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TRANSCRIPT
ACT PREPARATION:
GRAMMAR PACKET #2
Table of ContentsSUBJECT COMPLIMENTS..............................................................................................2
SUBJECT COMPLIMENTS PRACTICE 1.....................................................................................................2OBJECTS OF VERBS....................................................................................................3
OBJECTS PRACTICE 1.....................................................................................................................3OBJECTS PRACTICE 2.....................................................................................................................4OBJECTS PRACTICE 3.....................................................................................................................5EXTRA VERB PRACTICE...................................................................................................................6
SUBJECT/VERB AGREEMENT..........................................................................................7SUBJECT/VERB AGREEMENT PRACTICE 1..............................................................................................10SUBJECT/VERB AGREEMENT PRACTICE 2..............................................................................................11SUBJECT/VERB AGREEMENT PRACTICE 3..............................................................................................12SUBJECT/VERB AGREEMENT PRACTICE 4..............................................................................................13
SENTENCE STRUCTURE..............................................................................................14SENTENCE TYPES PRACTICE #1.........................................................................................................15SENTENCE TYPES PRACTICE #2.........................................................................................................16
COMMA USE.........................................................................................................17PRETEST #1.............................................................................................................................17PRETEST #2.............................................................................................................................18COMMA USE RULES LIST...............................................................................................................19COMMA PRACTICE 1...................................................................................................................21COMMA PRACTICE 2...................................................................................................................22COMMA PRACTICE 3...................................................................................................................23COMMA PRACTICE 4...................................................................................................................24COMMA PRACTICE 5...................................................................................................................25HOW TO PROOFREAD FOR COMMA MISTAKES........................................................................................26COMMA PROOFREADING 1............................................................................................................27COMMA PROOFREADING 2............................................................................................................28COMMA PROOFREADING 3............................................................................................................29
PUNCTUATION CHEAT SHEET............................................................................30
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Subject Compliments
Subject compliments follow linking verbs and either rename or describe the subject.
Linking verbs are “state of being” verbs; common ones include forms of be (am, is, are, was, were, being, been) and words like “seems,” including appear, feel, look, sound, smell, and taste. (Linking verbs can be replaced with “=” in a sentence.)
There are two types of subject compliments: 1) predicate nouns
(re-namers) Ex: The dessert is chocolate cake.
2) predicate adjectives (describers) Ex:The dessert tastes delicious.
Subject Compliments Practice 1 Underline the linking verb (predicate) Draw a box around the subject compliment. Label the subject compliment “PN” or “PA.”
Some people find it helpful to circle the subject before getting started.Make sure you ignore prepositional and participial phrases (extra info).
1. Food is a basic need for everyone.
2. The variety of foods in the world may seem incredible.
3. Fish is the “meat” of many islanders.
4. Of all prepared foods, pancakes may be the oldest.
5. Tortillas are pancakes made of corn.
6. Many fruits are favorite snacks around the world.
7. Fruits, such as peaches and apples, taste sweet.
8. The Italian word for pie is “pizza.”
9. Pizza remains popular throughout the world.
10. Brightly colored dresses are the costume of flamenco dancers.
11. These beautiful dresses look frilly.
12. A flower is part of the women’s costumes.
13. The dancers’ jewelry looks colorful.
14. The men’s bolero jackets seem short.
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15. Do the jackets feel tight?
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Objects of Verbs
Sometimes, action verbs take objects!
A direct object is a noun or pronoun that is receiving the action of the verb.To find the direct object, ask, “What/whom receives the action of the verb?”Ex: Darlene sent seashells [from Florida]. (Sent what? Seashells. Seashells=object.)
We call action verbs that take an object “transitive.”(Objects are always either nouns or pronouns. Only action verbs can be transitive.)In “Darlene sent seashells,” the verb “sent” is transitive because it takes an object.
If an action verb does NOT take an object, it is called intransitive. If you ask, “verbed what?” and get no answer, then the verb is intransitive.Ex: Trisha slept in. (If you ask, “slept what?”, it doesn’t make sense to say “in” = “a what” because “in” is not a noun or a pronoun (It’s a preposition.) Thus, in the example, “slept” is intransitive.)
Objects Practice 1 1) Underline the verb. 2) If there is a direct object, put a star under it. (Remember: objects will be nouns or
pronouns.) 3) Write “T” or “I” above the verb. (Remember: transitive verbs take an object.)
1. The dog chewed the shoe.
2. Joe read to the class.
3. Gordon was writing Katrina a long letter.
4. Anna spoke indistinctly.
5. Peter and John presented a little skit.
6. John played the part of a policeman.
7. Marcie studied her notes.
8. Mr. Ling works for an import company in
California.
9. Robert Hayden taught at our school.
10. Our boat broke the rope.
11. The poet wrote carefully.
12. The scouts rescued the girl from an island.
13. Laura danced wildly.
14. Laura danced the tango.
15. Gina claps her hands.
16. Gina claps loudly.
17. Kyle patted the dog’s fur.
18. Kyle patted very softly.
19. Last Saturday we stayed inside.
20. Even good friends sometimes disagree.
21. Marcie studied very late.
22. The children laughed.
23. The poet wrote a sonnet.
24. The band marched past the crowd.
25. Kallie ate the sandwich.
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Indirect objects are to what/whom or for what/whom an action is done. (They will always be either a noun or a pronoun.)
To find the indirect object, ask “to what/whom?” or “for what/whom?”
Ex: Darlene brought Helen seashells from Florida. (Brought for whom? Helen.)“Helen” = indirect object because Darlene brought the shells for or to Helen.
