Commas
MLA
Vocab. 1
Vocab. 2
Even More fun with Grammar
100
Where does a comma(s) belong in this sentence? After taking the PSAT I went home and slept for two hours and then started my homework for the next day.
After taking the PSAT, I went home and slept for two hours and then started my homework for the next day.
100
How do you include an in-text citation in the following sentence (the quotation is from page 6 of Summer): Charity reflects her shame from coming from the Mountain when she labels it as a “bad place.” Write your answer on the board.
Charity reflects her shame from coming from the Mountain when she labels it as a “bad place” (6).
100
What does affable mean?
friendly
100
What does copious mean?
abundant
100
What, if anything, is wrong with the following sentence? The portrayal of women are similar in all of Washington Irving’s stories.
Subject/verb disagreement: “The portrayal” is the singular subject and needs a singular verb: The portrayal of women is similar in all of Washington Irving’s stories.
200
What are 4 different instances in which you would need a comma?
1. before a coordinating conjunction separating independent clauses 2. separating items in a list 3. separating 2 adjectives 4. before which clauses 5. before quotations 6. after an introductory phrase 7. around an aside
200
How do you write the titles of the following types of works in a typed paper and in a handwritten in-class writing assignment: plays, novels, short stories, poetry?
Plays and novels: italicized in typed work, underlined in handwritten essay Short stories and poetry: quoted in both typed and handwritten essays
200
What does ambivalent mean?
having mixed feelings about something
200
What does cryptic mean?
hard to understand
200
What, if anything, is wrong with the following sentence? Each character is faced with a series of events that alters their characteristics.
“Each character” is singular and needs a singular pronoun--Each character is faced with a series of events that alters his or her characteristics.
300
Name the FANBOYS and explain how they relate to commas.
FANBOYS: for, and nor, but, or, yet, so. You need a comma before a coordinating conjunction/FANBOY that separates independent clauses.
300
What does MLA stand for?
Modern Language Association
300
What does assiduous mean?
hard working, showing great care
300
What does deleterious mean?
harmful
300
What are 2 nouns/subjects of sentences that seem plural but are actually singular?
Family, jury, group, team, audience, congregation, United States, either, neither, none, each, anyone, no one, everyone are all singular subjects
400
What is a comma splice? How can you fix it? (3 ways)
A comma splice is when you put a comma between two independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction separating the clauses. You can fix a comma splice by: 1. including a coordinating conjunction before the comma 2. putting a period between the 2 independent clauses 3. putting a semicolon between the 2 independent clauses
400
How do you include an in-text citation in the following sentence (the quotation is from page 6 of Summer): Charity reflects her shame from coming from the Mountain when she labels it as a “bad place,” reinforcing North Domer’s class stereotypes. Write your answer on the board.
Charity reflects her shame from coming from the Mountain when she labels it as a “bad place” (6), reinforcing North Domer’s class stereotypes.
400
What vocabulary word means kind?
benevolent
400
What vocabulary word means clear and convincing?
cogent
400
What is a run-on sentence? How do you fix it?
A run-on sentence is when two or more complete sentences are written as though they were one sentence without punctuation. To fix a run-on: include comma and a conjunction or separate the sentences with periods or semicolons.
500
Which comma(s) are incorrect in this sentence? Knowing that millions of people around the world would be watching in person and on television, and expecting great things from him — at least one more gold medal for America, if not another world record — during this, his fourth and surely his last appearance in the World Olympics, and realizing that his legs could no longer carry him down the runway with the same blazing speed and confidence in making a huge, eye-popping leap that they were capable of a few years ago when he set world records in the 100-meter dash and in the 400-meter relay and won a silver medal in the long jump, the renowned sprinter and track-and-field personality Carl Lewis, who had known pressure from fans and media before but never, even as a professional runner, this kind of pressure, made only a few appearances in races during the few months before the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, partly because he was afraid of raising expectations even higher and he did not want to be distracted by interviews and adoring fans who would follow him into stores and restaurants demanding autographs and photo-opportunities, but mostly because he wanted to conserve his energies and concentrate, like a martial arts expert, on the job at hand: winning his favorite competition, the long jump, and bringing home another Gold Medal for the United States, the most fitting conclusion to his brilliant career in track and field. (sentence from: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/run-on.htm)
The comma between “television” and “and expecting” is incorrect.
500
How would you cite the following book in MLA style on a works cited page? Title: Summer, Author: Edith Wharton, Publisher: Penguin Books, Date of publication: 1993, City of Publication: New York? Write your answer on the board.
Wharton, Edith. Summer. New York: Penguin, 1993. Print.
500
What vocabulary word means abrupt or rude?
brusque
500
What vocabulary word means done secretly?
clandestine
500
Explain the differences among the following sets of words: there, their, they’re; accept, except; its, it’s; principal, principle; lead, led; loose, lose; whose, who’s; then, than
there: at that place, their: plural possessive, they’re: they are; accept:consent to receive, except: but; its: possessive, it’s: it is; principal: leader of a school, principle: fundamental truth; loose: not firm, lose: unable to find; whose: interrogative possessive, who’s: who is. then: subsequently, than: comparison
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