Commas with Items in a List
Play the quick video lesson HERE and click the upper left back arrow to return to this lesson.
Common Core Language Standard 2
One of the most controversial punctuation topics is the comma in a list. When listing three or more items, do we place commas before the coordinating conjunction that joins the last item in the list or not. Style manuals disagree and so do English-language arts teachers. In fact, newspapers and magazines drop that last comma, but it’s rare to find a published book that does not include that comma. The traditional rule is to keep the comma, so until everyone changes, that’s what we’ll learn.
Today’s mechanics lesson is on commas with items in a list. Remember that lists of items written in sentence form end with a coordinating conjunction before the last item. A coordinating conjunction connects words, phrases, or clauses with related meanings. The memory trick FANBOYS (For-And-Nor-But-Or-Yet-So) may help you remember the common coordinating conjunctions.
Now let’s read the mechanics lesson and study the examples.
Use commas after each item in lists except the last one. The item can be a word or a phrase. Example: My favorite classes are art, Spanish, and computers.
Now circle or highlight what is right and revise what is wrong according to mechanics lesson.
Practice: I would like to order the steak, potatoes, and string beans, but could I substitute fruit, bread or a roll for the salad?
Let’s check the Practice Answers.
Mechanics Practice Answers: I would like to order the steak, potatoes, and string beans, but could I substitute fruit, bread, or a roll for the salad?
Now let’s apply what we have learned.
Writing Application: Write your own sentence using three items in a list.
This writing opener is part of a comprehensive language conventions lesson from the Grammar, Mechanics, Spelling, and Vocabulary
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Questions teachers ask
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The grammar and usage assessment and the mechanics assessment are both in the free toolkit. Each comes with a recording matrix that shows which conventions a student has and has not mastered, so instruction can be targeted instead of whole-class.
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Mark Pennington, M.A. Reading Specialist
Thirty-six years teaching ELA and reading, elementary through community college, plus district reading specialist. He wrote every program on this site.
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