Punctuation, Capitalization, and Commonly-confused Words

Front

What is the purpose of commas in a sentence?

Back

Commas are used to separate elements in a sentence, clarify meaning, and indicate pauses.

Front

What type of information do commas offset?

Back

Commas offset extra information that is not essential to the main point of the sentence.

Front

Where should a comma be placed in the sentence: 'The sun set behind the mountains and the sky turned a deep shade of purple'?

Back

A comma should be placed before 'and': 'The sun set behind the mountains, and the sky turned a deep shade of purple.'

Front

Where should a comma be placed in the sentence: 'The class was very difficult for me yet I refused to drop it'?

Back

A comma should be placed before 'yet': 'The class was very difficult for me, yet I refused to drop it.'

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

Where should a comma be placed in the sentence: 'The Fall of the House of Usher' 'The Raven' and 'The Black Cat' are famous works by Poe?

Back

A comma should be placed before 'and': 'The Fall of the House of Usher,' 'The Raven,' and 'The Black Cat' are famous works by Poe.

Front

What does FANBOYS stand for?

Back

FANBOYS stands for For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So, which are coordinating conjunctions.

Front

What are coordinating conjunctions?

Back

Coordinating conjunctions connect words, phrases, or clauses that are similar or equal.

Front

What is an example of a sentence using a coordinating conjunction?

Back

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

Front

What is the difference between coordinating and subordinating conjunctions?

Back

Coordinating conjunctions connect equal parts, while subordinating conjunctions connect a dependent clause to an independent clause.