IMPORTANT! What if the sentence says, “Darlene brought seashells to Helen”? In this case, there is no indirect object. Why? Because “to Helen” is a prepositional phrase, and when a preposition is used, the noun following it is called the object of the preposition. So, with the sentence, “Darlene brought seashells to Helen,” the word “Helen” is an object, but it’s the object of the preposition “to,” not the object of the verb!
Objects Practice 2 Underline the verb(s). Put a star underneath the direct and indirect objects. Label objects with either “DO” or “IO.”
Try not to confuse the object of a preposition with a direct object.
1. The U.S. Olympic team won the gold medal.
2. Max offered Lydia some of his lemonade.
3. Janice sold a puppy to her former teacher.
4. Please send me the details for tonight’s event.
5. We always hang a wreath on our door for the holidays.
6. The athletic director handed the co-captains the trophy.
7. Patrick got an Apple watch for his birthday.
8. Marta made us dinner in her home.
9. The bicycle courier handed Mr. Bourne a sealed envelope.
10. The envelope arrived for Mr. Bourne.
11. The fans gave the singer a bouquet of flowers.
12. A woman in the balcony asked the man a question.
13. Amy had a book from the library in her locker.
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Objects Practice 3 Label objects with either “DO” or “IO.” Label adverbs with “AV” Label objects of prepositions “OP”
A word can only be a direct object if it answers the question, “Who/what is receiving the action of the verb?” If a word tells how, when, where, why, or to what extent—if it gives more detail about the verb—then that word is an ADVERB, and it’s a modifier, not an object. Adverbs can NEVER be objects because an object must be a noun or a pronoun!!
1. TV audiences love reality programs.
2. Alice was lying shamelessly.
3. I have told him the answer several times.
4. The audience offered the cast thunderous applause.
5. She offered me money.
6. He sent flowers to his girlfriend.
7. I saw Alice in the hallway during the class change.
8. Jim passed English last semester.
9. Louise told several classmates a nasty story about Elaine.
10. Max asked Sally a question about the dance.
11. Mr. Shelley has inspired many students over the years.
12. Thomas repeated the tale slightly differently.
13. I forgot the answer to the question.
14. Now, the rumor will exist forever, or at least Elaine feels that way.
15. The boy gave the dog a toy.
16. Louise started a rumor.
17. The grocer sold mother some lettuce.
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Extra Verb Practice
Action, Linking, or Helping?
Underline the simple predicate. Label the verbs action, helping or linking. (Two verbs? The first must be a helper then!) You can use “A,” “H,” and “L” to indicate your choice.
1. The Alaskan pipeline can carry over two million barrels of oil per day.
2. Automobiles are the most popular mode of transportation today.
3. Europeans use trains more often than Americans do.
4. All passengers in cars should wear seat belts.
5. Cars have transported thousands of people.
Transitive or Intransitive?
Underline the simple predicate. Mark each either “T” (transitive) or “I” (intransitive) .
1. PSAs give listeners information about various topics.
2. During blizzards, radio stations report around the clock.
3. They must verify their facts before they make announcements to the public.
4. Announcers talk very seriously.
5. Graphics can show the audience a picture of what is going on.
Direct or Indirect Object?
Put a star underneath the objects. Write “DO” or “IO” to identify direct vs. indirect objects.
1. PSAs give listeners information about various topics.
2. During blizzards, radio stations report hazards.
3. They must verify their facts before they make announcements to the public.
4. Announcers report conditions on roads.
5. Graphics can show the audience a picture of what is going on.
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Subject/Verb Agreement
Singular subjects need singular verbs; plural subjects need plural verbs.
My brother is a nutritionist. My sisters are mathematicians.
The indefinite pronouns anyone, everyone, someone, no one, & nobody are always singular and, therefore, require singular verbs.
Everyone has done his or her homework. Somebody has left her purse.
Some indefinite pronouns — such as all & some — are singular (not countable) or plural (countable) depending on what they're referring to.
Some of the beads are missing. Some of the water is gone.
Some indefinite pronouns are particularly troublesome. Everyone and everybody certainly feel like more than one person, and
therefore, students are often tempted to use a plural verb with them. They are always singular, though. Each is often followed by a prepositional phrase ending in a plural word (Ex: “Each of the ladies…”), thus confusing the verb choice. Each, too, is always singular and requires a singular verb.
Everyone has finished his or her homework.
Think of it this way: you would always say, "Everybody is here." This is a little test you can do in your mind to check whether the word is singular. Just plug it into a simple sentence using “is” to see whether it goes with a singular verb!
Each of the students is responsible for doing his or her work in the library.
Don't let the word "students" confuse you; the subject is each (the prepositional phrase should be ignored, since it’s a modifier), and each is always singular. Thus, we must write, “Each is responsible.”
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The phrases 1) together with, 2) as well as, and 3) along with are NOT the same as the word and. Any phrase introduced by those three phrases is being used as a MODIFIER (ignore it as extra material); it is NOT making the subjects compound (as the word and actually would do).
The mayor [as well as his brothers] is going to prison. The mayor and his brothers are going to jail.
The pronouns neither and either are singular and require singular verbs even though they typically seem to be referring, in a sense, to two things.
Neither of the two traffic lights is working. “Which shirt do you want for Christmas?” “Oh, either is fine with me.”
Has either of you two guys read the assignment? Is either of you taking this seriously?
It probably sounds correct to say, "Have either of you two read the assignment?" or "Are either of you taking this seriously?” However, that is INFORMAL language, and it really isn’t “correct” grammar.
The conjunctions “or” and “nor” do not conjoin the way that “and” does. In fact, when the words “or” and “nor” are used, the subject closer to the verb determines the number of the verb. Whether the subject comes before or after the verb doesn't matter; the proximity determines the number.
Either my father or my brothers are going to sell the house. Neither my brothers nor my father is going to sell the house. Are either my brothers or my father responsible? Is either my father or my brothers responsible?
