In Commas^x, Intonations^x

I like your predicate/subject idea, Guest. But I'd agree with MrM: there doesn't seem to be a reliable rule. Even a scan through my own synapses has revealed inconsistencies: 1. 'I'm going round Mister Micawber's tonight.' 'Me too!' 2. 'She's a very pretty girl.' 'She's smart, too.' 3....

From "A Grammar of Contemporary English", by R. Quirk et al. Both question and exclamation mark exclude the use of other separation punctuation and have the value of a period inasmuch as what follows begins with the capitalisation of a new sentence. But when they co-ocur with the end of...

Django Cat writes: What assignment is that? -- Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.

Well, sort of. Maybe you're right, but I don't really think AmE functions without these or some very close analogies. One approach if you really do have to teach this wretched stuff is to draw the rise fall lines over the sentences on the board. And get the class to repeat the sentences...