Grammar Lesson: Comma Use Practice Activities

Activity 3- Comma Matching Contest

Match the reasons for using a comma in Column A with their examples in Column B. Each answer is used only once. Write the letter from Column B on the line in Column A. The first one is done for you.

Column A	Column B
1. after the salutation of a friendly letter	A. In the middle of the night, the crickets were making loud noises.
2. ___ after the closing of a friendly or business letter	B. Matthew asked, ''Are we meeting here this afternoon?''
3. ___ to separate items in dates and addresses	C. Dear Samantha,
4. ___ to separate the speaker from the quotation	D. Hunted down by the police, the criminal was finally caught.
5. ___ to set off consecutive introductory prepositional phrases	E. A considerate, intelligent person will inform you.
6. ___ to separate nonessential or nonrestrictive clause	F. Sincerely,
7. ___ to separate two or more adjectives that precede a noun	G. We shot the toothpaste commercial, but it has not aired yet.
8. ___ to separate independent clauses joined by a conjunction	H. Shawneeta, is that you in the picture?
9. ___ to set off words in direct address	I. I met you on August 30, 2007.
10. ___ after an introductory participial phrase	J. These veterans, who are going to the banquet later, all served in the Korean War.

Answers

• Activity 1- Commas in Action
  1. Wendall would like to go fishing, but his father needs his help on the farm.
  2. If Julio had not corrected the error, he would have earned a lower grade.
  3. Because Julianne studied diligently for the examination, she passed with flying colors.
  4. The long, exhausting journey finally ended.
  5. My dad met my mom for the first time on June 14, 1975.
  6. Clara asked, ''Are these your violin strings?''
  7. The family members visited New Orleans, Detroit, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
  8. ''I moved from California to Utah last year,'' the salesman declared.
  9. Dear Nicolina, (as the salutation of a friendly letter)
  10. Smitty, will you please open that door for me?
  11. Mr. Pryal, the esteemed English teacher, knows the lyrics of many old songs.
  12. Our friends, who are good bowlers, will travel to Spain this fall.
  13. Since you look younger than twenty-one years old, I will need to see some identification.
  14. Within a few weeks after her interview, the movie actress purchased a home in Hollywood.
  15. As a matter of fact, this is the way home.
  16. Hector married Louanna on August 7, 2006.
  17. Stunned by the powerful punch, the boxer retreated to his corner.
  18. Needless to say, the Fourth of July celebration was joyous.
  19. Sincerely, (as the closing of a letter)
  20. Yes, this is the man I will marry next year.
• Activity 2- Some More Commas in Action
  1. After the initial stage of the project, the manager made three changes.
  2. Your neighbor, who has three dogs in his backyard, is the local bank president.
  3. Yours truly, (as the closing of a letter)
  4. Well, you can probably get there by then.
  5. Excited by the news, the cameraman sprinted to the scene.
  6. Dearest Dad, (the salutation of a friendly letter)
  7. Can you read the next paragraph, Rachel?
  8. ''This documentary is very informative,'' Roger told Ray.
  9. To tell the truth, my sister already knows about your plan.
  10. Because Eddie needs a ride, I volunteered to take him.
  11. As soon as the song was played, the children began to sing and dance.
  12. Yes, you should begin the game without me.
  13. These dogs bark loudly, and those cats love to scurry around the house.
  14. He lives in Richmond, Virginia.
  15. Dan Marino, who quarterbacked the Miami Dolphins for years, was always a threat to pass for a touchdown.
  16. Joyce, the Little League representative, has been volunteering for many seasons.
  17. The skilled carpenter purchased nails, hammers, crowbars, and putty at the local hardware store.
  18. Sincerely yours, (as the closing of a letter)
  19. He was my first choice, but the committee members thought differently.
  20. The meteorologist answered your brilliant, intriguing question.
• Activity 3- Comma Matching Contest
  1. C
  2. F
  3. I
  4. B
  5. A
  6. J
  7. E
  8. G
  9. H
  10. D