Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Today, we will discuss the in-class response they will be doing tomorrow as well as the fourth rule of commas. I have placed the notes for commas and the notes about tomorrow's exam below:

The Comma

WHEN IN DOUBT, LEAVE THE COMMA OUT!

There are four comma rules

Rule #1 : Use commas to separate items in a series of three or more.

Rule #2 : Use comma(s) to separate from the rest of the sentence any word or
expression that is not essential to the sentence’s meaning or that means the same as something else in the sentence.
Rule #3 : Place a comma between independent clauses when they are joined by these transition words.:
and nor for
or but yet
so

Rule # 4 : Put a comma after any word or group of words that comes before an independent clause.
e.g.,
Charlie, you aren’t paying any attention. (The second rule applies
here, too.)
Though tattered and torn, the book was worth a fortune.
Wherever you go, remember me.
If that’s all there is, we’d better buy more.

Until he got his promotion, he was quite friendly.

Final note: Never place a single comma between a subject and its verb:

right: Adam and Liz are going into business.

wrong: Adam and Liz, are going into business

Two commas between a subject and its verb are all right, however, if they are setting off nonessential material:
Adam and Liz, both recent graduates, are going into business.


Test Prep
We will discuss the exam so students will not be too worried
The in-class essay will be a critical literary essay (not personal: no “I” or anecdotes)
Students will need to make sure they know the summaries of three short stories we studied in class (“Outside Edges”, “Miss. Brill”, “The War”) as well as the names of the author’s and purpose of each.
I will only expect them to write on one of these to prove their point in relation to the theme I give them.
I will present them with a piece of reading (short) and a theme it shows and then expect them to develop their understanding of this theme using one of the pieces above.