Because a sentence like "Neither my brothers nor my father is going to sell the house" sounds peculiar, it is probably a good idea to just re-write your sentence to put the plural subject closer to the verb whenever that is possible.
It’s important to make sure modifiers do not confuse agreement, especially when modifiers get in between a subject and its verb!
The mayor, [who has been convicted, along with his four brothers, on four counts of various crimes but who also seems, like a cat, to have several political lives,] is finally going to jail.
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Sometimes nouns take weird forms and can fool us into thinking they're plural when they're really singular (and vice-versa). Words such as glasses, pants, pliers, and scissors are, weirdly, regarded as plural (and require plural verbs) unless they're preceded the phrase pair of (in which case the word pair becomes
the subject).
My glasses were on the bed. My pants were torn. A pair of plaid trousers is in the closet.
Some words end in -s and appear to be plural but are really singular and require singular verbs. (Like “news” and “measles”)
The news from the front is bad. Measles is a dangerous disease for pregnant women.
On the other hand, some words ending in -s refer to a single thing but are nonetheless plural and require a plural verb. (Like “assets,” “earnings,” and “thanks.”)
My assets were wiped out in the depression. The average worker's earnings have gone up dramatically. Our thanks go to the workers who supported the union.
Fractional expressions, such as half of, a part of, a percentage of, a majority of, are sometimes singular and sometimes plural, depending on the meaning.
The same is true when the words all, any, more, most and some are subjects in a sentence.
Sums and products of mathematical processes are always expressed as singular and require singular verbs.
Finally, the expression "more than one" (oddly enough) takes a singular verb: "More than one student has tried this."
Some of the voters are still angry. A large percentage of the older population is voting against her. Two-fifths of the troops were lost in the battle. Two-fifths of the vineyard was destroyed by fire. Forty percent of the students are in favor of changing the policy. Forty percent of the student body is in favor of changing the policy. Two and two is four. Four times four divided by two is eight.
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Subject/Verb Agreement Practice 1
For each of the following, choose the sentence in which the verbs have been correctly identified and in which the subjects and verbs agree. The verbs are underlined.
1.A. At the end of the story, they was living happily ever after.B. At the end of the story, they was living happily ever after.C. At the end of the story, they were living happily ever after.D. At the end of the story, they were living happily ever after.
2.A. Allison and Eli go to the beach to surf with their friends.B. Allison and Eli go to the beach to surf with their friends.C. Allison and Eli goes to the beach to surf with their friends.D. Allison and Eli goes to the beach to surf with their friends.
3.A. When Allison and Eli arrive, they find that their friends has waxed their boards already.B. When Allison and Eli arrive, they find that their friends has waxed their boards already.C. When Allison and Eli arrive, they find that their friends have waxed their boards already.D. When Allison and Eli arrive, they find that their friends have waxed their boards already.
4.A. A group of children from that school are not being cooperative.B. A group of children from that school are not being cooperative.C. A group of children from that school is not being cooperative.D. A group of children from that school is not being cooperative.
5.A. Unless the kids really do cooperate, they will not meet their goals.B. Unless the kids really do cooperate, they will not meet their goals.C. Unless the kids really do cooperate, they will not meet their goals.D. Unless the kids really do cooperate, they will not meet their goals.
6. A. Either Garrett or I are responsible for turning the project in on time.B. Either Garrett or I are responsible for turning the project in on time.C. Either Garrett or I am responsible for turning the project in on time.D. Either Garrett or I am responsible for turning the project in on time.
7.A. Neither she nor they was willing to predict the election results quite yet.B. Neither she nor they was willing to predict the election results quite yet.C. Neither she nor they were willing to predict the election results quite yet.D. Neither she nor they were willing to predict the election results quite yet.
8.A. Nora is one of the candidates who are worthy of my vote.B. Nora is one of the candidates who are worthy of my vote.C. Nora is one of the candidates who is worthy of my vote.D. Nora is one of the candidates who is worthy of my vote.
9. A. Aron, of all the candidates who are running, is my favorite.B. Aron, of all the candidates who are running, is my favorite.C. Aron, of all the candidates who is running, is my favorite.D. Aron, of all the candidates who is running, is my favorite.
10.A. My problem, which is minor in comparison with yours, exists because I quit trying.B. My problem, which is minor in comparison with yours, exists because I quit trying.C. My problem, which is minor in comparison with yours, exist because I quit trying.D. My problem, which is minor in comparison with yours, exist because I quit trying.
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Subject/Verb Agreement Practice 2
1. 40% of the people does/do support the new law.
2. The blind is/are able to read by using a special alphabet.
3. Neither the dogs nor the cat is/are very hungry.
4. A number of students, who vandalized the school for a prank, was/were suspended.
(Note: “a number” is like “a bunch”.)
5. Our children is/are very well-behaved.
6. My feet is/are cold.
7. The bubbles being blown by Roland the Clown is/are floating all over the park.
8. I think math is/are difficult to understand.
9. All the milk in the fridge has/have gone sour.
10. At the end of the fall comes/come the hard tests.
11. Behind the clouds was/were a hot sun.
12. The gingerbread cookies, which looked good on the dessert tray, was/were tasteless.
13. Both of the dogs has/have collars.
14. Each of the boys was/were given a book.
15. Economics does/do not appeal to me at all.
16. Either my father or my brothers is/are going to sell the car.
17. Everyone has/have done his or her homework.
18. The people likes/like the new payment system.
19. Some of this information is/are incorrect.
20. Five dollars is/are what I need now.
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Subject/Verb Agreement Practice 3
1. France, together with another two countries, is/are attending the conference on world-
peace.
