Commas

Question 1

An independent clause has a ___ and a ___ to form a complete thought.

Answer 1

subject/verb

Question 2

How do you separate 2 independent clauses?

Answer 2

With a comma

Question 3

Where do you place the comma?

She went to the store this afternoon and Joe is picking up the flowers tonight.

Answer 3

After the first independent clause (between afternoon and and)

She went to the store this afternoon, and Joe is picking up the flowers tonight.

Question 4

Does this sentence need a comma? If yes, where? If no, why not?

I went to the store so that I could pick up groceries.

Answer 4

No, because of the use of so that

Question 5

Does this sentence need a comma? If yes, where? If no, why not?

I live at 123 Main Street Jones Oklahoma 22222

Answer 5

I live at 123 Main Street, Jones, Oklahoma 22222

Question 6

Does this sentence need a comma? If yes, where? If no, why not?

We stopped in Edmond Oklahoma on our way.

Answer 6

We stopped in Edmond, Oklahoma, on our way

Use a comma after a city and state in the middle of a sentence.

Question 7

Does this sentence need a comma? If yes, where? If no, why not?

I packed my boots and hairdryer and heating pad.

Answer 7

None needed

No commas needed because each part of the list is separated by a conjunction (and)

Question 8

Which is an example of a “serial comma”?

a. Julie loves ice cream, books, and kittens
b. Julie loves ice cream, books and kittens

Answer 8

a. Julie loves ice cream, books, and kittens

The comma before the and is optional and called a serial or Oxford comma

Question 9

Add the commas

I bought a phone watch and wallet.

Answer 9

I bought a phone, watch and wallet.

Question 10

When you have a list that contains more than ___ elements, use commas to separate them.

Answer 10

2

Question 11

How can you write a date without any commas?

Answer 11

day-month-year format

31 December 2023

Question 12

Add the comma(s)

I was born on Sunday May 12 1968.
May 12 1968 was an important day.

Answer 12

I was born on Sunday, May 12, 1968.
May 12, 1968, was an important day.

when writing in month-day-year format, set the year off w/ commas.

Question 13

Add the comma(s)

The region experienced record rain fall in March 1999.

Answer 13

No comma needed

month and year only

Question 14

Which is correct?

a. I want to go too.
b. I want to go, too.

Answer 14

A. I want to go too.

A comma is no longer used before too at the end of a sentence.

However, this is highly preferential.

Question 15

Why does this sentence need a comma? And where?

Will you please stand Joan before you continue?

Answer 15

Use a comma to set off a noun of direct address, even in the middle of a sentence.

Around Joan

Will you please stand, Joan, before you continue?

Question 16

What do you do if a sentence ends with so?

Example: Well, she said she would so

Answer 16

Be sure to put a comma in front of the so

Well, she said she would, so.

Note: Some CRs will add an ellipses at the end of a sentence instead of a period after so. “Well, she said she would, so…

Question 17

Name 3 examples of “filler words”. How do you treat them in a sentence.

Answer 17

like, I mean, you know
Add commas around them.

Question 18

In most situations: do you add a comma around the word because (when it’s linking 2 clauses in a sentence)?

Why?

Answer 18

No.

The word because links a subordinate clause to an independent one.

Question 19

When do you make an exception and add a comma before because (when linking 2 clauses)?

Answer 19

to make an exception for clarity.

Alex didn’t win the race because of his ability.

Alex didn’t win the race, because of his ability. (due to ability, he didn’t win…it clears up the sentence)

Question 20

When do you use a comma before which

Answer 20

When it introduces a nonrestrictive phrase

Question 21

What is a “nonrestrictive phrase”?

Answer 21

A nonrestrictive phrase adds a little bit of extra (but not essential) information about a noun phrase that you’ve already mentioned in your sentence.

Jeff’s new car, which is less than a month old, already started leaking oil.

Question 22

How do you identify a “nonrestrictive phrase”?

Answer 22

Take it out of the sentence. If the meaning of the sentence didn’t change, it’s nonrestrictive (non-essential)

Question 23

How do you identify a “restrictive phrase”?

Answer 23

If you take it out of the sentence and it changes the meaning, it’s a restrictive phrase.

These phrases are usually introduced by that instead of which

Question 24

What is a prepositional phrase?

What are some common prepositions that begin these phrases?

Answer 24

a group of words consisting of a preposition, its object, and any words that modify the object.

“He arrived in time.
He arrived in the nick of time.

to, of, about, at, before, after, by, behind, during, for, from, in, over, under, and with

Question 25

Does this sentence need a comma? Why or why not?

The platform on which we built our program is very stable.

Answer 25

No. Because which is part of a prepositional phrase (in which)

other prepositional phrases containing which”: of which, in which, on which

Question 26

Does this sentence need a comma? Why or why not?

I asked Sam which bus I should take.

Answer 26

No. You don’t need to use a comma before which when it introduces a question. When a sentence contains an indirect question, which might not be the first word. Either way, you don’t need to put a comma before it.