Basic Comma Rules
What is the rule for using commas in a series of three or more items?
Example: I need to buy milk, eggs, and bread.
Use commas to separate items in a list.
How do you punctuate this sentence? "I bought apples oranges bananas and grapes."
I bought apples, oranges, bananas, and grapes.
What is a compound sentence?
A sentence that contains two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction.
What punctuation should follow an introductory clause?
A comma.
Which of the following sentences is correct?
1. I want pizza and salad.
2. I want pizza, and salad.
1. I want pizza and salad.
When do you use a comma before the conjunctions "and," "but," or "or"?
Example: "I wanted to go for a walk, but it started to rain."
Use a comma before these conjunctions when they connect two independent clauses.
In a list of three or more items, where do you place commas?
Between each item, and before the conjunction.
Fill in the blank: "I wanted to go for a walk, _____ it was raining outside."
but.
Provide an example of a sentence with an introductory phrase.
After dinner, we went for a walk.
Correct the following sentence: "She loves swimming, running and biking.
She loves swimming, running, and biking.
How do you use a comma after introductory phrases?
Example: "After lunch, we went for a walk."
Use a comma after introductory phrases or clauses.
Correct the following: "For breakfast I had eggs bacon toast and coffee."
For breakfast, I had eggs, bacon, toast, and coffee.
Which conjunctions require a comma before them when connecting independent clauses?
For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So (FANBOYS).
True or False: You should always place a comma after introductory adverbs.
True or False. You need a comma before "and" in the sentence: I want to go to the movies, and eat dinner.
False
What is the rule for using commas with non-essential information?
Example: "My brother, who lives in Canada, is visiting."
Use commas to set off non-essential (or extra) information that could be removed without changing the main point of the sentence.
When listing adjectives that describe the same noun, where should the commas go?
Between the adjectives (e.g., "It was a long, exhausting, and frustrating day.").
Correct the following sentence: "She loves to dance but she hates to sing."
She loves to dance, but she hates to sing.
Find the error:
In the morning I like to run.
In the morning, I like to run.
Identify the error in the following sentence: "Because I was tired I decided to go to bed early."
Because I was tired, I decided to go to bed early.
In the sentence "While we were out enjoying the weather she stayed inside working," identify all comma errors and explain why they need correction.
There should be a comma after 'weather': 'While we were out enjoying the weather, she stayed inside working.' The comma is needed here to separate the introductory clause ('While we were out enjoying the weather') from the main clause. Introductory clauses should be followed by a comma to clarify the sentence's structure.
Correct the punctuation in the following sentence, and explain why each comma is necessary: "For the party we need plates plastic cutlery napkins and cups that match the theme the colors should be blue white and silver and each table should have a centerpiece balloons and confetti."
The correct sentence is: "For the party, we need plates, plastic cutlery, napkins, and cups that match the theme; the colors should be blue, white, and silver; and each table should have a centerpiece, balloons, and confetti." The commas separate individual items in the lists, while the semicolons help clarify each group of ideas in a long sentence with multiple lists. Semicolons can separate clauses or complex lists where items already contain commas, making the sentence easier to understand.
Correct the punctuation in this compound sentence and explain why: "He was exhausted after a long day at work he decided to take a nap before dinner"
The correct punctuation is: "He was exhausted after a long day at work, so he decided to take a nap before dinner." A coordinating connection (FANBOYS) is needed to divide the two independent clauses, and a comma is needed before the coordinating conjunction 'so' to properly separate the two independent clauses.
In the sentence "Before the rain stops we should cover the firewood," add punctuation as needed and explain the purpose of the comma in this case.
The correct punctuation is: "Before the rain stops, we should cover the firewood." The comma after "Before the rain stops" separates the introductory element from the main clause. Commas after introductory phrases help clarify the sentence and improve readability.
Identify and correct all comma mistakes in this sentence: "She went to the store bought some milk eggs and cheese and then went home." Explain each correction.
The correct sentence is: "She went to the store, bought some milk, eggs, and cheese, and then went home." A comma is needed after "store" to separate the sequence of actions, and commas are required between the items in the list "milk, eggs, and cheese," These commas clarify the separation between actions and list items, improving readability.