Commas and Nonessential Elements

Commas and Nonessential Elements

Participles, Infinitives, and Phrases

• Participle: A verb that takes on the properties of either an adjective or noun

• EX/ The burning pancakes. & The burnt pancakes.

• Infinitive: "to" + verb stem

• EX/ Sam bought some flowers to give to their wife.

• Phrase: A LOT of things

Multiple Choice

Which of the following sentences includes both a participle and an infinitive?

• Mom told me I had to clean the stove using boiling water.

• I often have to work very late into the night.

• There are roaming fields that have fairies hidden in them.

Use commas to set off participles, infinitives, and their phrases if they are not essential to the meaning of the sentence

• He read, engrossed, until the doorbell broke his connection.

• I am not very thirsty, to tell the truth.

Multiple Choice

When the participle, infinitive, or phrase is ESSENTIAL we...

• Set it off with commas

• Omit the commas

If participles, infinitives, and their phrases are essential to the meaning of a sentence, DO NOT set them off with a comma.

• The girl watching us is my sister.

• To study my notes would not help you much.

Adjective Clauses

A dependent clause that functions as an adjective.

EX/ The tiger that was angry snarled at me.

A nonessential clause provides additional information about a noun. Considered an extra clause, it does not change the meaning of a sentence but adds to it. It is therefore set off with commas.

• EX/ Jackson Pollock, who was an American painter, was born in 1912.

Do not use commas with an essential adjective clause. An essential clause gives necessary information about a noun.

• EX/ One of the few American writers whom she read was Langston Hughes.

• EX/ I don't like people who drink soda out of a straw.

Appositives

A noun or noun phrase that further describes/adds

information about the connected noun

Use commas to set off an appositive if is not essential to the meaning of a sentence.

• EX/ Lucha Corpi, teacher and author, has published many poems.

• EX/ A historic city, New Orleans was originally settled by the French.

An essential appositive is not set off with commas because it gives necessary information about the noun.

• EX/ Both the Iliad and the Odyssey are traditionally attributed to the poet Homer.

• EX/ Author William Shakespeare wrote over thirty plays during the course of his career.

Multiple Select

Select ALL of the sentences that correctly use or do not use commas with appositives

• My friends Maria and Juan help me with everything I do.

• Alex, the headteacher of the school, is very strict

• My favorite play Macbeth got made into a movie!

• Thor, the god of thunder, is an Avenger.