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ELA 5: Introducing With Commas 122 Views


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Description:

Commas can be a great way to help introduce a sentence. Just make sure to watch the video first and see what we're talking about. Starting a sentence with just a comma would be pretty strange. And everyone who reads it will laugh at you...not that that's happened to us or anything.

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:04

[Coop and Dino singing]

00:13

Some child stars get mad because they’re grown up, making Very Serious movies… [Woman swinging on a wrecking ball]

00:18

but all anybody recognizes them for is the dumb sitcom they did when they were twelve. Ugh.

00:23

I hate it when that happens.

00:25

Well… commas have the same problem. [Commas photographed]

00:27

Everybody’s like, “Oh, my God! Comma! I love you in lists!”

00:30

But commas are so much more than just placeholders in lists.

00:34

They’re sick of being pigeon-holed and typecast.

00:37

Because… you know what else they’re great at? Making introductions. [Comma on a skateboard]

00:40

That’s right. A comma can help introduce a sentence.

00:43

It can set up what’s happening, where it's happening, how it's happening, or provide

00:47

any other interesting information so we can better understand what follows. [Dino explaining what commas set up]

00:51

See? This thing is soooo multi-talented.

00:53

Okay…let’s take a look at this sentence: "In the gym after school, David and Eric sat

00:58

on the floor in their practice jerseys."

01:00

Before we start reading, we have no idea what's happening, but the bit of the sentence before

01:04

the comma helps to set the scene. [First part of the sentence highlighted]

01:06

"In the gym after school" tells us not only where stuff is happening – in the gym – but

01:10

also when: after school.

01:12

Double duty. Yee-haw.

01:14

So before we even get around to David and Eric and whatever trouble it is they’re [David and Eric sitting on a basketball court after school]

01:18

getting into… the stage is already set.

01:21

Now let's imagine that same sentence, but without the introductory part:

01:25

"David and Eric sat on the floor in their practice jerseys."

01:28

Okay… It’s a well-formed sentence and all, but it makes the reader work a bit harder.

01:32

We know that David and Eric are sitting on a floor, but we have no idea where.

01:36

In a classroom? [David and Eric sitting on the floor in a classroom]

01:37

In a stadium?

01:38

In a juvenile detention hall, perhaps?

01:40

Without that little introductory bit, the reader has no idea.

01:43

Which is fine if it’s a mystery novel, but just plain confusing in pretty much any other situation. [Girl reading a book]

01:48

And, yes, you can ask a comma for its autograph if you see it at the mall.

01:52

Just don’t accidentally confuse it for a semi-colon. It will brush you off in a hurry. [Girl asks comma for an autograph and comma rides off on a skateboard]

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