THE INTERRUPTER RULE

Commas Simplified

The INTERRUPTER

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The easiest way to remember the Interrupter Rule is to think about a sentence being “interrupted” by another group of words.

What do people who interrupt a conversation do?They interrupt the train of thought or the

thread of the conversation.Often, what they say is completely irrelevant.A person who interrupts jumps in the

conversation and then jumps out.

The INTERRUPTER RULE

…but not as fun.

It’s kind of like Double Dutch

I was going to the store for that special on Charmin bath tissue, the one on sale that’s so soft, when I realized I had forgotten my coupon.

Josephine, who celebrated her eighty-third birthday last week, enjoys Zumba classes.

When I was a girl, and I can tell you things were better then, young people respected their elders.

Watch for the interruptions…

I thought I told you never to interrupt me!Even though it’s irritating when people interrupt us, an INTERRUPTER in a sentence can• Add variety• Add interesting details

Test # 1

If you remove the interruption, the sentence should still make sense and be complete.

Mario, a retired postal worker, enjoys licking stamps.

Mario enjoys licking stamps.

If you have a phrase/clause that is an Interrupter, your voice tends to naturally pause BEFORE and AFTER the interruption.

Test # 2

There are 2 tests to determine if your sentence has an INTERRUPTER

Can you guess the answer?The hills and valleys

around Dublin, dappled in green sunlight on this summer day, spread before the travelers.

Pickled herring, a favorite dish among many New Yorkers, is very salty.

I was driving to work, late and stressed as usual, when I saw Ronald McDonald standing by the highway hitchiking.

Sammi, a shy boy of two, cried himself to sleep.

So if you have an INTERRUPTER, how do you punctuate?

It’s just like pausing as the INTERRUPTER approaches…

And then breathing a sigh of relief when the INTERRUPTER leaves!

A comma “ushers in” the INTERRUPTER and ushers her back out!

…ADD 2 commas for every 1 Interruption

Jack Smith the librarian at WSSU is fluent in Latin.

Every day except on rainy days and Mondays I exercise.

Sometimes the best thing to do after school is your homework.

Pilot Mountain once used by Native Americans as a landmark to gauge their direction remains a popular park.

This restaurant on the other hand is known for fried octopus.

Today which happens to be my birthday is a Tuesday.

Try it… Find the INTERRUPTER

Pardon the INTERRUPTION…

True or False: Is this an example of an INTERRUPTER?

1.      Magic Johnson who is a famous basketball player is coming to our hometown next week.

2.      Harper Lee who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird impressed me with her work.

3.      Athletes who use drugs are no longer eligible to play. 4.      Employees who are slack on the job are going to be fired soon. 5.      A building which burned last week was over sixty years old. 6.      Carol the coach of the girls’ basketball team was very successful in her

career. 7.      Jim Davis the great cartoonist draws Garfield the cat America loves. 8.      My friend George just bought a new car. 9.      Chris the leader of the baseball team won’t play today. 10.    The student union a meeting place for all students stands at the center

of the campus. 11.    Students who receive F grades may return to the same class the next

quarter. 12.    Macon which is now growing rapidly has a very large mall.

Your INTERRUPTER Quiz