Download Run Baby Run!

Run Baby Run!
Identifying and Correcting
Run-On Sentences
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may not be reproduced in
any way without written permission.
What is a Run-On?
A run on sentence is two or more
complete thoughts that “run together”
because there is no word or punctuation
to separate them.
Ex: The best computers are very fast they can
download an average novel in three minutes.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Four Run-On Fixes
#1. Make Two Separate Sentences
Ex. The best computers run very fast they can
download an average novel in about three minutes.
Fix: The best computers run very fast. They can
download an average novel in about three minutes.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Four Run-On Fixes
#2. Comma Plus Conjunction
Ex: We are visiting the new neighbors on our street you
may want to visit them tomorrow.
Fix: We are visiting the new neighbors on our street.
You may want to visit them tomorrow.
Conjunctions: and, but, for, nor, so, yet
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Four Run-On Fixes:
#3. Use a Semicolon
Ex: We are working hard on the parade float we’d love
your help.
Fix: We are working hard on the parade float; we’d love
your help.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Four Run-On Fixes:
#4: Change part of the sentence to a
dependent clause and add a comma.
Ex: Our new boss is working very hard, he is not
making good decisions.
Fix: Even though our new boss is working very hard,
he is not making good decisions.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Correcting Run-Ons: Practice

Domestic animals are not able to survive in
the wild a few have managed to learn to
survive.

Visitors can see many different kinds of
animals in the zoo in some zoos then can
touch certain animals.

I couldn’t run as fast as the other people in
the race I quit trying.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Fussy Fragments
Identifying Complete and Incomplete
Sentences
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
What Makes a Sentence?



Complete Thought: A sentence must give
all the needed information for the reader to
understand it completely.
Subject: A word that is a noun or pronoun.
Verb: A word that shows action or state of
being.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Fragments on the GED
IMPORTANT

Questions on the TABE, OPT, and the
GED will require you to recognize
when a sentence is incomplete and
choose the correct revision.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Identifying Fragments: Practice
(1) In the school year 2007-2008 over 16,000
people earned a GED in the state of
Tennessee. (2) Since you can make more
money with a diploma. (3) many students
understand the need to take the time to go
back to school to study for the GED. (4)
Adult education services in every county in
Tennessee and most offer day and evening
classes. (5) The classes free and the
materials are also provided free of charge.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Identifying Fragments: Practice
Sentence 1:
In the school year 2007-1008 over
16,000 people earned a GED. In the state of
Tennessee.
A.
B.
C.
D.
No correction is necessary
Remove the period and change the capital “I” to a
lower case “I”
Insert a period after GED
Insert the word “by” after GED
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Identifying Fragments: Practice
Sentences 2 and 3:
Since you can make more
money with a diploma. many students
understand the need to take the time to go
back to school to study for the GED.
A.
B.
C.
D.
diploma and many students understand
diploma, many students understand
diploma so many students understand
diploma’s many students understand
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Identifying Fragments: Practice
Adult education services in every
county in Tennessee and most offer day
and evening classes.
Sentence 4:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Insert a comma after services
Replace and with because
Insert are offered after services
No Correction Is Necessary
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Identifying Fragments: Practice
Sentence 5: The
classes free and the materials
are also provided free of charge.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Remove provided
Insert are after classes
Insert a comma after free
No Correction Necessary
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Coordinating Conjunctions
Correcting and Creating
Sentences using
Coordinating Conjunctions
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Coordinating Conjunctions

Complete sentences are also called
Independent Clauses.

A compound sentence is two
Independent Clauses joined together
using coordinating conjunctions.

Examples: and, yet, but, for, or, nor, so
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Coordinating Conjunctions

Use a COMMA when combining two
independent clauses.

Example: The people in our neighborhood
decided to have a yard sale. They will have
a party afterward.
The people in our neighborhood decided to
have a yard sale, and they will have a
party afterward.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Coordinating Conjunctions: Practice
EX: I want to go to college. First I have to finish my
GED.
The best way to join these two sentences is:
A.
B.
C.
I want to go to college, but first I have to finish my
GED.
I want to finish my GED and go to college.
I want to go to college, and first I have to finish my
GED.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Coordinating Conjunctions: Practice
EX: It is almost time for the kids to go back to
school. Let’s throw a back to school party!
The best way to join these two sentences is:
A.
B.
C.
It’s almost time for the kids to go back to school, but let’s
throw a back to school party!
It’s almost time for the kids to go back to school, so let’s throw
a back to school party!
It’s almost time for the kids to go back to school, and let’s
throw a back to school party!
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Complex Sentences
Correcting and Creating
Complex Sentences
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Clauses, Clauses, Clauses!

Independent Clause: A complete sentence.
It is independent because it can stand on its
own.

