ACT Commas

Front

What is the purpose of a comma in a sentence?

Back

Commas are used to indicate a pause between parts of a sentence, separate items in a list, or clarify meaning.

Front

What does FANBOYS stand for in grammar?

Back

FANBOYS is an acronym for For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So, which are coordinating conjunctions 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 can stand alone as a sentence, containing a subject and a verb.

Front

How do you correctly punctuate a list of three or more items?

Back

Use commas to separate the items, and place a comma before the conjunction (usually 'and' or 'or') in the list.

Front

What is a compound sentence?

Back

A compound sentence is made up of two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction.

Front

What is the rule for using commas with introductory phrases?

Back

Use a comma after an introductory phrase or clause to separate it from the main clause.

Front

How do you punctuate appositives in a sentence?

Back

Use commas to set off appositives that provide additional information about a noun.

Front

What is the Oxford comma?

Back

The Oxford comma is the final comma in a list of items, placed before 'and' or 'or'.

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 items that are closely related.