Add punctuation where needed: 1. So many research studies theoretical works and program reports have been completed during this period that we can now point to a number of key practices consistently associated with improvement in student writing performance. 2. As noted in Chapter 1 one of the critical deficiencies in present day writing instruction is students sheer lack of writing practice. 3. To begin with experience with writing can build familiarity and comfort leading to the relatively fluent production of written language. 4. More significantly students need writing practice because writing like other aspects of human language is best learned in actual use rather than in decontextualized exercises or drills [which is what we have here]. 5. Most of these studies however were conducted in settings where both treatment and experimental groups were doing a substantial amount of writing. 6. Mina Shaughnessy whose Errors and Expectations is one of the most widely cited works on teaching writing has insisted that the fundamental problem of these students is their catastrophic lack of experience in writing. 7. We take our principle here from James Britton (1970) among others human beings must feel safe to share talk or writing before we can expect them to shape what they have said or written. 8. American high school students have a pencil in their hands for about one half of the school day but during only 3 percent of that time are they writing anything as long as a paragraph. 9. Obviously writing in school is harnessed to many small purposes filling in blanks answering test questions labeling diagrams blackening circles on standardized exams and so forth. 10. After all writing to think and learn to explore and express the self to create aesthetically with language and to get things accomplished in the world are all vital reasons for using writing. Check the above sentences for (1) comma missing for items in a series, (2) comma missing after introductory element, hyphen missing, apostrophe for possessions missing, (3) comma missing after introductory element, comma missing in front of extra information, (4) comma missing after introductory element, commas missing around extra information, comma missing in front of contrasting information, (5) commas missing around parenthetical word, (6) commas missing around extra information, (7) comma missing in front of extra information, punctuation missing to introduce new independent clause (could insert semicolon), (8) hyphen missing, comma missing in front of coordinating conjunction, comma missing after introductory element, (9) comma missing after introductory element, colon missing preceding list, commas missing for items in a series, (10) comma missing after introductory element, commas missing for items in a series. The source for these sentences was Farr and Daniels’ Language Diversity and Writing Instruction. The CMSU Writing Center Central Missouri State University, Humphreys 116 Advanced Punctuation Practice, page 85, https://www.ucmo.edu/PreBuilt/documents/AdvancedPunctuationPractice.pdf Place commas wherever they are needed in the following sentences. 1. There was no question that John's painting a huge colorful and ugly mural was the worst entry in the art exhibit. 2. Werner von Braun Willy Ley and Edward Teller noted authorities in the field of rocket development have done much to guide the missile program of the United States. 3. Mr. Cready's ability to say the wrong thing at the wrong time is I believe amazing. 4. Running around the house the dog was abruptly stopped by a fence. 5. If the opposition should win our candidate would never have any political future. 6. Gracefully lightly and daintily the ballerina moved across the stage. 7. Glamour the woman's fashion magazine recently incorporated with Charm another fashion journal. 8. Joe was born on May 7 1955 and his best friend was born exactly two months later on July 7 1955. 9. Mr. and Mrs. Kwon my parents' best friends sat in front of us at the football game. 10. November 11 1918 the armistice ending World War I was signed. ANSWER KEY 1. There was no question that John's painting, a huge, colorful, and ugly mural, was the worst entry in the art exhibit. 2. Werner von Braun, Willy Ley, and Edward Teller, noted authorities in the field of rocket development, have done much to guide the missile program of the United States. 3. Mr. Cready's ability to say the wrong thing at the wrong time is, I believe, amazing. 4. Running around the house, the dog was abruptly stopped by a fence. 5. If the opposition should win, our candidate would never have any political future. 6. Gracefully, lightly, and daintily, the ballerina moved across the stage. 7. Glamour, the woman's fashion magazine, recently incorporated with Charm, another fashion journal. 8. Joe was born on May 7, 1955, and his best friend was born exactly two months later on July 7, 1955. 9. Mr. and Mrs. Kwon, my parents' best friends, sat in front of us at the football game. 10. November 11, 1918, the armistice ending World War I was signed. Place commas wherever they are needed in the following sentences. 1. The problems involved in this operation are I think numerous. 2. Celene who does not usually tell anyone what she feels said she didn't want to go to the dance. 