Comma Comma Comma Comma Comma Chameleon
Use a comma and a FANBOYS conjunction to join these: "I love pizza. I am allergic to cheese."
VERBALIZE (say out loud) where you would put the comma!
I love pizza, but I am allergic to cheese.
VERBALIZE where you would put the semicolon.
Answers may vary.
Correct the error: "My favorite colors are: blue, green, and red."
"My favorite colors are blue, green, and red."
OR
"My favorite colors are the following: blue, green, and red."
Insert em dashes: "The three sisters Mary, Sue, and June are all doctors."
"The three sisters—Mary, Sue, and June—are all doctors."
Correct this sentence: "The movie was great; but it was too long."
"The movie was great; it was too long."
"The movie was great, but it was too long."
"The movie was great; however, it was too long."
Use commas to combine these ideas by adding an appositive to the first sentence. VERBALIZE where you would put the commas.
The CEO is a very busy man. The CEO forgot his umbrella.
The CEO, a very busy man, forgot his umbrella.
Fix this: "I wanted to go to the mall; because I needed new shoes."
"I wanted to go to the mall; I needed new shoes."
OR
"I wanted to go to the mall because I needed new shoes."
Rewrite this to use a colon for emphasis: "The reason I failed was simple. I didn't study."
"The reason I failed was simple: I didn't study."
Write a sentence using an em dash to show a sudden change in thought.
(Example) "I was thinking about—wait, is that a squirrel?"
Correct the sentence
"I finished my homework, now I can play games."
"I finished my homework. Now I can play games."
"I finished my homework, so now I can play games."
"I finished my homework; now I can play games."
"It was a cold dark windy night."
"It was a cold, dark, windy night."
True or False: You can use a semicolon to join two sentences if the second one starts with "And" or "But."
False
Use a colon to introduce a quotation, finishing this thought:
She said something I’ll never forget
She said something I’ll never forget: "Answers may vary."
Fix the punctuation: "He was a great athlete, perhaps the best of his generation—but he was also very humble."
"He was a great athlete—perhaps the best of his generation—but he was also very humble."
OR
"He was a great athlete, perhaps the best of his generation, but he was also very humble."
Fix the "Which" clause: "The house which was built in 1920 is haunted."
"The house, which was built in 1920, is haunted."
Place commas: "The professor said 'Punctuation is power' and then walked out."
"The professor said, 'Punctuation is power,' and then walked out."
Write a sentence using a semicolon and the word "nevertheless."
Answers may vary
Use a colon to express the time "Four thirty" and the ratio "Two to one."
4:30 and 2:1.
Punctuate this hesitation: "I think I mean I know we can win."
"I think—I mean, I know—we can win."
Identify the error: "The recipe called for: sugar, butter, and flour."
"The recipe called for sugar, butter, and flour."
How does the meaning change?
"The students, who worked hard, passed."
"The students who worked hard passed."
"The students, who worked hard, passed."
"The students who worked hard passed."
1 implies ALL students worked hard and passed. 2 implies ONLY the ones who worked hard passed.
Join these using a semicolon and a conjunctive adverb: "It rained all day. We still went to the park." Verbalize where you would put the semicolon AND comma!
"It rained all day; however, we still went to the park."
I have several hobbies for example: hiking, biking, and swimming.
I have several hobbies: hiking, biking, and swimming.
Write a sentence with at least five em dashes.
Combine these into one elegant sentence using a semicolon and a comma: "I love hiking. It is peaceful. I hate mosquitoes."
Answer: "I love hiking because it is peaceful; however, I hate mosquitoes."