Knights of Commalot

I recently encountered two of my former students who reminded me of the impact our lives have on others. These now-adult students hugged me and thanked me for making college easier because I had been a tougher teacher than most. They also mentioned that they continued to be obsessed with the proper placement of commas. Little did I realize the difference my teaching had made in their lives.

When I taught Honors English to my high school sophomores, I always tried to connect literature, vocabulary, grammar, and writing. For example, I taught “The King Arthur Legend” in conjunction with an in-depth study of commas. Hoping to spur their interest, I challenged all my students to become comma conquerors and ultimately achieve the status of a “Knight of Commalot.”

I know it was cheesy, but the kids accepted the challenge and raced to see whose silhouette would appear next on the wall in the realm of knighthood.

As a segue from commas to life, I loved the moral themes of those King Arthur stories. According to Alfred, Lord Tennyson, a knight could only join the round table of Camelot if he vowed “to live purely, to speak truly, to right wrongs, and to follow Christ and their king.”

Goodness! What would our world be like today if everyone tried to achieve those goals and follow the King with a capital K?!

Ephesians 6:11-13 tells us to “put on the whole armor of God, that [we] may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness in this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Seeing these former students and teaching my summer students music and English skills has caused me to reflect upon why God created us to be who we are. We all have a purpose in life. Matthew 5:16 instructs us to “let [our] light shine before others, so that they may see [our] good works and give glory to [our] Father who is in heaven.”

As the new school year begins, I’d love to see students and the rest of the world refocus their priorities, give their tech devices a break, pick up quality reading material, expand their minds, become lifelong learners, and study His Word.

For those of you interested in adding “Comma Conqueror” to your list of achievements, I am reposting a previous language lesson on mastering this oft-misused mark of punctuation. They can, in fact, save lives.

Let’s eat Grandma!

Below you will find printable PDF files for comma rules and comma worksheets for elementary, middle school, and high school students.

Since the comma is the most misused mark of punctuation, I think students should know why they are used. According to Warriner’s English Grammar and Composition, the last and most important rule, not to use unnecessary commas, requires knowledge of why they are necessary.

In the file labeled “Comma Rules,” you will find fifteen rules with examples. For the parent who hasn’t studied grammar in perhaps fifteen to twenty years, I have also included explanations of terms such as participial phrases, adverb clauses, etc.

Comma Rules

In addition to the rules, you will find a worksheet for three different grade levels.

In the My Weird School worksheet, your elementary child can identify comma uses while learning more about Dan Gutman and his awesome books. I have also provided an answer key if you need help. My nieces and nephew love A.J. and his weird school antics!

Elementary pdf Comma Exercises

Elementary pdf Comma Exercises answer key

In The Hobbit worksheet, your middle school child can learn about Tolkien and his world of Middle Earth. I hope you will share with your child an enthusiasm for Tolkien’s works as well as those of C. S. Lewis.

MiddleSchool pdf Comma Exercises

MiddleSchoolAnswerKey

Finally, the high school worksheet contains information about Shakespeare and his three famous plays Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, and Macbeth. Sadly, these traditional works are no longer being taught in public schools as they once were. I encourage you to engage in conversation with your child about his or her knowledge of this great playwright.

High School Comma Exercises

High School Comma Exercises AnsKey

I think my students enjoyed their quests to be “Comma Conquerors” and “Knights of Commalot” when we were studying literature with a good vs. evil theme. However, they  tackled these comma rules after several months of studying the underlying principles of grammar.

With that in mind, don’t be too concerned as a parent if your child doesn’t fully understand “two independent clauses with a conjunction” or a “nonessential adjective clause.” Take time not only to analyze the comma usage but also to learn about these authors and their literary works. Look up unfamiliar words, find places on Google Earth, or try to write a sonnet together. Just make a connection, and be kind with one another.

If you have any questions, feel free to follow this blog by entering your email address. You will then see a comments section where you can address your concerns. I will do my best to respond.

In T. H. White’s story The Once and Future King, a wise old Arthur shares his ideal of Camelot with a young boy named Tom.

“Thomas, my idea of those knights was a sort of candle, like these ones here. I have carried it for many years with a hand to shield it from the wind. It has flickered often. I am giving you the candle now–you won’t let it out?”

Arthur goes on to call Tom “the light bringer.” We, as well, have an opportunity to bring light into this dark world. May we all make that effort whenever and wherever we can.

“To have much faith requires practice.”–J. R. Rim

“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”–Jane Goodall

“We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in our hands to make a difference.”–Nelson Mandela

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”–Pablo Picasso

Ephesians 6:11-18; Psalm 28:7-8; Isaiah 12:2; 1 Corinthians 16:13