2. His method of dealing with problems is/are appreciated by many people.
3. Both of my brothers is/are older than I.
4. How do you react if someone gives/give you a compliment?
5. I don’t know if anybody is/are in the office right now.
6. The hard tests comes/come at the end of the fall.
7. Neither the buttons nor the trim properly matches/match the fabric on Vicky’s new dress.
8. Many of the houses in this neighborhood does not/ do not have garages.
9. Jayden and Carlos goes/go to my school.
10. Every student and teacher was/were ready to begin the conference.
11. Mike's opinions of the software has/have been of great importance to us.
12. 40% of the country does/do support the new law.
13. The samples on the tray in the lab need/needs testing.
14. One-tenth of the students is/are from another country.
15. Miranda’s friends, on a bitterly cold day, was/were stranded on a little-traveled road.
16. My family is/are visiting me for the holidays.
17. Either Alex and his team or the other bantam team goes/go to the finals.
18. Neither George, nor his friends is/are going to join in the party.
19. Mary and John usually plays/play together.
20. The slaughter of animals for their fur has/have caused controversy.
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Subject/Verb Agreement Practice 4
1. A few of these products has/have defects.
2. Neither my sisters nor my mother is/are going to sell the house.
3. Both Helen and Natalia is/are paying us a visit tomorrow.
4. Nobody likes/like the new teacher.
5. Each of the students is/are responsible for doing his or her work.
6. One-tenth of our 11th-grade class is/are foreign exchange students this year.
7. Our furniture is/are too old to use.
8. Neither Jason nor Ryan, even though they both turned in excellent performances on the
audition, was/were chosen for the lead in the play.
9. The students in my art class, along with our teacher, is/are going to the art museum on
Friday.
10. Police has/have arrested three suspects.
11. Raymond and his friends, as well as Alex, wants/want to go to the hockey game.
12. Several of the students is not/are not going to pass.
13. Shaylee, along with three of her best friends, is/are going to the big concert next week.
14. One-fourth of the cassettes was/were discarded.
15. Twenty minutes is/are not enough for me to answer the questions.
16. Some of these facts is/are incorrect.
17. Our rival basketball team has/have a new coach.
18. The dog across the street, as well as all the other dogs on the street, never stops/stop
barking all day long.
19. Some of the students in my class is/are trying hard to be successful.
20. Neither Marlisa and her friends nor Chelsea is/are going to the finals.
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Sentence Structure
There are four different sentence structures:
Simple: one independent clause
o I won the contest. = one independent clause (It contains a subject and a verb, and it expresses a complete thought.)
o Note: A simple sentence can have a compound subject or a compound verb. For example, Judith and I won the contest and the prize, is a simple sentence.
Write your own here:
Compound: two or more independent clauses (joined by a comma + a coordinating conjunction OR by a semicolon)
o I won the contest, and I took home a trophy! = two independent clauseso I grew up in a small town; it was not easy for me to leave it.o Note: If someone puts a comma between two independent clauses, he or she has
committed an error called a “comma splice.”
Write your own here:
Complex: at least one dependent clause + one independent clause
o Judith clapped because I won the contest. = one independent clause followed by one dependent clause (“Because” kicks off a dependent clause.)
o While he did the judging, Ian complimented all the pies. = one dependent clause followed by one independent clause (“While” starts the dependent clause.)
Write your own here:
Compound-Complex: at least two independent clauses + at least one dependent clause
o Judith clapped, and I gave the thumbs-up sign because I won the contest. = independent clause / (comma + conjunction) independent clause / dependent clause
Write your own here:
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Sentence Types Practice #1
Write the sentence type below each sentence.
Q1. My dog is a border collie.
Q2. I like playing basketball, and my brother likes playing tennis.
Q3. I'll help you if you give me a minute.
Q4. Her name is Sachiko and she comes from Japan.
Q5. My mother cooked dinner while I was setting the table.
Q6. While I was doing my homework, my father got my siblings ready for bed and my mother fell asleep in front of the television.
Q7. Do you want to go swimming tomorrow, or would you prefer to play tennis?
Q8. I've brought my umbrella with me in case it rains.
Q9. I don't know why he did that.
Q10. My family came to Germany when I was in fifth grade, but I never learned to speak German very well.
Q11. I'm so pleased that you can come to my party.
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Sentence Types Practice #2
Write the sentence type below each sentence.
Q1. He told me that he is returning to London next summer.
Q2. I have not seen my grandmother since I came to Germany.
Q3. We were in the middle of a mathematics test when the fire alarm rang yesterday.
Q4. She runs every day, so she is definitely ready for the Bix this summer.
Q5. The new girl in our class has a brother in middle school and a baby sister.
Q6. You should read every day if you want to improve your ACT score.
Q7. Although it was cold and the rain was getting heavier, we decided to go fishing as planned.
Q8. You should consider slacking off less; otherwise, you might never know your full potential.
Q9. If you want to build a doll's house, you will need wood, a hammer, a saw, and lots of nails.
Q10. She failed her driving test because she hardly used her mirrors at all.
Q11. He got up, walked over to the window, and threw his phone right out.
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Comma UsePretest #1
DIAGNOSTIC TESTING DIRECTIONS:
Place commas where they should go and delete commas that are unnecessary. Not all sentences contain mistakes.
1. An owl’s hooting in the distance sounded as lonely as I felt.
2. Creosote which is made from coal tar is one of the chemicals that may cause cancer.
3. The amusement rides that are the most exciting are often the most dangerous.
4. Call a doctor if an animal bite breaks the skin, for bites can become easily infected.
5. Adam get your book out.
6. The space program that landed the first men on the moon the Apollo program was on American Endeavor.
7. A town like Cottonwood which has a population of five thousand seems ideal to me.
8. He grabbed his dinner picked out some silverware and sat down to eat.
9. Ellen who is captain of the team is an honor student.
10. Every child registering for school for the first time must be vaccinated.
11. Although the student was very tall he was not a very good basketball player.
12. The father stood over his daughter’s bed his body tensed and ready to respond to any change in her
condition.
