Hello everyone, welcome back to my channel, Sparkle English,
where I teach you how to improve your level of English. Today's video is going to be a
20 question quiz on basic comma rules. In this quiz, you have to place commas in each sentence,
you will have six seconds to place commas in each sentence. If you need more time,
just pause the video. Number one, She lived in Palermo Sicily for three years.
Here we need to add a comma after Palermo and after Sicily. We have to separate cities and
regions or countries with commas. If the region or country comes in the middle of the sentence,
you must add a comma after the country or region as well.
Number two. He needs to mow the lawn paint the deck and wash the windows.
Here we need to add a comma after mow the lawn. And again after paint the deck. We
have to use these commas to separate a series of words. In this example, we have a list of three
different activities that this man is doing. So we must use commas to separate these activities.
The comma before and is called the Oxford comma. And technically it's optional,
although using the Oxford comma can help prevent a lot of confusion. So I do recommend
it. Number three. No I can't come to the dinner party tomorrow evening.
Here we have to add a comma after no. We use a comma after yes and no when they begin a
statement. Number four, Edward said Bella is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.
Here we have to add a comma after said. We use a comma to separate a quotation from the rest of
the sentence. Number five, we have a meeting in two hours and we are not prepared for it.
Here we must add a comma after hours. We have two separate independent clauses. We
have a meeting in two hours; we are not prepared for it. Because these are two
independent clauses, they are two complete sentences, we must add a comma before
the conjunction and (or any of the fanboys conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).
Number six. While she was getting ready for work she received an urgent phone call.
Here we have to add a comma after work. While she was getting ready for work is an introductory
clause. It comes before the main clause, and it does not function on its own. So we must add a
comma after a dependent clause when it comes before an independent clause. Number seven.
Unfortunately Tim wasn't a good fit for the job and didn't get hired.
Here we have to add a comma after unfortunately,
because unfortunately is an introductory word. Introducing this sentence, we have to add a comma
after it. Number eight, I'd like to take you for dinner on Saturday Mark said.
Here we have to add a comma after Saturday before the closing quotation. Remember that we use a
comma to separate a quotation from the rest of a sentence. Number nine, he is a kind patient man.
Here we must put a comma between kind and patient. We use commas to separate multiple
adjectives that describe the same noun when the word and can be placed between them.
Because both of these adjectives describe the same noun (the man) we have to use a comma
between them. Number 10. Lorena is getting married on Saturday January 7 2023.
Here we have to use a comma after Saturday, and after January 7. We
use a comma to separate the day of the week, the day of the month, and the year.
Number 11. Mom can we have spaghetti for dinner? Here, we have to add a comma after mom. We use
a comma when directly addressing someone in a sentence. This is called the vocative comma.
Number 12. If it rains tomorrow let's just go to the cinema.
Here, we have to add a comma after tomorrow because we have a dependent clause.
If it rains tomorrow, that comes before the independent clause, let's just go to the cinema.
We have to use a comma to separate the dependent clause that comes before the independent clause.
Number 13. Carrie loves him yet she knows he isn't the right man for her.
Here we have to add a comma after him. We use a comma to separate independent clauses when they
are joined by one of the fanboys conjunctions, and yet is one of these conjunctions. We have an
independent clause. Carrie loves him; she knows he isn't the right man for her. So we have to add
a comma before the coordinating conjunction yet to join these two independent clauses together.
14. I'm bored tired and hungry.
Here we will add a comma after bored and after tired.
We are using these commas to separate this series of adjectives.
15. The meeting went relatively well; however we need to communicate better.
Here we need to add a comma after however. We are using however as a conjunctive adverb
to contrast the meeting going well, but also needing to communicate better. So
we have to use a comma after however, to introduce this independent clause. Number 16.
Grandma's spent the whole day baking cookies ironing clothes and organizing the closets.
Here we have to add two different commas to separate this list of phrases: baking cookies,
comma, ironing clothes, comma and organizing the closets.
Number 17. Bobby was cold so he put on his jacket hat and scarf.
Here we have multiple commas we need to add to this sentence.
Bobby was cold, comma, so he put on his jacket, comma, hat, comma,
and scarf. The first comma we need to use because we have an independent clause:
Bobby was cold. And also the independent clause: he put on his jacket hat and scarf. We need to
use a comma when we join two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction,
and we need to add the commas after jacket and hat because we are listing three different items,
three different nouns. Number 18. My boyfriend, who is Italian, is an excellent cook.
Here we need to add commas after my boyfriend and after Italian. My boyfriend, comma, who
is Italian, comma, is an excellent cook. That is because who is Italian is a nonessential clause.
This is not relevant information to the sentence. My boyfriend is an excellent cook.
That is the important part of the sentence. Who is Italian is just extra information
about my boyfriend. So we use commas to separate it from the rest of the sentence.
Number 19. After the party we went home and watched a movie.
Here, we add a comma after party. After the party, comma, we went home and watched a movie.
After the party is introducing the independent clause, we went home and watched a movie.
And finally, 20. This movie which I really liked was directed by Chris Columbus.
Here, we need to add commas after movie and after liked, again, which I really liked is
nonessential, extra information. This movie, which I really liked, was directed by Chris
Columbus. This is just extra information that is not necessary for the sentence to stand alone.
So great job, I want you to tell us how many did you get correct out of 20? Let me know in the
comment section of this video. If you did not pass this test, or if you got less than 15 out of 20.
I want you to watch my basic comma Rules video once again. Make sure to subscribe to sparkle
English for more videos just like this one, and I look forward to seeing you in my next lesson.