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ELA 5: Commas and Semicolons 178 Views
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Description:
If you're like we were, you're only semi-sure how to use semi-colons. It happens. But never fear. We semi-read a bunch of grammar books and we can totally tell you how to use them now.
Transcript
- 00:04
[Coop and Dino singing]
- 00:13
Have you ever been strolling down an aisle at Home Depot, and found yourself wondering [A selection of screwdrivers]
- 00:17
what possible reason there could be for the 300 different kinds of screwdriver?
- 00:22
Just us? Fine. But it can feel that way when it comes to your writers’ toolbox.
- 00:28
Periods? Commas? Colons? Semicolons? What do we need all these things for? [colon, comma, periods and semi colon appear from writing tool box]
Full Transcript
- 00:34
Well, just like those 300 screwdrivers has their purpose, so do the different
- 00:38
punctuation marks…and it’s very important you don’t mix them up. [Flathead screwdriver appears by a philips screw]
- 00:42
So today’s lesson is about how to use commas and semicolons. Try not to, uh…screw it up. [Drill screws semi colon]
- 00:48
One common place to find commas and semicolons is in lists.
- 00:52
In order to use them in a series, there need to be three or more words or phrases in the sentence.
- 00:56
Then, before the last word or phrase, we use a conjunction to end the list. [Coop discussing commas and semicolons]
- 01:00
Common conjunctions include "for," "and," "nor," "or," "yet," "so,” and “but.”
- 01:08
Yes, we said “but.” Giggle it up.
- 01:10
When it comes to lists, commas are our default. [Girl typing on a computer]
- 01:13
Take this sentence: "Emma doesn't like white chocolate spinach or coconut."
- 01:17
We've got three items in our list – white chocolate, spinach, and coconut –
- 01:20
so we're ready for some commas.
- 01:22
All we've gotta do is slip in a comma after each item, except the very last one, which [comma inserted after each item]
- 01:27
gets a period, and we're done.
- 01:29
We definitely want to separate these three items because together they would taste terrible. [Girl in the kitchen with white chocolate, spinach, and a coconut]
- 01:33
Let’s just say that’s the last time we ever let our pet chimp Bobo fix us a smoothie.
- 01:38
Semicolons can also be useful for lists, but they tend to crop up when we've got commas
- 01:42
swinging all over the place. Say we're taking a trip from Los Angeles, California, to Phoenix,
- 01:47
Arizona, to Santa Fe, New Mexico.
- 01:49
We could try to say: "Next month I'm going to Los Angeles, California, Phoenix, Arizona,
- 01:53
and Santa Fe, New Mexico." But with all those commas, things are getting, um…a little bit crazy up in there.
- 01:59
To help clarify the situation, we separate each item with a semicolon instead of a comma. [Locations split with semi colons]
- 02:04
Commas and semicolons can also be useful in direct address…which works in a few different ways.
- 02:09
Consider this sentence: "Let's eat Cousin Jimmy." This would be fine if you're suggesting
- 02:14
cannibalism – okay, well, grammatically fine, maybe not morally fine - but that's
- 02:19
probably…hopefully… not what you meant. [Boy laughing]
- 02:21
On the other hand, if we put a comma after eat, now we're doing some direct address.
- 02:26
addressing "Let's eat" to Jimmy. Basically, we're saying: "Jimmy, it's time to eat."
- 02:30
Which is much better news for Jimmy. [Jimmy sat at a table with a plate of food]
- 02:32
We do something similar when we're answering a question that's directly addressed to us.
- 02:36
Writing "Yes I was at the pool" isn't quite enough. [Girl in a swimming pool]
- 02:39
The "yes" needs to be followed by a comma, like so:
- 02:43
The exact same thing happens with exclamations like "well," or "why," or "yikes" or "hey":
- 02:48
just follow that exclamation with a comma. Like: "Yikes, there’s a bear in my shoe!” [Bear appears from inside a shoe]
- 02:53
Don’t ask us how it got there. We’re not in the “deciphering impossible situations” business.
- 02:57
If the direct address is a complete thought, we can use a semicolon instead of a comma.
- 03:02
Our sentence about the pool is a great candidate for this treatment.
- 03:05
"Yes" is a complete thought, so we can feel free to use a semicolon instead of a comma.
- 03:10
What about our sentence with an exclamation? "Yikes” is a vivid, self-contained reaction… [Bear appears from a shoe]
- 03:14
…so a semicolon fits just fine. Once we know the ins and outs of commas and
- 03:18
semicolons, we'll always have the right tool for the job. [Man walking and carrying a writing tool box]
- 03:21
You might even find yourself saying: "Yikes; what a well-placed semicolon!"
- 03:25
You probably won’t. But you might. [Semi colon falls off the wall]
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