Punctuation Strategies
Each side of the punctuation mark must house an independent clause.
What is a semicolon?
When you see this word, you know that you can stop reading and look for the most imagery-based answer. This word begins with an E.
What is emphasize?
The word that a pronoun replaces is called a(n) _____.
What is an antecedent?
Why is the comma necessary in the following sentence: Therefore, there is every reason to work at your highest potential.
What is the comma follows a transition word?
This strategy can be used when two of the answer choices contain a singular and plural form of the verb.
What is the subject-verb agreement strategy?
When there is no internal punctuation, everything is ______.
What is essential text?
When you see this word, you know that you can stop reading and look for the most imagery-based answer. This word begins with a C.
What is clearly?
What is the name of the strategy you would use if all (or most) of your answer choices revolved around pronouns?
What is pronoun-antecedent agreement?
What is it called when you join two independent clauses with a comma?
What is a comma splice?
This strategy can be used when you see the words "adding," "deleting," or "change order."
What is the adding, deleting, and change order strategy?
When there are two commas around text, the text between those commas is _______.
What is nonessential text?
When you see this word, you know that you can stop reading and look for the most imagery-based answer. This word begins with an I.
What is illustrates?
What strategy would you use if all of your answers are verbs in different tenses?
What is the verb parallelism strategy?
If a sentence begins with these four phrases, the phrase must be followed by a comma.
What are transitional phrases, gerund phrases, participle phrases, and infinitive phrases?
This strategy is 90% effective: All four answer choices carry the same word or phrase.
What is the short and sweet strategy?
An independent clause is on the left of this punctuation mark, and there is some sort of answer or explanation that furthers the independent clause on the right side.
What is a colon?
When you see this word, you know that you can stop reading and look for the most imagery-based answer. This word begins with a V.
What is visualize?
What are the three strategy steps for questions that ask about the essay as a whole (typically the last question, which includes yes and no answers)?
What are (1) finding keywords in the question, (2) determining yes or no, and (3) focusing only on the two answers that go with your answer to step 2?
All standardized and nationalized tests use this form of the comma.
What is the Oxford Comma?
Explain the 80% Comma Strategy.
1. Eliminate any answer with one punctuation mark.2. Cross out the text between two punctuation marks and determine whether you need that text for context. 3. Decide whether no punctuation is needed because all of the text is necessary for context.
When using a colon, the information on the right side of the punctuation can be in the form of...
What is a word, a phrase, or an independent clause?
When you see this word, you know that you can stop reading and look for the most imagery-based answer. This word begins with a D (or phrase beginning with S).
What is descriptive or specific details?
There are three words that Mrs. F has always said she circles so that her brain can adjust to the question. What are those two words?
What are "not" and "least" or "except"?
When using a conjunctive adverb in a sentence, there are two punctuation marks needed. What are they and what is the order?
What are the semicolon and comma? The semicolon comes before the conjunctive adverb, which is followed by the comma.
List four of the rules for using the 100% comma strategy.
1. When a sentence begins with a transition, it must be followed by a comma. 2. When a sentence begins with a transitional phrase, it must be followed by a comma. 3. Opening gerund, participle, and infinitive phrases are followed by a comma. 4. Sentences that begin with an interjection or noun of direct address must be followed by a comma.
5. Pay attention to the other punctuation in the sentence to see what is going on (opening or closing nonessential text, etc.).
6. Commas are used between two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction.