Comma Drama
Question: What kind of punctuation do you need between adjectives that modify a noun equally, such as describing a crowd that is both "loud" and "restless"?
Answer: A comma, because they are coordinate adjectives (e.g., "a loud, restless crowd").
Question: When a sentence has a compound subject joined by "and," like "burgers and fries," should the following verb be singular or plural?
Answer: Plural (e.g., "Burgers and fries are on the menu").
Question: Which spelling do you use to indicate that a group of people owns something, such as "the musicians tuned _______ instruments"?
Answer: Their.
Question: Which word is generally used as a noun to describe a consequence, result, or outcome, such as "the positive _______ of regular exercise"?
Answer: Effect.
Question: What do we call the very first sentence of a body paragraph that establishes a clear claim to argue your point?
Answer: A topic sentence.
Question: When you insert a phrase to rename a specific noun right next to it—like stating "Mr. Henderson, my science teacher, loves labs"—what punctuation must surround that renaming phrase?
Answer: Commas on both sides (because it is an appositive phrase).
Question: According to strict, traditional grammatical rules, what singular pronoun phrase must be used to refer back to an indefinite pronoun like "Each" or "Everyone"?
Answer: "His or her" (e.g., "Each of the players brought his or her own water bottle").
Question: How do you correctly spell the possessive form of the word "it," like when referring to a smartphone's battery life?
Answer: Its (no apostrophe).
Question: Which word is a verb that means to be welcomed, received, or approved of by a group?
Answer: Accept (or accepted).
Question: Before dropping a direct quote into your writing, you must use a phrase that smoothly connects your own context to the evidence. What is this transition phrase called?
Answer: A quote lead-in (or embed / signal phrase).
Question: If you describe a raincoat with adjectives that build on each other and cannot be rearranged, like a "bright yellow raincoat," should you separate them with a comma?
Answer: No, because they are cumulative adjectives and do not take commas.
Question: If a sentence begins by talking about a singular noun, like "a driver," what pronoun must you use later in the sentence to avoid a confusing shift in number?
Answer: A singular pronoun like "he" or "she" (or "he or she").
Question: Which spelling indicates a physical location or the simple existence of something, such as saying "_______ are five cookies left"?
Answer: There.
Question: What is the plural noun used to describe multiple consequences or outcomes, such as "the long-term _______ of climate change"?
Answer: Effects.
Question: After you state a piece of evidence, what must you write next to explain the specific meaning of the text and connect it to your thesis?
Answer: Commentary (or analysis).
Question: When a sentence includes a clause that narrows down exactly which specific group you are talking about—like specifying students "who practice their instruments every day"—do you set that clause off with commas?
Answer: No, it is an essential (restrictive) clause, so it does not get commas.
Question: If a subject includes two distinct plural groups joined by "and," like "local libraries and nearby schools," does it require a singular or a plural verb?
Answer: A plural verb (e.g., "They work together").
Question: Which spelling is the proper contraction for the phrase "it is," used in sentences like "_______ going to rain today"?
Answer: It's.
Question: Which word is a verb that means to willingly take on a responsibility or acknowledge that a situation is true?
Answer: Accept.
Question: What is the exact MLA format for a standard in-text citation if you quote a line from page 45 of a book written by Harper Lee?
Answer: (Lee 45) (No comma, no "p.", period goes after the parenthesis).
Question: If you have an appositive phrase that lists a person's historic title right after their name, such as "Alexander, the legendary emperor of Persia in 330 BCE," how do you isolate that middle descriptive phrase?
Answer: You must cap it off with commas on both sides of the phrase.
Question: In the sentence, "Everyone in the advanced writing classes (want / wants) to score well," which verb is grammatically correct?
Answer: Wants (Because "Everyone" is a singular indefinite pronoun, regardless of the plural words tucked inside the prepositional phrase).
Question: Spell the missing words in order: "I told them that [they are] going to lose [their] spots if they don't get over [to that location] right now."
Answer: They're, Their, There.
Question: Which word is a verb that means to actively influence, alter, or produce a change in something else?
Answer: Affect.
Question: When embedding an MLA citation at the very end of a sentence, where does the terminal period belong—inside the quotation marks or outside the closing parenthesis?
Answer: Outside the closing parenthesis (e.g., "...ten tons" (Lee 45). )