Question

name:
comma usage ws - practice #2
directions:
→ read through each sentence, and add/omit a comma(s) where necessary. circle the change(s) that you make.
→ then, from the \comma usage\ slide show, identify which comma rule (#1 - 10) your correction is an example of.
→ lastly, explain why you fixed the comma mistake the way that you did.
→ sentence #1 has been completed for you — as a teacher example — and shows you what to do for #2 - 13.

1. oddly enough, i like washing my car but it always becomes dirty again the next time i drive it.
2. i want to make the varsity football team i should strength train five days a week.
3. corey my best friend is known to fabricate his stories - from time to time.
4. kicking and screaming on the ground my little brother threw the biggest tantrum of his life.
5. she on the other hand is often known to say one thing but do the complete opposite.
6. out back on the picnic table youll find a whole spread of bbq and side dishes for the cookout.

Explanation:

• Sentence 3: "Corey, my best friend, is known to fabricate his stories - from time to time." The phrase "my best friend" is a non - essential appositive. A non - essential appositive provides extra information about a noun (in this case, "Corey") and should be set off by commas.
• Sentence 4: "Kicking and screaming on the ground, my little brother threw the biggest tantrum of his life." The phrase "Kicking and screaming on the ground" is a participial phrase (a phrase that starts with a verb form ending in - ing or - ed and functions as an adjective). Participial phrases at the beginning of a sentence should be followed by a comma.
• Sentence 5: "She, on the other hand, is often known to say one thing but do the complete opposite." The phrase "on the other hand" is a conjunctive adverb (a word that connects two independent clauses and shows a relationship between them). Conjunctive adverbs used in the middle of a sentence should be set off by commas.
• Sentence 6: "Out back on the picnic table, you'll find a whole spread of BBQ and side dishes for the cookout." The phrase "Out back on the picnic table" is a prepositional phrase (a phrase that starts with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun). Prepositional phrases at the beginning of a sentence should be followed by a comma.

Answer:

• Sentence 3: Comma Rule # (assuming the rule for non - essential appositives). Fixed because "my best friend" is a non - essential description of "Corey" and needs commas.
• Sentence 4: Comma Rule # (assuming the rule for participial phrases at the start of a sentence). Fixed because "Kicking and screaming on the ground" is a participial phrase that should be followed by a comma.
• Sentence 5: Comma Rule # (assuming the rule for conjunctive adverbs in the middle of a sentence). Fixed because "on the other hand" is a conjunctive adverb that should be set off by commas.
• Sentence 6: Comma Rule # (assuming the rule for prepositional phrases at the start of a sentence). Fixed because "Out back on the picnic table" is a prepositional phrase that should be followed by a comma.