13. Her mother, April, was on the committee.
14. I knew the twin towers had fallen because my brother called me.
15. Our only math teacher who also teaches gym will retire at the end of the year.
My Score = /15
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Pretest #2
1. Mosquitoes bite more men than women and they seem to bite adults more often than they bite children.
2. The Black Castle which was built as a fortress in the sixteenth century is now famous as a tourist attraction.
3. No we shouldn’t do that.
4. I wanted to buy a hybrid car after I saved enough because it would save me money in the long run.
5. Players, who are late for practice, will be sent home.
6. The kids were studying very hard but of course they always study very hard.
7. Students, planning to go on the field trip, should bring their lunches.
8. It was her money not her charm or personality that first attracted him.
9. That tall distinguished-looking fellow is going to be our new coach.
10. Elizabeth only started the job last month, but she has already been promoted.
11. The Centennial Bridge, which connects Davenport and Rock Island, is lighted at night.
12. He began to eat but he stopped when he saw a hair in his food.
13. The team had to forfeit because it didn’t have enough players present.
14. The walkway was well very old and run-down.
15. When you try to enter the database you will have to enter your password.
My Score = /15
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Comma Use Rules List
Comma (n.) indicates slight pauses in reading and differentiates sentence parts
Note: Rules 1-4 appear quite often on the ACT.
1. Compound Sentence Commasa. Use commas to separate two independent clauses when they are joined by a coordinating
conjunction. She wanted to buy a new car, but she didn’t have enough money. She began to save, and she eventually met her goal.b. Do NOT add a comma if you do not have a new independent clause after a coordinating
conjunction. WRONG: He loved his science, and history classes. WRONG: They wanted to travel the world, and try every cuisine that existed.
2. Introductory Element Commasa. An introductory element is any word, phrase, or clause that begins a sentence and can be deleted
while still leaving a complete sentence.b. Introductory elements are usually doing adverb jobs, describing where, when, why, or how.c. The words that follow this type of comma should be able to stand alone as a sentence. Fearlessly, Tina picked up the hissing cat. In the blink of an eye, the cat scratched her. Though the wound has been bandaged, Tina still has to worry about infection.
3. Series Commasa. Use commas to separate three or more items in a series.b. Be sure to include the final (“Oxford”) comma between the last two items. This way, your final
two elements will not be read together.c. Items in a series can be words, phrases, or clauses. My mom wanted to serve fruit salad, macaroni, and cheese. We advertised the dinner in the newspaper, on the Internet, and on a local bulletin board. The people who saw the ad, who called us, and who showed up to the event were all very nice.
4. Nonessential Element Commasa. If a word, phrase, or clause can be crossed out without losing the meaning of the sentence, it is
called “nonessential,” and commas should be placed around this “extra” information.b. One-word nonessential elements : interjections, appositives, nouns of direct address, and vocatives The whale was very large, indeed, almost incalculably enormous. Her boyfriend, Tom, wanted to study whales as a marine biologist. I asked her, “Seriously, Eliza, do you really think that will be an easy field for him to get into?”c. Phrases as nonessential elements : participial or absolute phrases Tim, hoping to be the Homecoming King, has been trying to be friendlier to the underclassmen. The day nearly over, we had to tabulate the votes quickly.d. Clauses as nonessential elements : dependent Elizabeth, who is the nicest girl in her class, will definitely win Homecoming Queen this year.e. If you are looking at a compound sentence, and there is a tiny little nonessential element right after
the coordinating conjunction, you can skip the middle comma. The kids were studying very hard, but of course, they always study very hard. [I don’t need a
comma after “but”] The water wasn’t warm at first, and frankly, it never got warm at all. [I don’t need a comma after
“and”]
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5. Commas with Quotations and Dialoguea. Use a comma to set off direct quotations and dialogue. “When the going gets tough,” according to my coach, “the tough get going!” The coach asked, “Do you call that your best effort?” I said, “No. I’ll try harder, coach.”b. Be careful! If a quotation blends into the flow of your sentence, don’t use a comma. We often say “sorry” when we don’t really mean it.c. Also, if the line that introduces the quotation is a full sentence, use a colon instead. Joan Didion has a great little line about grammar: “Grammar is a piano I play by ear. All I know
about grammar is its power.”
6. Coordinate Adjective Commasa. If you could put an “and” in between two (or more) adjectives that are modifying one noun, it
means they are modifying the noun in an equal manner. We call these “coordinate” adjectives.b. If you don’t want to put the word “and” between coordinate adjectives, you need to place a
comma between them! He had a strong, unwavering commitment to the cause. He built the large, white, expensive house.c. Be careful! Often, the adjectives do not pass the “and” test; in which case, you cannot use a
comma. We liked to go visit the little old ladies. One of them owned an exquisite custom houseboat.
7. Contrast Commasa. Commas can add a pause that emphasizes a contrast.b. Use a comma to separate contrasted elements.
i. The child was merely ignorant, not stupid.ii. He wanted fire, not ice, as the theme of his winter party.
iii. You’re one of his best friends, or no?iv. She seemed neither embarrassed, nor upset.
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Comma Practice 1
Add commas where necessary. Write what rule(s) you are following in the box to the right. There are 13 missing commas.
1 Maria Rodriguez was born in Puerto Rico but she moved to
Atlanta when she was ten.
2 Although Maria spoke only Spanish before the move she learned
English quickly.
3 Many Latin American kids were in Maria’s new school so she felt
comfortable.
4 Even though West Elementary was small it was well funded and
well managed.
