Hello everyone, and welcome back to my
channel, Sparkle English, where I teach
you how to improve your level of English. In my
last lesson, I taught you about 10 basic
comma rules. In today's video, we are going to
very quickly review the 10 basic comma rules,
and then have a 20 question quiz where you
will have to practice using commas.
So let's start with a brief overview of the
10 basic comma rules. Number one, use commas
to separate a series of words, nouns,
adjectives, or verbs in a sentence. For
example, She ate chocolate, comma,
cookies, comma, and ice cream at her birthday
party.
Rule number two, use a comma to separate a
series of phrases in a sentence. Example, I
bought groceries, comma, went to the
bank, comma, and cleaned the house after
work. Rule number three, use a comma to
separate independent clauses when they are
joined by the following conjunctions: for, and
nor, but, or, yet, so. Remember that an
independent clause is a complete sentence. For
example, John is going to the wedding, comma,
but I don't think Tony can come.
Rule number four, use commas after
introductory clauses, phrases or words that
come before the main clause. Example, when I
was a child, comma, I loved to play
dodgeball. Rule number five, use a comma after
yes and no when they begin a statement. No
comma, I don't want to go on a date with you
this weekend.
Rule number six, use a comma when directly
addressing someone in a sentence. Joel, comma,
did you just get a promotion?
Rule number seven, use a comma to separate a
quotation from the rest of a sentence. I want
to go to the cinema tonight, comma, Sharon
said.
Rule number eight. Use commas to separate
multiple adjectives that describe the same
noun when the word and can be placed between
them. He is a funny, intelligent man. Rule
number nine, use a comma to separate the
name of a city from a country or state.
Example, I was born in Toronto, Ontario,
Canada.
And finally, rule number 10. Use a comma
to separate the day of the week, the day of
the month, and the year. Example. Today is
Tuesday, October 12, 2021. So this is a very
fast overview of the 10 basic comma rules. To
have a lesson that's very detailed, go to
the link in the description below to
see my video on these exact 10 basic comma
rules.
We're going to have two different quizzes with
10 questions in each quiz. In the first
quiz, you have to place commas in the following
sentences. All 10 of these sentences are
missing commas. I'm first going to read the
10 sentences and then after we will correct
them together. Number one, mom asked me to do
the dishes make my bed and mop the floor.
Number two, we need to get milk cheese turkey
and bread from the supermarket.
Three. Unfortunately I can't make it tomorrow
night.
Four: Are you prepared for the meeting
tomorrow or do you need more time?
Five. I think Chris Hemsworth is from
Melbourne Australia. Six. Before a long day
of work I like to drink a large cup of coffee.
Number seven: Santa asked "What would you
like for Christmas?"
Eight. My mom wants to have a party for her
anniversary but my dad wants to go away for
the weekend.
Nine: Yes that sounds like a great idea. And
finally 10: when you were a kid did you play
hopscotch?
So now we're going to correct these together.
In number one, mom asked me to do the
dishes, make my bed, and mop the floor. We
have a series of three different phrases, and
we have to separate these using commas. In
number two, we need to get milk, comma,
cheese, comma, turkey comma, and bread from
the supermarket. This comma here before the
conjunction is called the Oxford comma. Some
people prefer not to use it, but I always
use the Oxford comma. It helps to prevent
confusion. I have a video on the Oxford
comma, which I will also link you to in the
description below this video. Number three:
Unfortunately, comma, I can't make it tomorrow
night. Number four, are you prepared for the
meeting tomorrow, comma, or do you need
more time? Here we have two different
independent clauses. Do you need more time,
and are you prepared for the meeting
tomorrow. So we have to have a comma before the
conjunction. Number five: I think Chris
Hemsworth is from Melbourne, comma,
Australia. Remember, we have to separate a city
and a country with a comma. Number six,
before a long day of work, comma, I like to
drink a large cup of coffee. We have an
introductory phrase here introducing this
independent clause, the main clause, so we have
to use a comma. Number seven, Santa asked
comma before the quotation, what would
you like for Christmas? My mom wants to have a
party for her anniversary, comma, but
my dad wants to go away for the weekend. Again,
we have two different independent clauses, so
we have to join them with a comma before the
conjunction number nine. Yes, comma, that
sounds like a great idea. Remember, we need
to use a comma after yes or no when they
begin a sentence. And 10 when you were a kid,
comma, did you play hopscotch? When you
were a kid is a dependent clause. And
when a dependent clause comes before an
independent clause, we have to use a comma. So
let me know in the comments section how
many you got out of 10 before we continue the
second part of this quiz.
So the second part is a little more difficult.
You have to tell me if the sentences are
correct or incorrect. Some of them have
correct usage of commas, and some do
not. So make sure to correct the ones that
are incorrect. Number one, yes, I would like
to order a coffee. Number two, Molly, do
you want pizza or pasta for dinner? Three,
Catherine is the most beautiful woman I've
ever seen, he said. Four. I'm not that
hungry, so I'll just order a salad. Five,
when he was a boy, he loved to throw rocks
with his friends. Six. Were you born in Madrid
Spain or somewhere else? Seven: we need
balloons, cake and ice cream for Luke's party.
Eight. He is a strong stubborn boy. Nine.
They're getting married on Saturday, June 4
2022. And finally, 10. Joseph is studying to
be a police officer and has the best grade in
his class. So now let's correct these together.
Number one is correct. We have a comma after
yes. Number two is incorrect. We need a
comma after Molly because we are directly
addressing Molly, so we have to have a comma.
Number three is also incorrect. Here at the
end of the quotation, we have a period and we
need a comma. So this should be comma. Number
four is correct. We have two different
independent clauses. I'm not that hungry.
I'll just order a salad. And because they
are joined with this conjunction so and the
comma, it is correct. Number five, we need a
comma. Number five is incorrect. We have a
dependent clause when he was a boy. And so we
have to put a comma after boy. When he was
a boy, comma, he love to throw rocks with hi
friends. Number six i also incorrect. We n
ed to add two d fferent commas here. W
have to have a comma a ter Madrid to s
parate the city and t e country and then a
so after Spain. If t e sentence ended. W
re you born in M drid, Spain, we w
uldn't need the s cond comma we would j
st have a question m rk. But because we h
ve more words after S ain,
we have to add another comma. Number seven is
correct. We have a series of three
different things in a list, and they are
separated with commas. Number eight is
incorrect. He is a strong stubborn boy. We
need one comma, between strong and stubborn,
because we can say he is a strong and
stubborn boy. When it's two different
adjectives that are describing the same
noun, we have to have a comma in between those
two adjectives. Number nine is also incorrect,
we need to add two different commas.
They're getting married on Saturday, comma,
June 4, comma 2022. Again, we use commas to
separate the day, the date, and the year. An
finally, number 10 is tricky one. This one i
actually correct Joseph is studying t
be a police officer an has the best grade i
his class. Some peopl might think we need
comma before and, but e do not need a com
a before and because " as the best grade in
is class" is no an independent clause
If this said Josep is studying to be a po
ice officer, and he has the best grade in
his class, then we w uld need a comma befor
and. But here we hav an independent claus
followed by conjunction and
dependent clause. So w do not need a comm
before the conjunction So let me know how man
you got correct out o 10 for the second part
for a total of how man out of 20 for the basi
comma rules quiz numbe one
If you've got less than 16, I recommend you
review the basic comma rules video again, and
then try this test. Once again. If you're
interested in more common quizzes, let me
know in the comments section below, or what
other types of punctuation or English
help you need and I will try to create a
lesson on that. Thank you guys once again for
watching. And make sure to subscribe to Sparkle
English for more videos just like this one.