Transcript Grammar Bootcamp - Mountain Brook Schools

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Grammar Bootcamp
Commas
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Rule Number 1
Use
commas to set off a direct address
 Soldier, drop
and give me 20!
 No crying for your mama, Marine!
Practice #1
Place
 We
the comma in the correct place.
love Bootcamp Drill Sergeant Wilder!
 Recruits no grammar pain, no grammar gain.
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Rule Number 2
 Use
commas to separate items in a list or
series
 You
recruits must focus on training, practicing,
and applying these rules.
 Bring your pencils, paper, and binders.
Practice #2
Place
a comma in the correct place.
 Recruits be prepared to write edit and
revise.
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Rule Number 3
 Used
to set off a non-essential appositive.
 What
is an appositive?
 RENAMES
a noun or pronoun (therefore it is
another noun)
 Drill Sergeant Wilder, a former college athlete,
believes in the importance of discipline.
 A taskmaster, D.S. Wilder makes the recruits
practice, practice, practice!
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Practice #3
Place
the commas in the correct place.
 The
recruit a young writer loves comma
rules.
 The
officer praised the young soldier a
corn-fed boy from Iowa.
A
23-year veteran Bill always got
emotional when he heard “The Star
Spangled Banner.”
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Rule Number 4
 Use
commas to set off introductory
phrases and clauses
 Verbal
phrases, prepositional phrases,
dependent clauses
 After the 10-mile run, the soldiers
needed water. (prep)
 While the drill sergeant yelled, the
recruits held back tears. (dep. clause)
 Stunned
into silence, the recruits stared.
(verbal phrase)
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Practice #4
Place
the comma in the correct place.
Because grammar is so fun we want
to do it every day.
Running in place the recruits
warmed up.
In the morning your nightmare will
begin.
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Rule Number 5
Use
commas with a divided quotation
The
quotation is divided by
referencing the speaker
Period at the end,
after the reference,
when what is before is
a complete sentence.
 “Eat
your spinach,” shouted the major.
“You need those vitamins!”“Shouted the major” interrupts the
quotation; what is before the
reference is a complete thought.
 “Run
up that hill,” yelled the captain,
“and then back down again.”
Use a comma on both sides
of the reference when it
occurs in the middle of the
sentence.
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And with a direct quotation
“Bootcamp,” writes
Major Brock
Webster in his memoir, “was hard, but
it was worth it.”
General
Colin Powell once wrote,
“There are no secrets to success. It is
the result of preparation, hard work,
and learning from failure.”
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Practice #5
Place
The
a comma in the correct place.
recruit said “Mrs. Wilder has
taken this whole Bootcamp thing way
too seriously.”
“Many recruits” said Mrs. Wilder
“would rather run in the heat of an
Alabama summer than talk about
grammar.”
“Get over it” said Mrs. Wilder.
“Grammar is here to stay!”
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Let’s Take a Break—
Name that Comma Rule!
Electric
Company- Comma Rule #??
 That’ right!
Electric
 That’s
Comma Rule # 2
Company-- Comma Rule #??
right! Comma Rule # 5
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Rule Number 6
Use
a comma with a coordinating
conjunction (FANBOYS, anyone?) to
join to sentences together
 You
recruits must focus on training, and
you must get plenty of rest.
 Learning grammar can be difficult, but I
know you can do it!
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BUT….
 DO
NOT use with a compound verb
 The
recruits ate dinner, and went to bed.
 Notice
that the recruits are completing both of
these actions. The second part of the sentence
is not a complete thought; the verbs share a
subject.
 It is one sentence with two verbs.
 CORRECT! The
went to bed.
recruits ate dinner and
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Practice #6
It
is grammar time and we need to get
started.
The
soldier wrote to his parents and
called home when he could.
We
are running late so you need to
hurry.