5 Mrs. Karr Mr. Rivera and Miss Johnson were Maria’s teachers.
6 Because Maria earned high grades the principal asked her parents
about allowing Maria to skip a grade.
7 Despite the fact that Mr. Rodrigues thought the idea was a good
one his wife convinced him that Maria was better off staying in
class with her friends.
8 Maria’s mother was concerned about three things: Maria would
have been anxious about skipping a year she would still need to
adjust to the area and she would have been a year younger than
most of her classmates.
9 Maria was happy and she proceeded to do even better the next
year.
10 One class Maria found difficult however was physical education.
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Comma Practice 2
Add commas where necessary. Write what rule(s) you are following in the box to the right. There are 17 missing commas.
1 Maria who was small for her age found physical competition
intimidating.
2 She thought she would undergo a growth spurt soon so she tried to
be patient.
3 Math English and Science were her favorite classes and they
passed by quickly.
4 On the other hand the hour-long gym class seemed to take forever.
5 “Everything” her mother said “will work out for the best.”
6 To be honest many children hate gym.
7 Maria thought the old smelly gym was a torture chamber.
8 Her friend Cheryl thought P.E. was okay but she hated math and
she thought all her classes were hard.
9 According to numerous people both Cheryl and Maria were decent
athletes but Maria outshone Cheryl in terms of her studies.
10 Maria thought that academics not athletics were the most
important.
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Comma Practice 3 Add commas where necessary in the following sentences. Not all sentences contain errors.
1. No I don’t want to marry him.
2. Dieters should avoid eggs meat and tropical oils.
3. As it was Monday Ashley was expecting her best friend to call from overseas.
4. When prepping the ingredients you should always wear gloves.
5. Although the referee was a good one he did not make the right call.
6. Inside it was very warm and bright.
7. After the kiss Jessica felt like she was on top of the world.
8. Until next year we won’t know if we should continue on or not.
9. The animals were very excited and they looked like they might be able to get out!
10. Really the book wasn’t that good.
11. My teacher’s remark on my final essay was so awesome! She wrote “A pleasure to read. I know you are more
than ready for next year!”
12. He made the little old ladies run laps.
13. I wanted the tall white expensive-looking house.
14. Usually the strongest animals are feared.
15. In spite of occasional scandals the Olympic Games are still a high point of sports for many people.
16. Olympic moments to remember include the perfect scores earned by gymnast Nadia Comaneci the death-
defying dives of Greg Louganis and the medal-winning long jumps of Carl Lewis.
17. Other moments in the history of the Games such as Hitler’s snubbing Jesse Owens the terrorist attacks in
Munich and Atlanta and the U.S. hockey team trashing a hotel after losing a match are not as uplifting.
18. The quest for Olympic gold can bring out the best or the worst in an athlete.
19. The first modern Olympic Games took place in 1896 and were held in Greece the site of the ancient Olympics.
20. In spite of their ancient heritage the Olympic Games continue to adapt to the changing world of sports.
21. In the past decade several new sports have become a part of the Olympics including the trampoline and
women’s soccer.
22. Snowboarding another new sport attracted controversy when a gold medalist tested positive for marijuana in
1998.
23. The snowboarder was allowed to keep his medal for he said that he had been exposed to second-hand smoke.
24. Cincinnati Ohio is one of the cities competing to host the next Olympic Games.
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Comma Practice 4 Add commas where necessary in the following sentences. Not all sentences contain errors.
1. The chimpanzee seemed neither happy nor unhappy.
2. The water wasn’t very cold at first but frankly it’s never very cold at first.
3. Our program was growing rapidly and even though we bought a lot of uniforms we didn’t have enough for
everyone.
4. Teddy Roosevelt the American president carried on with a speech after being shot!
5. The day nearly over we were all ready to sink into our soft warm beds.
6. My Aunt Felicity who lives in Dallas owns many beautiful pairs of designer shoes.
7. Sadly no one completed the task.
8. Players who are late to practice will be sent back to the locker room.
9. My friends knowing how much I like funny t-shirts gave me several for my birthday last month.
10. We are looking for high school students who are interested in a Saturday job.
11. The new library which is located in the center of campus is easy to find.
12. Some members of the audience thinking that the show was over left their seats.
13. People visiting the campgrounds will be banned from certain protected areas.
14. Thousands of “snowballs” from outer space are hitting Earth’s atmosphere every day according to scientists
at the recent meeting of the American Geophysical Union in Baltimore.
15. Over billions of years they reported this bombardment of cosmic slush has added vast amounts of water to
Earth’s atmosphere and oceans.
16. These extraterrestrial snowballs made up of ice and cosmic dust may have played a key role in nurturing life
on this planet and perhaps elsewhere in the solar system.
17. They are about forty feet in diameter the size of a small house.
18. These small comet-like objects unlike large comets are extremely hard to see because they break into
fragments and then vaporize.
19. Astronomers and physicists however have speculated about the objects’ existence since 1986.
20. The physicist Dr. Louis A. Frank first theorized about the objects to explain the dark spots he observed in
images on Earth’s sunlit atmosphere.
21. Dr. Frank noticed these spots or atmospheric holes while analyzing data from a NASA satellite launched in
February 1996.
22. A second NASA satellite also launched in February 1996 produced more detailed images of these
atmospheric holes.
23. Many scientists now believe that these snowballs are hitting Earth’s outer atmosphere at an incredible rate
of five to thirty a minute or up to 43,000 a day.
Comma Practice 5
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1. “A group of pilots committed to preserving World War II combat planes has been in existence since the 1950s” states
an Army Air Corp veteran.
2. Appropriately most of the original members of the group were fighter pilots during World War II.
3. After the war surplus military planes were sold to civilians.
4. In 1957 a group of veterans met in Mercedes Texas and the veterans decided to join together to buy a number of
surplus military planes.