Dependent or Subordinating Clause: A
fragment. It is dependent because it CAN
NOT stand alone. It must be attached to an
independent clause!
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Creating a Complex Sentence



Complex Sentence: this is the combination
of an independent clause (complete
sentence) and a dependent clause
(fragment).
The punctuation used to join these two
clauses depends on which of the clauses
come first in the sentence.
Subordinating Conjunctions: because, as,
since, although, even, if, unless, so, after
before, once, until, when, while
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Creating a Complex Sentence

If the Independent Clause comes before the
dependent clause, use a Subordinating
Conjunction to join the two clauses.

Ex: You are my friend because I can trust
you.
Ex: The sun looks so pretty after a month of
cloudy skies.

This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Creating a Complex Sentence

If the Dependent Clause comes before the
Independent Clause, use a comma AND a
Subordinating Conjunction to join the two
clauses.

Ex: Because you are my friend, I can trust
you.
After a month of cloudy skies, the sun looks
so pretty.

This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Creating a Complex Sentence
Review:
 I.C. + S.C.+ D.C. = Complex Sentence

S.C. + D.C. + COMMA + I.C. =
Complex Sentence
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Creating a Complex Sentence: Practice
Choose the sentence that is written correctly:




We are going to the store, because we need milk.
They went home after, the party ended.
She was the best friend I ever had so I cried when
she moved away.
No one knew why he moved away, but everyone
missed him.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Creating a Complex Sentence: Practice
Choose the sentence that is written correctly:
A.
B.
C.
Because it had rained earlier the ground was soft
and muddy.
After we came back from the store, everyone had to
help put away the groceries.
While the girls brush their teeth you, should pick out
your clothes for school.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Creating a Complex Sentence: Practice
Choose the sentence that is written correctly:
A.
B.
C.
When you go to school be sure you turn in your
homework.
I am going to study very hard so I can pass my test.
We walked for an hour, before we realized we were
going in the wrong direction!
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Parallel Structure
Correcting Errors in
Parallel Structure
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
What is Parallel Structure?

When a sentence structure is Parallel the
verbs are in the same tense throughout and
the words assume the same form.

Parallel Structure makes sentences flow
nicely and keeps them readable.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Examples of Parallel
Structure

Incorrect Ex: We decided to go to
dinner, go to a movie, and are having
dessert at my home afterward.

Correct Example: We decided to go to
dinner, go to a movie, and have
dessert at my home afterward.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Examples of Parallel
Structure

Incorrect Ex: We are helping my
mother dust, vacuum, and are
mopping the floors.

Correct Example: We are helping my
mother dust, vacuum and mop the
floors.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Parallel Structure: Guided Practice
One of the great things about basketball is
that it doesn’t require a lot of equipment,
space or needing too many people to
play.
A.
B.
C.
D.
No Correction Necessary
Insert a comma after basketball
Insert a period after equipment
Replace needing too many people with
players
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Parallel Structure: Guided Practice
Basketball is a good sport for helping
people get in shape, make new friends or
spending time with your kids.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Change spending to to spend
Remove the comma after shape
Change spending to spend
Change spending to enjoy spending
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Can’t We All Just Get Along?
Subject-Verb Agreement
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Singular and Plural

Complete sentences must have a SUBJECT
and a VERB!

Subjects are either SINGLUAR (one) or
PLURAL (more than one).

Subjects and verbs must agree in number. A
singular verb must be matched with a
singular subject. A plural verb must be
matched with a plural subject.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Singular and Plural: Practice




My friends and I ___ sending letters to soldiers.
(is/are)
David ___ too fast and I am afraid he will get a
ticket. (drives/drive)
The announcer on TV ___ too slowly. (talk/talks)
____ the cost of gas gone up this week?
(Has/Have)
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Collective Nouns





Collective Nouns represent Groups
Even though Groups are made up of more than
one person or thing, they are considered as
SINGULAR because they represent ONE group.
EX: The group want to know how you will vote. (singular subject,
plural verb)
EX: The group wants to know how you will vote. (singular subject,
singular verb)
Collective Nouns: Group, herd, flock,
class, bunch
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Collective Nouns: Practice

Our class ___ every Tuesday and Thursday. (meet)

The flock of birds ___ high over the treetops. (fly)

The high school staff ___ spring break more than
the kids do! (enjoy)

The herd of bison ___ the plains. (roam)
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Singular Subjects
These words are ALWAYS singular:

One & words ending with one (none, anyone,
everyone)

Words ending in ‘body’ (somebody, nobody,
anybody)

Each, Other, Neither, Either, Much
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Singular Subjects: Practice

Everyone __ that we are having a Memorial Day
party soon. (know/knows)

Nobody __ my cell phone this late at night.
(call/calls)

Neither ___ a car. (own/owns)

Each of us ___ our own decisions. (make/makes)
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Plural Subjects
These subjects are ALWAYS plural:




Several
Both
Many
Few
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Plural Subjects: Practice

Several students ___ full time jobs while going to
school. (work/works)

Few of them ___ good grades. (make/makes)

Both work and school ___ full time jobs! (is/are)

Many people __ to do both, but it is very difficult.
(try/tries)
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Compound Subjects
Compound Subjects joined by
OR / NOR, make the verb match the
noun nearest to the verb.


