Commas Review

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

When should you use a comma before a conjunction?

Back

A comma should be used before a conjunction (like 'and', 'but', 'or') 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

What is a dependent clause?

Back

A dependent clause cannot stand alone as a sentence and usually begins with a subordinating conjunction (like 'because', 'although').

Front

How do you use commas in a list?

Back

Commas are used to separate items in a list, typically before the conjunction in the last two items.

Front

What is a compound sentence?

Back

A compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses joined by a conjunction.

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.

Front

What is an appositive?

Back

An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that renames another noun right beside it, often set off by commas.

Front

How do commas affect sentence clarity?

Back

Commas help clarify meaning by indicating pauses and separating ideas, which can prevent misreading.

Front

What is a non-essential clause?

Back

A non-essential clause adds extra information to a sentence but can be removed without changing the sentence's meaning, usually set off by commas.