Activities

1. Given sentences with nonrestrictive elements, highlight the nonrestrictive elements.
   
   
2. Given sentences with nonrestrictive elements, sort nonrestrictive elements by commas, parentheses and dashes.

3. Revise sentence to include a nonrestrictive appositive.  Demonstrate correct comma usage for the addition of a nonrestrictive appositive.
   
   
4. Given sentences without dashes or parentheses, determine the correct use of dashes versus parentheses.

5. Given an informative/explanatory paragraph with correct and incorrect comma usage, draw an illustration with a cartoon speech bubble to demonstrate how comma usage affects meaning.
   
   
6. Given an informative/explanatory topic, write a paragraph to demonstrate correct use of commas, dashes and parentheses to set off nonrestrictive elements.

Answer Key/Rubric

1. Given sentences with nonrestrictive elements, student highlights the nonrestrictive elements.  Student understands a nonrestrictive element is additional information about a subject or an object that is not essential to the meaning of the sentence.   The student understands the subject is who or what the sentence is about, and the object is the noun or pronoun which receives the action.  Student understands removing the nonrestrictive information would not change the meaning of the sentence.  For example, given prepared sentences, the student identifies and highlights the nonrestrictive elements:

2. Given sentences with nonrestrictive elements, the student sorts nonrestrictive information offset   by commas, parentheses and dashes.  The student understands a nonrestrictive element is additional information about a subject or an object that is not essential to the meaning of the sentence.   The student understands the subject is who or what the sentence is about, and the object is the noun or pronoun which receives the action.  Student understands removing the nonrestrictive information would not change the meaning of the sentence. For example, given prepared sentences, student sorts by:

3. Student revises sentences to include a nonrestrictive appositive.  Student demonstrates correct comma usage for the addition of a nonrestrictive appositive.  The student understands a nonrestrictive element is additional information about a subject or an object that is not essential to the meaning of the sentence.   The student understands the subject is who or what the sentence is about, and the object is the noun or pronoun which receives the action.  Student understands removing the nonrestrictive information would not change the meaning of the sentence. Student understands an appositive is a noun or phrase which renames the preceding noun or phrase.  For example, Our teacher, Mr. Lewis, gives us daily math homework.   Mr. Lewis is the appositive set of by commas because Mr. Lewis replaces the subject of the sentence, our teacher.  Removing the nonrestrictive element, Mr. Lewis, would not change the meaning of the sentence.  Mr. Lewis is simply added information about the subject, “our teacher.” Given sentences without an appositive, the student adds an appositive and demonstrates correct comma usage for the addition of a nonrestrictive element.  For example,

4. Given informative/explanatory sentences without dashes or parentheses, student determines the correct use of dashes versus parentheses.  The student revises the sentence to correctly use dashes or parentheses.  The student understands a nonrestrictive element is additional information about a subject or an object that is not essential to the meaning of the sentence.   The student understands the subject is who or what the sentence is about, and the object is the noun or pronoun which receives the action.  Student understands removing the nonrestrictive information would not change the meaning of the sentence.  Student understands a dash is used to indicate an abrupt break in thought.  Student also understands parentheses are used to set off material related to the sentence which provides more specific examples or references.  For example,

5. Given an informative/explanatory paragraph with correct and incorrect comma usage, student draws a picture and cartoon speech bubble to demonstrate how comma usage affects meaning.  The student understands a nonrestrictive element is additional information about a subject or an object that is not essential to the meaning of the sentence.   The student understands the subject is who or what the sentence is about, and the object is the noun or pronoun which receives the action.  Student understands removing the nonrestrictive information would not change the meaning of the sentence. For example:

6. Given an informative/explanatory topic, student writes a paragraph to demonstrate correct use of commas, dashes and parentheses to set off nonrestrictive elements.  For example, given research information about penicillin, the student writes a paragraph such as: 

• Penicillin, which gained notoriety during WWII, was dubbed the wonder drug during the 1940s.    Clinical military studies – though kept secret – showed penicillin to be effective against dangerous infections. Pharmaceutical and chemical companies (Merck, Pfizer, Squibb) played vital roles in working out production challenges.   

     Student paragraph demonstrates understanding of how to correctly include nonrestrictive elements off set by
     commas, dashes, and parentheses.  Rules such as those described in the chart below are demonstrated: