Comma & Semicolon Learning Songs

Making Coordination & Subordination Fun!

My eleventh-grade English classes successfully conquered their comma problems after singing these songs every day for several days.

The FANBOYS Song

    (Sung to the tune of “Ten Little Indians”)

For, and, nor, but, or yet, so; For, and, nor, but, or, yet, so;

Putting a comma before the FANBOYS is the way to go

When connecting two complete sentences.

Semicolon Rap

Therefore, however, consequently, nevertheless, accordingly, thus, then:

Join sentences with a semicolon, transition word, and comma at the end.

Subordinate Clause

Comma Song

(Sung to the tune of “Hokey Pokey”)

Put a word that makes a sentence not make sense in;

Then take the period out;

Put a comma in, and you shake things all about.

You connect it to another sentence by putting that comma in.

That’s what it’s all about.

Now flip the sentence!

Now add the  incomplete sentence to the sentence that makes sense.

Then put the since, when, as soon as, once after, because if in,

And take the comma out when you turn the sentence inside out.

That’s what it’s all about.

Wait a minute!

Put an although, though, and even though in,

And put a comma in before the “though family” too.

It  sounds weird, but putting a comma before these words

That’s the exception to the no comma in the middle rule.

That’s what it’s all about.