Download Use a comma to separate items in a series

Name ___________________________________________________________ Date ______________________ Period _________________
7th GRADE ENGLISH GRAMMAR GUIDE
CAPITALIZE…
1. first, last, and all important words of a title: The Case of the Missing Glove
2. French, English, and other languages (but not school subjects) and proper nouns/adjectives including brand names: (Nike shoes)
3. the first word of a direct quotation: He said, “Take me with you.”
4. Mom, Dad, Grandma, and other family titles only when used as a name. (Never capitalized when following a possessive pronoun like my,
your, or our): I asked Grandma where my dad was.
USE A COMMA …
5. to separate items in a series: I like grapes, oranges, and apples.
6. * to separate two or more adjectives before a noun IF they equally modify the noun (you can switch their order, and the sentence will still
make sense): There are plenty of nutritious, edible plants. or There are plenty of edible, nutritious plants.
7. * only before a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, for, nor, so, yet) when it joins two independent clauses (sentences): We left early
for the game, but we still arrived late. We were late but still saw the best play. (Only one independent clause = no comma.)
8. * to set off non-essential appositives: Writing, an important skill, is taught at school.
9. to set off names used in direct address as well as sentence interrupters: Go over there, Sue, and be quiet. However, pay attention.
10. after introductory elements:
a. * introductory dependent clauses (which usually start with a subordinating conjunction like after, although, because, before, if, since,
though, unless, until, when, while): When you finish, turn in your work. (Don’t use the comma when the dependent clause comes
at the end of the sentence: Turn in your work after you finish.)
b. * introductory prepositional phrases 4 or more words long (At the first stop sign, turn right.) OR when it’s needed after three
words for the sake of clarity (After the movie, stars lit up the sky.)
11. * before the quotation marks in a direct quotation: Sue said, “I love you.”
“Eat your breakfast,” Don replied.
12. after a salutation (greeting) in a friendly letter & after the closing of all letters:
Dear Molly,
Sincerely yours,
USE QUOTATION MARKS…
13. * to quote someone else’s words: In the book Cherry says, “Things are rough all over.”
14. * around spoken words: Mike said, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
15. indent every time a new speaker speaks
PUNCTUATE TITLES…
16. * underline or italicize (if typing) titles of longer works (books, plays, films, magazines, newspapers) as well as names of ships, planes,
and spacecraft: I read ESPN Magazine. When did the Titanic sink?
17. * put quotations marks around titles of shorter works (short stories, poems, song titles, chapters, articles): My favorite poem is “Nothing
Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost.
USE A COLON…
18. to introduce a list, but never after a verb:
These are my favorite flavors: chocolate, raspberry, and vanilla.
My favorite flavors are chocolate, raspberry, and vanilla.
USE A SEMICOLON…
19. * to join relatively short, related independent clauses (sentences): We went to the mall; it was crowded.
USE AN APOSTROPHE…
20. in a contraction to show where letters have been left out: won’t=will not (Note: Contractions are NOT appropriate in formal writing.)
21. to show the possessive form of a noun:
Joe’s bike, the girls’ books, the children’s room
AVOID SENTENCE FRAGMENTS…
22. * Fragments are words punctuated as sentences, but they’re missing a subject, predicate, and/or a complete thought.
Frag.: Because you were late.
Sentence: Because you were late, you missed the opening.
AVOID RUN-ONS…
23. * To fix, use a comma before a coordinating conjunction to join the two independent clauses, split the sentences up into two separate
sentences, or use a semicolon between the two sentences if they are relatively short and on the same topic.
RO: We went to the mall it was crowded.
Correct: We went to the mall; it was crowded.
24. * Independent clauses (sentences) joined by commas are run-ons called comma splices. Fix using a method from #23.
RO: We went to the mall, it was fun.
Correct: We went to the mall. It was fun.
AGREEMENT (AG)
25. * Subjects and verbs must agree in number: Beware of indefinite pronouns!
(Incorrect) Anita are my best friend. (Correct) Anita is my best friend.
26. * Pronouns and antecedents should agree in number Be careful when using indefinite pronouns (see #10 on back)
Ex.: Justin brought his skateboard (singular). Ex.: The girls brought their lunches (plural).
(Incorrect) Someone lost their book.
(Correct) Someone lost his or her book.
VERB TENSE
27. * Don’t switch verb tenses in a piece of writing unnecessarily.
(Items with an asterisk * will be emphasized in 7th grade English.)
GRAMMAR DEFINITIONS
1. * Antecedent – noun or pronoun that a pronoun replaces
2. * Appositive – a noun or pronoun used to identify or explain another noun or pronoun
in a sentence
3. * Clause – a group of words with a subject and a verb
4. Comma Splice – a run-on in which two sentences are joined with a comma
5. * Coordinating Conjunctions – connects words or groups of words used in the same
way
6. * Dependent – something that cannot stand on its own
7. * Dependent Clause – a clause that begins with a subordinating conjunction
8. Direct Quotation – a speaker’s exact words
9. * Fragment – an incomplete sentence which is missing a subject, verb, and/or
complete thought
10.* Indefinite Pronoun – a pronoun that does not specifically name its antecedent.
11.Independent – something that can stand on its own
12.* Independent Clause – see “Sentence”
13.Phrase – a group of words which does not contain both a subject and a verb
14.Possessive – a word that shows ownership
15.* Prepositional Phrase – a group of words that begins with a preposition and ends
with a noun or pronoun (called the object)
16.* Preposition – word or group of words that show the relationship of words or ideas
in a sentence
17.* Run-on –two or more sentences punctuated as one
18.Sentence – a group of words which begins with a capital letter, contains end
punctuation, and has the following: a subject, a predicate, and a complete thought
19.* Subordinating Conjunction – a conjunction which joins two clauses that are not
equally important (joins a dependent to an independent clause).
(Items with an asterisk * will be emphasized in 7th grade English.)