather eat breakfast at home, or would you like to go to a restaurant?” 6. Dad said he would teach us to water ski today, or he said we could learn to jet ski instead. 7. I said that I wanted to learn both, and Dad agreed. Hooray!

Narwhals

The narwhal is a medium-sized, toothed whale. The male has a long, straight tusk, but the female doesn’t have a tusk. Narwhals live in the Arctic waters of Greenland, Canada, and Russia. Their total size can range from about thirteen to eighteen feet, and they weigh about 1,800 to 3,500 pounds. Narwhals don’t have a dorsal fin, but they can swim fast and dive deep. During the winter, they feed mostly on flatfish found under the thick ice, and during the summer, they feed on Arctic cod and Greenland halibut. They communicate similarly to other toothed whales by using clicks, whistles, and knocks. They can live up to fifty years, but many die of starvation before that. There are about 75,000 narwhals living today, and they are listed as “Near Threatened” under the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Inuits in northern Canada and Greenland hunt the narwhal for meat and for ivory, but this activity is limited by specific rules. In past times the narwhal’s tusk was thought to be magical, and it was often compared to a unicorn’s horn.

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Comma Rule #10 - Answers 1. When the sun came out during the rainstorm, a colorful rainbow filled the sky. 2. Although there was not much time to plan the party, it turned out to be a major success. 3. As if he had been juggling his entire life, Saki placed first in the novice division. 4. As long as my aunt is here for a visit, I want to spend as much time with her as possible. 5. Because the weather is finally warming up, we can ride our bicycles to school. 6. Even though I previously didn’t know how to make a power point presentation, I learned to do it this year. 7. If it were up to my dad, we would be able to stay up much later than our normal bedtime.

First Chess Tournament

It was going to be the first time that Toby and Hillary played in the school chess meet. Since the event was out of town, those attending needed to be at school by 7:00 a.m. to catch the bus that would take them there. So that the students could practice ahead of time, Mr. Black arranged for them to have a practice room at the competition site. Toby and Hillary’s names were entered in the beginning division. Though they had been successful during weekly chess practices, this was their first year of competition. Unless they won fifty percent of their first games, they would remain in the beginner’s division for the next day’s competition. They played the best they could, managing to win more games than they lost.

Comma Rule #11 - Answers 1. The stallion, named Lightning, was the fastest horse at the stables. 2. My grades, especially in math class, greatly improved this quarter. 3. Joni’s favorite aunt, who had just moved to the area, was paying for Joni’s dress for the dance. 4. The neighbors, the Olson family, moved to the United States from Norway. 5. The twins, who were identical, were difficult to tell apart. 6. Joanna couldn’t believe that her puppy, a West Highland terrier, enjoyed playing with many of the larger dogs at the dog park.

Opening Up a Savings Account

Jenni wanted to open up a savings account. She took her money to the bank, People’s Central. She showed the bank teller the necessary identification, a picture ID from school, and then handed over her money. The teller totaled up Jenni’s savings and explained how much interest, two percent, Jenni would from her new account. Jenni went home to tell her parents what she’d done. They were pleased that she had opened up the savings account at People Central, the bank they used.

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Hello,

I am wondering how you are doing? I hope to see you soon. Your friend, Billy

Comma Rule #12 – Answers ACCEPT REASONABLE ANSWERS.

Set 1: (A.) Our family’s cottage at Thunder Lake is over 100 years old. (B). My friend John Phillips just received his driver’s license. Set 2: (A.) My sister who enjoys all sorts of music is a terrible dancer.. (B.) That car with the crunched up fender is the one my neighbor wrecked.

ACCEPT REASONABLE ANSWERS.

A Friday Dance

It was time for the school dance the first of the year at Jefferson Middle School. (1-nonrestrictive element). The dance started at 7:00 p.m. and was held in the school gym. The cost was $ 3.00 to enter and food would be served for an additional cost. Margo was excited to meet her friend Ben there. (2-nonrestrictive element). She hoped the D.J. called the Wild Man would play some of her favorite songs. ( three- nonrestrictive element). Ben was waiting for her, and the D.J. did play the songs she liked best!

Comma Rules Review – Answers 1. The vendor was selling hot dogs, peanuts, and soda at the baseball game. 2. The horse trotted, galloped, and slowed down before eating its oats. 3. The history final would be June 2, 2020, of next year. 4. The Green Bay Packers play at their home stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin. 5. Hello, I was told you were home the little boy shouted when he knocked at the door. 6. Sure, I would love to have dessert! 7.

8. “The fieldtrip is this Friday,” the teacher said. “Don’t forget to bring your money.” 9. “The book is checked out,” the library told me, “but it will be returned soon.” 10. “If it snows tonight, don’t blame me,” the weatherman joked. 11. My two goldfish, the most beautiful I’ve ever seen, have grown too big for their bowl. 12. The woman walking pushing the stroller is my mom’s best friend.

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