3. To get tickets for some Broadway musicals one has to order three months in advance. 4. Listening to the radio Jun heard an announcement that Spangler his own dog was lost. 5. I used to live at 16689 Sutton Avenue Milpitas California but we have since moved to 1895 Holland Way Dubuque Iowa. 6. The Valley of the Moon the name of a section in Napa County California is the heart of the state's wine producing area. 7. Chris did not see how he could organize write and proofread this paper in only two hours. 8. By the pilings of the old pier I found four starfish a clam and a sea anemone. 9. Yes Helen did mention that all three of you were coming for lunch. 10. I believe therefore that fraternities are good influences on a college campus. ANSWER KEY 1. The problems involved in this operation are, I think, numerous. 2. Celene, who does not usually tell anyone what she feels, said she didn't want to go to the dance. 3. To get tickets for some Broadway musicals, one has to order three months in advance. 4. Listening to the radio, Jun heard an announcement that Spangler, his own dog, was lost. 5. I used to live at 16689 Sutton Avenue, Milpitas, California, but we have since moved to 1895 Holland Way, Dubuque, Iowa. 6. The Valley of the Moon, the name of a section in Napa County, California, is the heart of the state's wine producing area. 7. Chris did not see how he could organize, write, and proofread this paper in only two hours. 8. By the pilings of the old pier, I found four starfish, a clam, and a sea anemone. 9. Yes, Helen did mention that all three of you were coming for lunch. 10. I believe, therefore, that fraternities are good influences on a college campus. Comma Use 1. Use commas to separate independent clauses when they are joined by any of these seven coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet. The game was over, but the crowd refused to leave. The student explained her question, yet the instructor still didn't seem to understand. Yesterday was her brother's birthday, so she took him out to dinner. 2. Use commas after introductory a) clauses, b) phrases, or c) words that come before the main clause. a. Common starter words for introductory clauses that should be followed by a comma include after, although, as, because, if, since, when, while. While I was eating, the cat scratched at the door. Because her alarm clock was broken, she was late for class. If you are ill, you ought to see a doctor. When the snow stops falling, we'll shovel the driveway. However, don't put a comma after the main clause when a dependent (subordinate) clause follows it (except for cases of extreme contrast). INCORRECT: The cat scratched at the door, while I was eating. CORRECT: She was still quite upset, although she had won the Oscar. (This comma use is correct, because it is an example of extreme contrast.) b. Common introductory phrases that should be followed by a comma include participial and infinitive phrases, absolute phrases, nonessential appositive phrases, and long prepositional phrases (over four words). Having finished the test, he left the room. To get a seat, you'd better come early. After the test but before lunch, I went jogging. The sun radiating intense heat, we sought shelter in the cafe. c. Common introductory words that should be followed by a comma include yes, however, well. Well, perhaps he meant no harm. Yes, the package should arrive tomorrow morning. However, you may not be satisfied with the results. 3. Use a pair of commas in the middle of a sentence to set off clauses, phrases, and words that are not essential to the meaning of the sentence. Use one comma before to indicate the beginning of the pause and one at the end to indicate the end of the pause. Here are some clues to help you decide whether the sentence element is essential: * If you leave out the clause, phrase, or word, does the sentence still make sense? * Does the clause, phrase, or word interrupt the flow of words in the original sentence? * If you move the element to a different position in the sentence, does the sentence still make sense? If you answer "yes" to one or more of these questions, then the element in question is nonessential and should be set off with commas. Here are some example sentences with nonessential elements: Clause: That Tuesday, which happens to be my birthday, is the only day when I am available to meet. Phrase: This restaurant has an exciting atmosphere. The food, on the other hand, is rather bland. Word: I appreciate your hard work. In this case, however, you seem to have over-exerted yourself. 4. Do not use commas to set off essential elements of the sentence, such as clauses beginning with that (relative clauses). That clauses after nouns are always essential. That clauses following a verb expressing mental action are always essential. That clauses after nouns: The book that I borrowed from you is excellent. The apples that fell out of the basket are bruised. That clauses following a verb expressing mental action: She believes that she will be able to earn an A. He is dreaming that he can fly. I contend that it was wrong to mislead her. They wished that warm weather would finally arrive. Examples of other essential elements (no commas): Students who cheat only harm themselves. The baby wearing a yellow jumpsuit is my niece. The candidate who had the least money lost the election. Examples of nonessential elements (set off by commas): Fred, who often cheats, is just harming himself. My niece, wearing a yellow jumpsuit, is playing in the living room. The Green party candidate, who had the least money, lost the election. Apples, which are my favorite fruit, are the main ingredient in this recipe. Professor Benson, grinning from ear to ear, announced that the exam would be tomorrow. Tom, the captain of the team, was injured in the game. It is up to you, Jane, to finish. She was, however, too tired to make the trip. Two hundred dollars, I think, is sufficient. 