5. As time passed the group became more organized bought more planes and started to rescue planes that were
scheduled for destruction.
6. Since the 1950s the organization has spread across the country and affiliated squadrons can be found all over
America.
7. Over the last four decades the group has sponsored numerous air shows many of which have been well attended.
8. These air shows allow patriotic young people to admire the airplanes from bombers to fighters that won WWII.
9. The group founded the American Airpower Heritage Museum in 1989 to house aircraft used in World War II by the
U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army.
10. The pilots of the organization have captured a slice of history for all of America to enjoy.
11. Since attending a family reunion I have been thinking about cousins.
12. Few people can remember how second cousins third cousins and first cousins once removed are related.
13. I can remember that my first cousins are my mother’s sisters’ children.
14. I began to get confused when my mother’s cousin told me “I’d like you to meet my only son Andre.”
15. I asked him if he knew what to call our relationship to each other.
16. He told me “The children of people who are first cousins are called second cousins.”
17. I asked him how I was related to his mother and his children.
18. “My mother is your first cousin once removed and my children are your second cousins once removed.”
19. Andre told me that when cousins are “removed” at least one generation separates them.
20. I really enjoyed meeting my second cousin Andre who knows a lot about cousins.
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How to Proofread for Comma Mistakes
1. When you see a coordinating conjunction (F.A.N.B.O.Y.S.), check to see whether there is an independent clause on either side of the conjunction.
o If yes, then make sure to use a comma! The wind blew, and the rain poured down.
o If no, then make sure you DON’T have a comma there. They bought two pizzas but ate only one.
2. Do not shove commas right in between a sentence’s subject and verb.o NO: The train coming down the track, is going to be late.o NO: Thousands of miles of open highway, will be deserted by early evening.
3. Make sure you never have two independent clauses on both sides of a comma. This is a RUN-ON called a comma splice.
o NO: Americans speak too rapidly, this is a common complaint made by foreign visitors.o NO: Julia wanted to buy a new car, Julia didn’t have enough money to do so.
4. If a sentence starts with a dependent clause, make sure there is a comma after that dependent clause!
o NO: After work went so well Bill was not prepared for a disaster at home.o YES: After work went so well, Bill was not prepared for a disaster at home.
5. Below are four common introductory elements. If you see these at the start of a sentence, AND they can be erased without the sentence losing meaning, add a comma!
o gerunds (verbal nouns ending with -ing) Driving to work, Jim stopped for coffee at Starbucks.
o infinitives (to + verb) To get a good grade, you must do all of the readings.
o prepositional phrases (prepositions: like in, at, on, between, under, etc.) Across the street from the library, an old man waited for the bus.
o introductory words (such as well, yes, moreover, etc.) Yes, I agree that the exam was quite difficult.
6. Look for nonessential elements that need commas.o If you could say, “by the way…” after a certain chunk of words, it’s probably nonessential. o Ask yourself whether the words seem like “extra” information that could be struck out.
NO COMMAS: Students who cheat only harm themselves. YES COMMAS: Fred, who sits behind me in class, is just harming himself by
cheating.
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Comma Proofreading 1
(30 missing)As soon as I get home from school I dash into my room and change clothes. My mom a
homemaker insists that I must always change clothes before I do anything else. Immediately after that I run outside and get my bike. I hop on the bike a Huffy ten-speed and race off to Jimmy’s house.
After talking for a few minutes we ride over to the basketball court. There are always several other guys there. I usually look for my friends Thomas Alan and Jimmy. As soon as we warm up we begin a game of basketball.
While we play we laugh talk and joke the whole time. Jimmy thinks he is a pretty good basketball player so he always tries to show off by shooting three-pointers. One day last week he was showing off when suddenly he tripped. When you play basketball as much as we do no one expects anyone to make silly mistakes.On this day however Jimmy made a pretty big mistake. Without thinking he ran out onto the court with his shoe untied. Just after we began playing someone maybe Thomas stepped on the loose shoestring.
Jimmy came up short immediately falling flat on his face. The expression he wore as he fell down was so funny. As soon as we knew that he was not hurt we could not help but laugh at him. Jimmy is a good sport though and after he got up he forgave us for stepping on his shoe string and for laughing. There is never a dull moment when we get together after school.
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Comma Proofreading 2
The following is an excerpt modified from “A Clean Well-Lighted Place” by Ernest Hemingway.
It was very late and everyone had left the café except an old man who sat in the shadow the
leaves of the tree made against the electric light. In the daytime the street was dusty but at night
the dew settled the dust and the old man liked to sit late because he was deaf and now at night it
was quiet and he felt the difference. The two waiters inside the café knew that the old man was a
little drunk and while he was a good client they knew that if he became too drunk he would leave
without paying so they kept watch on him.
The following excerpt is modified from Ernest Hemingway’s In Another Country.
In the fall the war was always there but we did not go to it any more. It was cold in the
fall and the dark came very early. The electric lights would come on and while I looked in the
windows I felt almost pleasant. Looking around I saw game hanging outside the shops snow
powdered in the fur of the foxes and wind blowing the hems of the women’s skirts. The deer
hung stiff and heavy and empty and small birds blew in the wind and the wind turned their
feathers. It was a cold fall and the wind came singing down from the mountains.
We were all at the hospital every chill fall afternoon and there were different ways of
walking across the town through the dusk to the hospital. Two of the ways were alongside canals
but they were long. Sometimes I walked one way and sometimes I walked the other although
they were much the same. Always though I crossed a bridge across a canal to enter the hospital.
There was a choice of three bridges. On one of them a woman sold roasted chestnuts that were
warm black and still steaming. It was warm standing in front of her charcoal fire which cackled
and glowed in the evening darkness and the chestnuts were warm afterward in your pocket.
