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Activity
Robin L. Simmons

Grammar Bytes: Commas: Exercise 4

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
Practice comma usage by placing commas correctly in each sentence.
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Handout
Robin L. Simmons

Grammar Bytes: The Comma Splice

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Printable information is provided that demonstrates how to identify a comma splice in the context of a sentence.
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Handout
Robin L. Simmons

Grammar Bytes: The Interrupter

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Printable information is provided that demonstrates how to identify an interrupter in the context of a sentence.
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Handout
Robin L. Simmons

Grammar Bytes: The Nonessential Clause

For Students 9th - 10th
Printable information is provided that demonstrates how to identify a nonessential clause in the context of a sentence.
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Handout
Robin L. Simmons

Grammar Bytes: Parallel Structure

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Printable information is provided that demonstrates how to identify parallel structure in the context of a sentence.
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Handout
US Department of Education

Oeri Publications Guide: Dashes and Hyphens [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This article contains information regarding the em-dash, the en-dash, and hyphens. Many examples are included. Site is extremely detailed and thorough.
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Handout
Other

Frequently Asked Questions Concerning Punctuation

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This site provides the answers to six frequently asked questions regarding punctuation. For example, "Should I use a comma before AND in a series?" The question "Do commas and periods go inside our outside the closing quotation mark?" is...
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Handout
Other

When to Use and Not to Use Quotation Marks

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides information on the correct usage of quotation marks, along with examples for each rule discussed.
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Handout
Other

Dash, Parentheses, Bracket, Ellipsis, and Slash

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This site contains information on the correct use of the following types of punctuation: dash, parentheses, bracket, ellipsis, and slash. Examples are provided for each of the uses discussed.
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Handout
Bartleby

Bartleby.com: The King's English: Punctuation

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This is the Punctuation chapter from H.W. Fowler's The King?s English, 2nd ed. (1908), which provides the rules of use for British English punctuation in the early 20th century. Many of these rules still apply.
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Handout
Other

Illinois State U.: Punctuation Made Simple Semicolon

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
What purpose does a semicolon serve in punctuation? Explore this website to learn more about this small but powerful grammar tool.
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Handout
Other

Tidewater Community College Writing Center: Practical Punctuation Guide

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This site contains practical and useful information about the following: commas, semicolons, colons, dashes, parentheses and brackets, ellipsis points, quotation marks, and apostrophes. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.2
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Unit Plan
Other

Sjrc Writing Center: Parallel Structure Lesson

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
This site explains the topic of parallel structure. Numerous examples of sentences with parallel structure are provided.
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Unknown Type
Robin L. Simmons

Grammar Bytes: Commas: Exercise 1

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a 20-question quiz for comma usage; it includes an interactive quiz or a PDF downloadable/printable quiz. Students select the best answer to correct the problem in each sentence from the two options given.
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Handout
Other

Comma Rules

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
Ten detailed comma rules are found on this page.
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Handout
The Write Place

Literacy Education Online: Avoiding Comma Splices and Run Ons

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
An informational page outlining the definitions and uses of comma splices, run-on sentences, and fused sentences. A great resource for students struggling with these in their writing.
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Unit Plan
Capital Community College Foundation

Guide to Grammar and Writing: Sentence Combining Skills

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
Students sometimes have difficulty learning to combine sentences correctly and effectively. This site discusses several methods and provides practice opportunities and quizzes.
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Handout
English Plus+

English Plus: Comma Content Rules

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Site lists links to a large group of rules for comma usage. Each description is thorough and provides a multitude of examples.
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Handout
Other

Saint Michael's College: Semicolon and Colon

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This site discusses the three major uses of the semicolon and provides examples for each of the uses. Also discusses the use of the colon.
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Unit Plan
E Reading Worksheets

E Reading Worksheets: Comma Worksheets

For Students 9th - 10th
In this learning module, students will learn more about commas. A PowerPoint lesson and reinforcement worksheets are provided. This module is designed to support all students via hands-on approaches.
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Unit Plan
E Reading Worksheets

E Reading Worksheets: Semicolon Worksheets

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this learning module, students will learn more about semicolons. Reinforcement worksheets are provided to help students determine when to use a semicolon. This module is designed to support Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III students.
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Handout
Grammarly

Grammarly Blog: Comma

For Students 1st - 9th Standards
This page focuses on comma use; it explains the importance of the comma and provides an example of how drastically a comma can change the meaning of a sentence. It also provides links to 38 different pages of comma rules and examples.
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Handout
Grammarly

Grammarly Blog: What Is a Comma?

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This page explains that a comma is a "soft stop" in writing and provides examples of its use.
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Handout
Grammarly

Grammarly Blog: Comma Within a Comparison

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This page focuses on the misuse of a comma by separating the two items being compared. No comma is needed before the conjunction in a comparison unless it includes a non-restrictive clause. Examples of both are provided.