5. Use commas to separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses written in a series. The Constitution establishes the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. The candidate promised to lower taxes, protect the environment, reduce crime, and end unemployment. The prosecutor argued that the defendant, who was at the scene of the crime, who had a strong revenge motive, and who had access to the murder weapon, was guilty of homicide. 6. Use commas to separate two or more coordinate adjectives that describe the same noun. Be sure never to add an extra comma between the final adjective and the noun itself or to use commas with non-coordinate adjectives. Coordinate adjectives are adjectives with equal ("co"-ordinate) status in describing the noun; neither adjective is subordinate to the other. You can decide if two adjectives in a row are coordinate by asking the following questions: * Does the sentence make sense if the adjectives are written in reverse order? * Does the sentence make sense if the adjectives are written with and between them? If you answer yes to these questions, then the adjectives are coordinate and should be separated by a comma. Here are some examples of coordinate and non-coordinate adjectives: He was a difficult, stubborn child. (coordinate) They lived in a white frame house. (non-coordinate) She often wore a gray wool shawl. (non-coordinate) Your cousin has an easy, happy smile. (coordinate) The 1) relentless, 2) powerful 3) summer sun beat down on them. (1-2 are coordinate; 2-3 are non-coordinate.) The 1) relentless, 2) powerful, 3) oppressive sun beat down on them. (Both 1-2 and 2-3 are coordinate.) 7. Use a comma near the end of a sentence to separate contrasted coordinate elements or to indicate a distinct pause or shift. He was merely ignorant, not stupid. The chimpanzee seemed reflective, almost human. You're one of the senator's close friends, aren't you? 8. Use commas to set off phrases at the end of the sentence that refer to the beginning or middle of the sentence. Such phrases are free modifiers that can be placed anywhere in the sentence without causing confusion. (If the placement of the modifier causes confusion, then it is not "free" and must remain "bound" to the word it modifies.) Nancy waved enthusiastically at the docking ship, laughing joyously. (correct) INCORRECT:Lisa waved at Nancy, laughing joyously. (Who is laughing, Lisa or Nancy?) Laughing joyously, Lisa waved at Nancy. (correct) Lisa waved at Nancy, who was laughing joyously. (correct) 9. Use commas to set off all geographical names, items in dates (except the month and day), addresses (except the street number and name), and titles in names. Birmingham, Alabama, gets its name from Birmingham, England. July 22, 1959, was a momentous day in his life. Who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,Washington, DC? Rachel B. Lake, MD, will be the principal speaker. (When you use just the month and the year, no comma is necessary after the month or year: "The average temperatures for July 1998 are the highest on record for that month.") 10. Use a comma to shift between the main discourse and a quotation. John said without emotion, "I'll see you tomorrow." "I was able," she answered, "to complete the assignment." In 1848, Marx wrote, "Workers of the world, unite!" 11. Use commas wherever necessary to prevent possible confusion or misreading. To George, Harrison had been a sort of idol. Comma abuse Commas in the wrong places can break a sentence into illogical segments or confuse readers with unnecessary and unexpected pauses. 12. Don't use a comma to separate the subject from the verb. INCORRECT: An eighteen-year-old in California, is now considered an adult. INCORRECT: The most important attribute of a ball player, is quick reflex actions. 13. Don't put a comma between the two verbs or verb phrases in a compound predicate. INCORRECT: We laid out our music and snacks, and began to study. INCORRECT: I turned the corner, and ran smack into a patrol car. 14. Don't put a comma between the two nouns, noun phrases, or noun clauses in a compound subject or compound object. INCORRECT (compound subject): The music teacher from your high school, and the football coach from mine are married. INCORRECT (compound object): Jeff told me that the job was still available, and that the manager wanted to interview me. 15. Don't put a comma after the main clause when a dependent (subordinate) clause follows it (except for cases of extreme contrast). INCORRECT: The cat scratched at the door, while I was eating. CORRECT: She was still quite upset, although she had won the Oscar. (This comma use is correct, because it is an example of extreme contrast)