Comma Rules Practice

Front

What is the purpose of using commas in a sentence?

Back

Commas are used to indicate a pause between parts of a sentence, to separate items in a list, to set off introductory elements, and to clarify meaning.

Front

What are the FANBOYS coordinating conjunctions?

Back

FANBOYS stands for For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So. These conjunctions are used to connect independent clauses.

Front

When should you use a comma before a coordinating conjunction?

Back

A comma should be used before a coordinating conjunction when it connects two independent clauses.

Front

What is an independent clause?

Back

An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought.

Front

What is a dependent clause?

Back

A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought and cannot stand alone.

Front

How do you punctuate a quote that is interrupted by a dialogue tag?

Back

Place a comma before the closing quotation mark and continue the sentence with the dialogue tag.

Front

What is the rule for using commas in a series?

Back

In a series of three or more items, use commas to separate each item, and place a comma before the conjunction in the last item (Oxford comma is optional).

Front

What is the difference between restrictive and non-restrictive clauses?

Back

Restrictive clauses are essential to the meaning of a sentence and are not set off by commas, while non-restrictive clauses add extra information and are set off by commas.

Front

When should you not use a comma?

Back

Do not use a comma to separate a subject from its verb or to separate two independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction.

Front

What is an example of a correctly punctuated compound sentence?

Back

I wanted to go for a walk, but it started to rain.