Commas to list items in a series

Choose the sentence with the correct use of commas in a series.

• I need to buy apples oranges and bananas.

• I need to buy apples, oranges, and bananas.

• I need to buy, apples, oranges and bananas.

• I need to buy apples, oranges and, bananas.

Answer explanation

Commas should be used to separate items in a list: apples, oranges, and bananas.

True or False: Commas are used to separate items in a list.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Commas are used to clearly separate items in a list or series.

Complete the sentence: For breakfast, I had _____, toast, and juice.

• eggs

• egg

• egg's

• egg's,

Answer explanation

Commas separate items in a series: eggs, toast, and juice.

True or False: A comma is needed before 'and' in a list of three items.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The Oxford comma is used before 'and' in a list of three or more items.

Identify the sentence with the correct placement of commas.

• Sarah packed her backpack with pencils notebooks and a calculator.

• Sarah packed her backpack with pencils, notebooks, and a calculator.

• Sarah packed her backpack, with pencils notebooks, and a calculator.

• Sarah packed, her backpack with pencils, notebooks and a calculator.

Answer explanation

Use commas to separate items in a list: pencils, notebooks, and a calculator.

Complete the sentence: We visited _____, the zoo, and the park.

• the museum

• the museums

• museum

• the museums,

Answer explanation

Commas separate the items in a series: the museum, the zoo, and the park.

Which sentence correctly uses commas in a series?

• For dinner, we had pasta, salad and breadsticks.

• For dinner, we had pasta, salad, and breadsticks.

• For dinner we had, pasta, salad, and breadsticks.

• For dinner, we had pasta salad, and breadsticks.

Answer explanation

Commas separate items in a list: pasta, salad, and breadsticks.

Complete the sentence: My favorite colors are blue, _____, and green.

• red

• red,

• red and

• red,

Answer explanation

Commas separate items in a series: blue, red, and green.

True or False: In a list of three items, the comma before 'and' is optional.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The final comma in a list before 'and' (Oxford comma) is often optional but recommended for clarity.

Choose the sentence that correctly uses commas in a series.

• We need to buy milk, eggs, bread and butter.

• We need to buy milk eggs bread, and butter.

• We need to buy milk, eggs, bread, and butter.

• We need to buy milk, eggs, bread and, butter.

Answer explanation

Commas separate items in a series: milk, eggs, bread, and butter.