Lesson Four

LESSON #1

1.  We stopped for ice cream, and we all had sticky hands.

Rule #1  -  Compound Sentences With Coordinating Conjunctions (use commas)



2.  Clearly, we all needed to wash our hands.

Rule #2  -  Introductory Adverbial Clauses (use commas)



3.  The hairy, black dog ran after the ball.

Rule #3a - Coordinate Adjectives (use commas)



4. The slathering black dog ran after the boy.

Rule #3b - Non-Coordinate Adjectives (don’t use commas)



5.  My mom, who has a MS degree in psychology, turned eighty-two last week.

Rule #4a - Non-Essential Elements (use commas)



6.  My fox terrier Aggie is a terrible thief.

Rule #4b - Essential Elements (don't use commas)



7. The fashion show was so important that we didn’t want to be late.

Rule #4c - Essential "That" Clauses (don't use commas)



LESSON #2

8.  We had our hair, fingernails, and toenails done at the salon.

Rule #5  -  Elements in a Series (use commas)



9.  Tall and thin, the first model walked the runway.

Rule #6  -  Introductory Phrases (use commas)



10.  Nevertheless, the dress was beautiful.

Rule #7  -  Introductory Transitional Words (use commas)



11.  Wow, I want that dress.

Rule #8  -  Interjections (use commas)



LESSON #3

12.  The fashion show was over when the last model had walked the runway.

Rule #9  -  (Ending) Adverbial Clauses (don’t use commas)



13.  Amazingly, the designer was already working on his next collection.

Rule #10a - Disjunctive Adverbial Words (use commas)



14.  He was a master of smoothly blending different colors and textures.

Rule #10b - Adjunctive Adverbial Words (don’t use commas)



15.  The fashion show over, his fans gathered around to congratulate him.

Rule #11 -  Absolute Phrases (use commas)



Lesson #4

16.  He looked genuinely tired.

Rule #12 -  Adverbs In Short Sentences (don’t use commas)



17.  We stood up and left the show.

Rule #13 -  Shared Subjects (don’t use commas)



18.  Aggie and Robbie ran after the ball.

Rule #14 -  Separation of Subjects and Verbs (don’t use commas)



19.Comma Splice: The designer got a standing ovation, he had a successful showing.

    Comma Splice Correction:  The designer got a standing ovation.  He had a successful show.

Rule #15 -  Comma Splices (don’t use commas)