EX: The officers or the president needs to take
control of the project.
EX: My friend or his brothers are going to take the
food home.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Compound Subjects: Practice

The students or the teacher __ to fill out the forms
and mail them in. (need/needs)

My sister nor her friends ___ to go to the concert.
(want/wants)

The convict nor the officers ___ being in jail.
(enjoy/enjoys)
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Verbs, Verbs, Verbs!
Verb Tense & Helping Verbs
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Verbs: Action or State of Being
Action Verbs show movement or action!
He runs five miles a day.
She cooks for her family every night.
State of being Verbs show that
something or someone exists!
He is going to the store.
The dog and cat are best friends.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Tense Means Time!

There are three “simple” tenses: Past, Present, and
Future.

Past: I walked to the park yesterday.

Present: I walk there everyday.

Future: I will walk to the park tomorrow.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Tense Means Time!
Perfect tenses must have a helping verb.



My old dog cannot run. He has stopped
playing Frisbee.
This dog had been a police dog before we
adopted him.
He will have been retired for two years.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Verb Tense on the GED

Tests will not require identification of
the tense used in a sentence.

Tests will require identification of which
verb tense is used correctly.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Simple Verb Tense: Practice

We can ____ things from the past. (learn)

I ____ the books yesterday. (return)

They _____ in 2012. (marry)

I have _____ the gift to her. (give)

The police _____ the man for robbery yesterday. (arrest)

Mom ______ the best turkey casserole I have ever tasted.
(make)
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Simple Verb Tense: Practice

We have ____ lunch. (ate)

Some parents ____ their toddlers to read. (teach)

The dogs in the show have ____ for many hours to learn to
compete. (train)

The investigation of the robbery has ____ that he is guilty.
(show)

There are 300 students who have ____the GED in this
program. (pass)
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Common Irregular Verbs
Present
Past
Future
Blow
Blew
Blown
Eat
Know
Ate
Knew
Eaten
Known
See
Take
Saw
Took
Seen
Taken
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Common Irregular Verb: Practice
Choose the correct verb for the sentence:

Outside the wind _____ fiercely, but inside the
family was safe and warm.
(Blown, Blew, Blow)

Before she knew it the children had _______ all
their supper.
(Eat, Ate, Eaten)
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Interrupters
Correctly Using and
Punctuating Interrupters
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Interrupters

Interrupters are phrases or words that
separate the subject and the verb. Use
commas to set off the phrase or word.

Also, you can spot interrupters easily. These
words or phrases can be removed from the
sentence without changing the meaning of
the sentence.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
How to Spot Interrupters!
An interrupter is a word or words that
describe the subject of the sentence.

Ex: Eagles, our national bird, live in
mountainous areas.
The subject is Eagles. The verb is live. The phrase our
national bird just gives more detail, but it could be
removed.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
How to Spot Interrupters!

Ex: Your second cousin, Bob, will take
us to the race on Sunday.
The word cousin is the subject. The verb is will take.
Bob is the interrupter. Bob gives more information
about the cousin, but this word could be removed.
Notice the commas around the word Bob.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
How to Spot Interrupters!
Parenthetical Phrases such as: Of course, In
addition, For example, However, many add
detail, but are not required for the sentence to
be complete. They can also be interrupters.

Ex: We will, however, continue to work toward a
peaceful resolution to this problem.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Interrupters: Practice

Of course no one took what he said
seriously.

You friend Myra is beautiful, but obnoxious.

Math 110 a prerequisite for Math 111 is only
taught in summer term.

Social Studies 220 however can be taken in
spring, fall or summer term.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Plurals/Contractions/Possessives
The most confusing uses of the
letter ‘s’!
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Plurals
Plurals are words that mean “more than
one”. These words typically end in ‘s’ or
‘es’


EX: girls, boys, dogs, homes, sisters
Ex: foxes, presses, churches
NOTE: There are NO apostrophes in plurals!
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Plurals
There are some plurals that break the
rules. Such as: children, wives, teeth,
mice, etc.

If a noun ends in ‘y’, change it to ‘i’ and ad
‘es’: cries, cities, tries
NOTE: There are no apostrophes in Plurals!
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Contractions
Contractions are formed when two words are
joined into one word. Contractions are used in
speaking and in some writing.
DO NOT use Contractions in writing the
GED ESSAY.
.
DO NOT confuse Contractions with
Possessives.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Contractions
The apostrophe is used to take the place
of the letter that is being “left out” when
the two words are joined.


