Punctuation

Punctuation

Punctuation appears as part of a variety of questions on the SAT, ACT, & CLT. Whether we're linking clauses or adding supplements to a sentence, we'll need to appropriately employ punctuation. We may also need to identify instances where no punctuation is necessary.

The SAT, ACT, & CLT may test your knowledge of

• Commas (,)

• Semicolons (;)

• Colons (:)

• Dashes (—)

​Commas (,)

Commas should only be used to...

• Separate list items

  Crafting a chessboard requires a table saw, a sander, and lots of glue.

• Separate nonessential elements from the sentence

  The Bay of Fundy, a body of water between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, experiences the world's highest tidal range.

• Link dependent clauses to independent clauses

  While they were once endangered by commercial whaling, humpback whale populations have recently grown at a rapid rate.

• Link independent clauses with help from a coordinating (FANBOYS) conjunction

  Almonds are the world's most consumed tree nut, but walnuts are a close second.

Commas should not...

• Split a subject and a verb

  Mountain goats, are very nimble.

• Come before prepositions (words that express relationships, like to, from, at, of, on)

  The chicken crossed, to the other side of the road.

  The chicken crossed to the other side, of the road.

• Separate items in a list of two

  Learning archery requires skill, and practice.

Using a comma in any of these ways creates an error.

Multiple Choice

Painted by Salvador Dalí in 1931, The Persistence of Memory depicts time, as soft,_ and malleable.

• NO CHANGE

• time as soft

• time: as soft

• time as soft;

Multiple Choice

Because of the increasing popularity of their crops, organic farmers are finding it easier to move their products to,_ the consumer at local grocery stores.

• NO CHANGE

• products, to

• products to:

• products to

Multiple Choice

After she won the spelling bee, Roxane could not decide whether she should call her mother or run around the building, shrieking with delight.

• NO CHANGE

• mother,

• mother;

• mother:

​Semicolons (;)

Semicolons should only be used to...

• Link independent clauses (without a conjunction)

  Humans have always been troubled by dry skin; lotions and moisturizers have a history reaching back into ancient times.

• Separate list items that already contain commas

  While the United Nations is headquartered in New York City, it also has central offices in Nairobi, Kenya; Geneva, Switzerland; and Vienna, Austria.

Explanation: Since we already use a comma when identifying a city and country, a list of cities and countries can get confusing. We can use semicolons to more clearly distinguish between cities in the list.

Any other use of a semicolon creates an error.

Multiple Choice

With only one wish, Gwen gazed into the orb she wanted to see into her future.

• NO CHANGE

• orb: she,

• orb;

• orb, she,

Multiple Choice

Changing your lifestyle to;_ include more exercise may help decrease the occurrence of headaches.

• NO CHANGE

• to

• to-

• to:

​Colons (:)

Colons can only come at the end of an independent clause. They can introduce...

• Explanations and extra information

  Many upstart tech companies fail for the same reason: a lack of market need for their product.

• Lists

  The advent of cellular biology has led to the classification of organisms into three distinct domains: bacteria, archaea, and eukaryota.

Any other use of a colon creates an error.

​Dashes (—)

Dashes should only be used to separate nonessential elements from the rest of the sentence.

There are three characters—the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion—that accompany Dorothy on her way to Oz.

There are three characters that accompany Dorothy on her way to Oz—the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion.

Any other use of a dash creates an error.

​Top tips

Use the before/after test for semicolons

Unless it appears in a list, a semicolon must have an independent clause both before and after it. If you think a semicolon might be right, check to make sure you have an independent clause on either side. If you don't, you can't use a semicolon.

Use the before test for colons

A colon can only appear at the end of an independent clause. If you think a colon might be right, check to make sure what comes before is a complete independent clause. If it's not, you can't use a colon.

Multiple Choice

Joanna possessed the qualities of a tennis champion; resilience, strength, and humility.

• NO CHANGE

• champion:

• champion,

• champion

Multiple Choice

Even though playwright Athol Fugard is now 82 years old, he is still hard at work writing about injustice, life, and family in South Africa.

• NO CHANGE

• Fugard:

• Fugard;

• Fugard-

Multiple Choice

Maggie picked up the baby:_ turtle and watched its flippers flap like wings.

• NO CHANGE

• baby,

• baby

• baby-

Multiple Choice

Clowning and krumping: are related dance forms that emerged from Southern Los Angeles County in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

• NO CHANGE

• krumping are related dance forms

• krumping are related dance forms:

• krumping are related dance forms,

Multiple Choice

The book designer had done a great job: the title's intricate lettering stood out from the page:_ due to the stunning bright blue he had chosen.

• NO CHANGE

• page-

• page

• page;