Commas
Semicolons & Colons
Strategies
Best Choice
100

Use commas when listing this number or more items in a series.

What is three?

100

Semicolons can only be used to combine clauses when both clauses are this.

What is independent?

100

When you have about two minutes left in the test, you ensure you do this. 

What is answer every question?

100

Although he had never seen the movie, he _____ it was stupid. After seeing it, though, he loved it.

A. thinks

B. has thought

C. had thought

D. will think

What is C, had thought?

200

To combine two independent clauses, use a comma as well as a member of this acronym.

What is FANBOYS?

200

It's the word that a colon should follow in this sentence: I think I know who killed the millionaire the butler.

What is "millionaire"?

200

It's approximately the number of minutes you should spend on each passage of the English portion of the ACT. (45 minutes, 5 passages, 15 questions per passage).

What is nine minutes?

200

It's the correctly conjugated verb that goes into the blank here: After the teacher asks the question, one of the boys ____ his hand reluctantly.

What is raises?

300

Use commas to offset this type of information, as seen in this example: Her brother, a filmmaker, lives in Los Angeles.

What is nonessential?

300

When using a colon, an independent clause must be at least in this location.

What is before the colon?

300

When asked to choose which verb choice is correct, check the [this] of the verbs in the rest of the sentence. 

What is tense?

300

It's the FANBOYS that makes the most sense in the blank: The poet's father had just passed away, __ she dedicated her book to him.

What is so?

400

It's the word that a comma should follow in this sentence: Walking in late the student apologized to the teacher.

What is "late"?

400

Use semicolons to separate items in a series when one or more of the items already contains this punctuation mark.

What is a comma?

400

When two or more answer choices are [this word], they are likely not the correct answer, since they mean the same thing.

What are synonyms?

400

It's the punctuation mark that goes in the blank here: One thing to never forget--though many people do__ is to be kind.

What is a dash?

500

Use commas when using multiple of these parts of speech, such as in this example: The book is about a big, scary monster.

What are adjectives?

500

It's the punctuation mark that's missing after "do" in this sentence: I have one thing to do to look for her.

What is a colon?

500

When a question seems to be asking about concision of language, the correct answer is usually the one that is this.

What is shortest?

500

It's the correctly spelled possessive pronoun that belongs in the blank: Do you know ____ pencil this is?

What is whose?