Name ______Composition

COMMA RULES #2 5. Use commas to set off words of direct address. Stephen, we are going to the store. While you were on the phone, Rachel, this package arrived for you. 6. Use a comma to set off an interjection at the beginning of a sentence. Yes, we have granola bars. Well, they were here yesterday.

7. Use commas to set off parenthetical expressions. Your grades, of course, were outstanding this semester. I was going to do my homework, however, the printer was out of toner.

8. Use commas to set off non-essential information. Marta Kavington, the one with the blue hat, is president of the Little League Association. Henry, grinning mischieviously, put the lizard on Trevor’s head.

PRACTICE. Add commas where they are needed. Some sentences do not require commas. 1. Valerie according to Dr. Burroughs, the kangaroo and the koala are two of the most widely- recognized Australian animals. 2. Of course students you should keep in mind that the koala is not a bear. 3. Well Mr. Perkins isn’t the koala called the “pouched bear”? 4. Yes Ken but that’s just a nickname. The koala is not a member of the bear family at all; it is a marsupial. 5. Oh that means that the koala has a pouch like a kangaroo. 6. After leaving its mother’s pouch a baby kangaroo hops around freely. 7. A baby koala however clings to its mother’s back for six months after leaving the pouch. 8. In 359 B.C., Philip II king of Macedonia determined to become the ruler of all Greek lands. 9. Demosthenes known for his great speeches warned the Athenians and the Thebans that Philip of Macedon intended to conquer their cities. 10. Demosthenes having convinced them of Philip’s intentions persuaded them to unite their forces against him. 11. Although the victory came only after a long and murderous struggle Philip succeeded in defeating the Athenians and the Thebans at the battle of Chaeroneia. 12. An important factor in Philip’s victory was the well-trained Macedonian phalanx which used lances of greater length than those of the Theban phalanx. 13. A phalanx of course is a close-knit formation of infantry carrying shields and long lances. 14. After the battle of Chaeroneia Philip was harsh to the Thebans even requiring them to pay for the privilege of burying their dead but generous toward the Athenians because he respected and admired their culture.