The hospital was very old and very beautiful. One entered through a gate walked across a
courtyard and passed through a gate on the other side. Yes there were usually funerals starting
from the courtyard. Beyond the old hospital were the new brick pavilions and there we met every
afternoon and were all very polite and interested in what was the matter and we sat in the dark in
the machines that were to make so much difference.
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Comma Proofreading 3
The following excerpt is modified from Gertrude Stein’s The Making of Americans. Stein was an
American Modernist writer who did not follow the typical conventions of 19th century literature.
Often, she played with punctuation, especially the comma (which she often omitted).
It happens very often that a man a good man has it in him. A man does something and he does it
very often when he is a young man when he is an old man even when he is an older man.
One such man had a little boy and this one the little son wanted to make a collection of
butterflies beetles and snails and it was all exciting to him and it was all arranged. The father said
to the son “You are certain this is not a cruel thing that you are wanting to be doing killing things
to make collections of them?”
After he said this the son was very disturbed indeed very disturbed and they talked about it
together the two of them. More and more they talked about it and then at last the boy was
convinced it was a cruel thing so he said “I will not do it.” Then his father said the little boy was
a noble boy a very good boy to give up pleasure when it was a cruel one.
The boy went to bed then and when the father got up in the early morning he saw a wonderfully
beautiful moth in the room and he caught him and he killed him and he pinned him. He woke up
his son and showed the moth to him and he said to him “See what a good father I am to have
caught and killed this one?”
Now the boy was all mixed up inside him. Finally he said he would go on with his collecting and
that was all there was for the time being of discussing the matter.
Turn the page
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The following excerpt is modified from Gertrude Stein’s Lectures in America. Here, Stein is
making a statement by bending the rules of punctuation while specifically discussing that
punctuation.
And what does a comma do? A comma does nothing but make easy a thing that if you like it
enough is easy enough without the comma. A long complicated sentence should force itself upon
you make you know yourself knowing it and the comma well at the most a comma is a poor
period that lets you stop and take a breath but if you want to take a breath you ought to know
yourself that you want to take a breath. It is not like stopping altogether which has something to
do with going on but taking a breath well you are always taking a breath and why emphasize one
breath rather than another breath? Anyway that is the way I felt about it and I felt that about it
very very strongly. So I almost never used a comma.
The longer the more complicated the sentence the greater the number of the same kinds of words
I had following one after another. The more the more I had of them the more I felt the passionate
need of their taking care of themselves by themselves and not helping them and thereby
enfeebling them by putting in a comma. So that is the way I felt about punctuation in prose. In
poetry it is a little different but more so.
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Punctuation Cheat SheetCommas ( , )
The big four:
1. Set off introductory clauses/phrases2. In a compound sentence before the coordinating conjunction3. Set off “extra information”4. Separate items in a list (be sure that you do use the Oxford
comma!)
And three more:
5. Used to introduce a quote or dialogue6. Used in-between coordinate
adjectives (you can say “and” between them)
7. Used to indicate contrast
Semicolons ( ; )
Use a semicolon to connect two sentences that are closely related.A semicolon can ONLY go where a period could also go!
Colons ( : )
Place a colon to introduce a list or an illustration/example*.A colon can ONLY go after an independent clause!!!
YES:Bring these items to the ACT: an admission ticket, pencils, and a watch.There is only necessary personal trait: perseverance.*Notice the “illustration/example” word is sort of like an answer when the independent clause left you asking “what?”
NO:You should bring: an admission ticket, pencils, and a watch to the ACT.
Apostrophes (’)
Used in contractions. (Ex: You’re = You Are, he’s = He Is, don’t = Do Not)
Used to make nouns possessive. (Note: possessive pronouns have their own forms, like my/mine and their/theirs)
Add ’s to all singular nouns and plural nouns that don’t end in “s.”Paul’s book. Jesus’s life. The women’s shoe department
Add just ’ to plural nouns that end in “s”The carpenters’ tools
Don’t mix up your plurals and your possessives!
Adding an s makes most nouns plural. Adding ’s makes nouns possessive.
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Parentheses ( )
Use parentheses to set off explanations or definitions.Whatever is in parentheses is extra information. It is of lesser importance than the rest of the sentence.
YES:
The atmosphere on Venus (an uninhabitable planet) is not like Earth’s.There is a paucity (scarcity) of information about the most distant parts of the galaxy.
Dashes( –)
Dashes usually separate extra information from the rest of the sentence. They emphasize whatever they surround.The extra info is often an idea that interrupted the original idea of the sentence.Unlike commas, dashes and parentheses can set off entire independent clauses within another sentence!
YES:Mr. Lee is suited to the job—he has more experience than everyone else in the department—but he has been dealing with some things at home recently and would probably not be available for hire.All four of them—Bob, Jeffrey, Jason, and Brett—did well in college.
Hyphens (-)
Hyphens combine compound adjectives. Compound adjectives are modifying a word as one unit; they do not each modify the word separately.
Tricks to see if you need a hyphen: A) If can’t use the word “and” between the words, you need a hyphen. B) If you can’t pause for 2 beats between the last adjective and the noun modified, you need a hyphen.
YES: It was an ill-fated plan.She didn’t want a run-of-the-mill pony; she wanted an appaloosa.
No:She was wearing tall-black boots.
Quotation Marks Place double quotation marks around direct quotations. Place single quotation marks around quotations within quotations (triple-quote dialogue).You do NOT place quotation marks around something that is paraphrased.
You are working with dialogue, not citing from a text You are citing from a text
Place periods and commas inside the quotation marks. Place semicolons and colons outside quotation marks. Place question marks and exclamation points inside quotation marks if they belong to the quotation.
Remove the final period, comma, colon, or semicolon.Keep a final “?” or “!”Place a period after the parenthetical
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