Mastering Comma Rules

Commas in Coordinated Structures

DIRECTIONS: Each unfinished sentence below ends with a conjunction. Pay attention to the punctuation and grammatical structures coming before the conjunction and finish the pattern which has been started.

EXAMPLES: a. The lawyer trudged to the widow's cabin every day that winter,

greeted her courteously, and

asked her whether he could give her any assistance.

(a third predicate, the last item in a series)

b. The lawyer trudged to the widow's cabin every day that winter and

chopped wood for her.

(a second predicate, the second item in a pair of phrases)

c. The lawyer trudged to the widow's cabin every day that winter, and

in the spring she proposed to him.

(a second independent clause)

1. My favorite desserts are strawberries and cream, strawberry shortcake, and (a 3rd dessert)

2. Martha planned a visit to New York and (a second activity or a second place)

3. Martha planned a visit to New York, and (a second whole idea)

4. Computers are amazingly fast, impressively efficient, and (the third item in a series)

5. Computers are amazingly fast, but (a second independent clause)

6. Computers are amazingly fast but (the second item in a pair of phrases)

7. Are you sure you want to try sky-diving, or (a second question)

8. He fed ground glass to the old woman's dog, but (a second independent clause)

9. He fed ground glass to the old woman's dog and (the second in a pair of phrases)

10. After cleaning the garage, you can take a little trip to the mall, or

11. Paul accepted the money Mr. Rush sent him but did not sign the IOU or

12. Her tears were signs of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and

13. The old elephant lumbered clumsily toward the thicket to die, but

14. The old elephant lumbered clumsily toward the thicket to die but

15. We danced till we could hardly stand, drank far too much, and then

16. When Sheila was about to have one of her "spells," she usually thought she saw snakes writhing across her path or

17. Writing punctuation exercises gives me a pain in my gut and sometimes

18. I recognized everyone at the reunion, but

19. I recognized everyone at the reunion but Georgia Gribshaw, for

20. Well, then, Rodney, you can behave like a nice little boy, or

21. Well, then, Rodney, you can behave like a nice little boy or

22. Auntie Maud stopped smoking because cigarettes were too expensive, and

23. Auntie Maud stopped smoking because cigarettes were too expensive and

24. Herbert's palms sweated while he waited for the jury's decision, and

25. I couldn't afford a new winter coat, for

26. I couldn't afford a new winter coat for my trip to Russia and

27. Before Marty invites people to her house, she always cleans the refrigerator and

28. The aquarium is finally clean and

29. The aquarium is finally clean, and

30. A grade school teacher has to be well prepared, for her students

31. A grade school teacher has to be well prepared for her students

32. I managed to find everything on my shopping list but the

33. I managed to find everything on my shopping list, but the

34. At the opera, Martha couldn't help wanting to lean over the balcony and

35. Every day after school I go to work, put on my uniform, and

36. Every day after school I go to work, my boss bawls me out, and

37. Every day after school I go to work, to dinner, and

Note: The conjunction "so" always joins clauses, but it has two meanings. The comma is used only when it introduces a result. When it means "so that," it introduces a purpose, not a result, and the clause it introduces is not independent. No comma is used in that case.

Examples: We tried to keep the music at our party fairly low so

the neighbors would not (we hoped) complain.

We tried to keep the music at our party fairly low, so

the neighbors did not (thank goodness!) complain.

38. The earlobe healed over the small diamond, so

39. I urged Sally to complete her college education so

40. I urged Sally to complete her college education, so

41. The skillets were hanging right next to the range so

42. The skillets were hanging right next to the range, so

43. Grandma had put fresh sheets on the guest bed so

44. Grandma had put fresh sheets on the guest bed, so

45. We both had two cups of strong black coffee so

46. We both had two cups of strong black coffee, so

Further Practice:

47. An alien spacecraft suddenly appeared out of nowhere and

48. Clare applied bright red nail polish to her fingernails and

49. Words once reserved for rest room walls are now common stuff in films, plays, books, and even

50. Should we take the ambassador to the McDonald's in Warren or

51. The man at the carnival failed to guess my weight, so

52. The photographer came late to the wedding but

53. The Snakes defeated the Platypuses, and the Aardvarks

54. The Snakes defeated the Platypuses and the Aardvarks

55. The homeless have little choice but to sleep under a bridge or

56. Marcia's purse bulged with skeleton keys, Howard Johnson's flatware, and

57. Gregor Samsa awoke one morning to find himself changed into a gigantic bug, but

58. Please pay your overdue bill immediately, or

59. After the forest fire there were no trees on the plain, animals in their burrows, or

60. The price of gasoline has stopped sky-rocketing but

61. The price of gasoline has stopped sky-rocketing, but

62. The motionless figures appeared to be in a deep sleep or

63. During the storm our electricity went out, and