EX: do not = don’t : The apostrophe
takes the place of the letter ‘o’
EX: they will = they’ll : The apostrophe
takes the place of the letters ‘w’ and ‘i’
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Possessive Nouns
Possessive forms of nouns show ownership.
A possessive noun is made by using an
apostrophe if the word is singular or is an
irregular noun not ending in ‘s’.



EX: The football team’s next game is on Friday.
EX: Amanda’s new car looks expensive.
EX: We have a new women’s club in Nashville.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Possessive Nouns

A Plural noun is made possessive by
adding an apostrophe after the ‘s’ in
the word. No additional ‘s’ is needed.

EX: The players’ uniforms have arrived.
EX: All of Elvis’ movies are playing on cable this
weekend.
EX: The boys’ shoes were all over the floor.


This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
WARNING!!!


Be careful not to confuse possessives with
contractions. Both use an apostrophe.
Remember, a contraction uses the
apostrophe to replace letters. A possessive
uses the apostrophe to show ownership!

EX: The children’s books don’t have enough
pictures.

EX: It’s a great day for Susan’s graduation.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Words to Watch!






They’re (they are)
Their (possessive)
There (location)
Two (the number)
Too (also)
To (direction)




You’re (belongs to
you)
You’re (you are)
Its (belonging to it)
It’s (it is)
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Practice:




National Wear Red Day is a holiday to
promote womens heart health.
Its a day when all women should think
about making healthy choices.
Women must make good decisions
about they’re health.
Wearing red shows that you care
about womens’ health issues.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Commas
Using Commas Correctly
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Punctuation: Commas

There are many comma rules.

The Good News: The GED focuses on only
a handful of these rules.

For our purposes, we will study 5 occasions
for using commas!
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Punctuation: Commas: Rule 1
Items in a Series: Use commas to
separate more than two words or
phrases that appear in a series.
Ex: The students are collecting paper, cans and plastic
for the recycling drive.
Ex: We will find the campsite, put up the tent and
launch the boat before you arrive.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Punctuation: Commas: Rule 1
Practice:

My favorite foods are pizza barbeque and chicken
wings.

Today I am making out my list going to the store
finding the best bargains and returning home as
quickly as possible.

My daughter is afraid of the dark spiders and the
doctor.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Punctuation: Commas: Rule 2
Separate Two Sentences: When you have
two sentences joined together by a
conjunction, you must use a comma before
the conjunction.
Ex: We were tired after the swim, but we cooked a
great meal for our guests.
Ex: He is my best friend, and I am going to keep in
touch with him.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Punctuation: Commas: Rule 2
Practice

The cats are very loving but they need constant
attention.

The lions are wild therefore we will need to hire an
expert to care for them.

John and I are coming to the party but we will have
to leave in one hour.

She is a sweet and her family adores her.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Punctuation: Commas: Rule 3
Separate Months, Days, Years, Cities, States and
Countries: Commas are used when writing a date to
keep the days, months and numbers from running
together. They are used to separate cities, states and
countries, also.
Ex: January 25, 1968
Ex: Murfreesboro, TN
Monday, May 8
Lenoir City, TN, USA
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Punctuation: Commas: Rule 3
Practice

Please change my address to 122 West Ave.
Memphis TN 37788.

The wedding is on March 15 2012 at 609 Cherry
Street in Cookeville TN 37799.

His address has changed to 4545 Mill Creek Rd. in
Knoxville TN 37778.

We are leaving Monday May 3 2011.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Punctuation: Commas: Rule 4
Dependent Clause at the Beginning of
a Sentence
Ex: Because you are my friend, I will trust you.
HOWEVER: A dependent clause at the END of
a sentence does NOT require a comma.
Ex: I will trust you because you are my friend.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Punctuation: Commas: Rule 4
Practice

Since you are already here you can stay for lunch.

When you passed my car I could tell that your tire
was low.

Because I like children I have decided to become
an elementary school teacher.

Knowing my husband he will home late from work
tonight.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Punctuation: Commas: Rule 5
Set Off a Noun or Phrase Describing a Noun
The word or words you are “setting off “with
commas could be left out of the sentence
without changing the meaning or clarity of the
sentence.
Ex: Susan, my best friend, is thirty years old.
That dog, a black lab, is very friendly.
My favorite game, UNO, is great fun.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.
Punctuation: Commas: Rule 5
Practice

I go to school at The University of Tennessee one
of the best schools in the state.

John and Mary, my friends from high school, are
working at Allied Tire.

Grammar my favorite subject is fun for me.
This curriculum was written with funding from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and may
not be reproduced in any way without written permission.