FANBOYS
A or B?
A) I was tired, but I finished.
B) I was tired but, I finished.
A) I was tired, but I finished.
Add the comma:
Yes I finished the essay
Yes, I finished the essay
Fix:
Mr.Lopez my math teacher gave a pop quiz.
Mr.Lopez, my math teacher, gave a pop quiz.
How many commas?
We need eggs milk and bread.
2 commas
We need eggs, milk, and bread
Add the comma:
Thanks for the help Carlos
Thanks for the help, Carlos
Carlos is being spoken to, so his name gets a comma.
How Many Commas?
I studied all night and passed the test.
Zero
"passed the test" isn't a full sentece
I missed the bus because my alarm didn't go off
Correct, no comma needed
the "because" part comes at the end, openers only get a comma when they come first
Correct? Why or why not
“The phone that I bought yesterday is broken.”
Correct, no commas
Clauses starting with "that" never get commas
Correct? Why or why not
The festival is in October 2027
Correct, no comma
A month and a year alone dont take a comma. Only a full date
Correct? Why or why not
"I'm tired", she said
Incorrect, in American English, the comma goes inside the quotation marks
"I'm tired," she said.
Fix:
She wanted to join the team but she had to work so she couldn't
She wanted to join the team but, but she had to work, so she couldn't
Fix
To get a good seat you need to arrive before noon
To get a good seat, you need to arrive before noon
Correct? Why or why not
Students, who cheat, only hurt themselves.
Incorrect. Remove both commas
With commas, the sentence says all students cheat. Without them, it means only the students who cheat. The "who cheat" part is essential, so it gets no commas.
Fix:
Our flight leaves Orlando Florida on friday March 5 at noon.
Our flight leaves Orlando, Florida, on Friday, March 5, at noon.
closing commas must be included in full dates.
Correct? Why or why not
My mom told me that "practice makes perfect."
Correct, when a quote is blended into a sentence with that, it dosen't take a comma.
Which one needs a comma, and why?
A) I ran to class and sat down
B) I ran to class and I sat down
"I sat down" is a full sentence
Fix:
When the professor walked in everyone stopped talking but Jake kept texting.
When the professor walked in, everyone stopped talking, but Jake kept texting.
Fix:
Dr.Patel who teaches biology canceled class which made everyone happy
Dr.Patel, who teaches biology, canceled class, which made everyone happy.
"who teaches biology" and "which made everyone happy" is non-essential info so they have commas.
Fix
We moved to Austin Texas in May 2024 and bought a couch a table and two lamps
We moved to Austin, Texas, in May 2024 and bought a couch, a table, and two lamps.
No comma before May 2024 because its a month and year, and no comma before "ang bought" because it isn't a full sentence
Fix:
Honestly sam the movie was boring not scary.
Honestly, Sam, the movie was boring, not scary
An opener ( Honestly ), a name (Sam), and a contrast ( not scary )
Write one sentence that correctly uses two different FANBOYS words and correctly applies the rule.
Score will be given based by the teams decision
Write a sentence starting with "Although,"
Points will be given based on teams decision
Write one sentence where adding commas changes the meaning. Show both versions ( with and without commas )
Example:
My brother who lives in Tampa is visiting
My brother, who lives in tampa, is visiting.
Fix:
On June 14 2025 we flew from Miami Florida to Denver Colorado and we hiked for three days.
On June 14, 2025, we flew from Miami, Florida, to Denver, Colorado, and we hiked for three days.
Fix:
"Coach" Maria asked "can we practice early not late tommorow?"
"Coach," Maria asked, "can we practice early, not late, tomorrow?"