ACT Comma Practice

ACT Comma Rule Review and Worksheet

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Comma Rules Covered on the ACT

Misplaced, misused, and missing commas are the most frequent punctuation offenders on the English Test. These are the rules that are tested:

1.  Commas separate independent clauses joined by a conjunction (FANBOYS)

Example:  Henry could tie the shoe himself, or he could ask Amanda to tie his shoe.

2.  Commas separate items in a series. 

Example:  The hungry girl devoured the chicken, two pound of pasta, and a chocolate cake. 

Reminder:  If the word and joins each and every item, NO commas are needed.

3.  Commas separate multiple adjectives that modify a noun.

  Never put a comma between the last adjective and the noun that it modifies.

Example:  The loud, angry protesters mobbed the building.

4.  Commas are used to set off dependent clauses from main clauses in a sentence and phrases from a sentence, especially introductory clauses. 

Example:  After preparing an elaborate meal for herself, Anne was too tired to eat. 

Remember:  If the clause comes at the end of a sentence, a comma may not be needed.

Anne was too tired to eat after preparing an elaborate meal for herself.

Scared of monsters, Timmy always checked under the bed before he fell asleep.

5.  Commas set off nonessential phrases and clauses. 

Example:  Everyone voted Carrie, who is the most popular girl in our class, prom queen.

The decrepit street sign, which had stood in our town since 1799, finally fell down.

6.  Conjunctive adverbs like however, consequently, therefore, etc. are set off with commas if they do not join two major sentences together.

Example: 

He forgot, however, that he was to pick up his child from the birthday party.

DO NOT put commas with restrictive clauses.

Example:  The girl who is sick missed three days of school.

The dog that ate the rotten steak fell down and died.

6.  Use commas to set off appositives in a sentence. 

The dog, a Yorkshire terrier, barked at all the neighbors.

Marty, the boy in the green shirt, made the only A in the class.

Practice ACT Questions Using Comma Rules

Bell Ringers Tuesday, November 19 2019

1.  The two “little brothers” of Ligia’s host family, who had volunteered to move, to those bedrooms for a year, had to be moved upstairs to the room Ligia was using.

A.  NO CHANGE

B.  volunteered to move to those bedrooms for a year

C.  volunteered to move to those bedrooms for a year,

D.  volunteered, to move to those bedrooms for a year,

2.  Down the street from the college, I attend, the Save-U Laundromat is always open, and someone is always there.

A.  NO CHANGE

B.  college, I attend

C.  college I attend,

D.  college I attend

3.  You have to admire the honesty of a company whose slogan is “Just About the Best.”  Glory Foods’ president, and founder Bill Williams, explains the unusual slogan by admitting that while he knows that his foods can’t be beat the taste of real home cooking, they do come very close.

A.  No CHANGE

B.  president, and founder Bill Williams

C.  president and founder Bill Williams

D.  president and founder, Bill Williams,

4.  Then again, you can sometimes get lucky, and a ball you thought was lost, will inexplicably bounce back into play.

A.  NO CHANGE

B.  lost will

C.  lost, will,

D.  lost will,

5.  Suddenly, without warning, each of the letters, in front of you tumbles to the bottom of the screen.

A.  NO CHANGE

B.  letters in front of you tumbles,

C.  letters in front of you, tumbles

D.  letters in front of you tumbles

Bell Ringers Wednesday, November 20, 2019

1.  Not all viruses however, straighten themselves out.

A.  NO CHANGE

B.  viruses; however,

C.  viruses, however

D.  viruses, however,

2.  Grandpa could punch in the time, and the channel of his favorite daily news program, and the TV would turn on that program at the proper time. 

A.  NO CHANGE

B.  time and, the channel,

C.  time and the channel

D.  time and the channel,

3.  The music and the instrument were adopted by musicians in that region, who began to use the accordion, in their own dance music, huapangos and rancheras. 

A.  NO CHANGE

B.  accordion in their own dance music,

C.  accordion, in their own dance music

D.  accordion in their own dance music

4.  During the early morning hours of October 28, 1965, engineers stationed 630 feet above the ground made careful measurements for the day’s work. 

A.  NO CHANGE

B.  1965, and engineers

C.  1965.  Engineers

D.  1965; engineers

5.  For years I had seen pictures of other Miami—many of them the ancestors of the people, who walked along with me to the long house that summer evening. 

A.  NO CHANGE

B.  people who, walked along with me

C.  people, who walked along, with me

D.  people who walked along with me

Thursday, November 21, 2019

1.  Before leaving on a hunt, the pack gathers for a “group sing” called chorus howling.  Usually begun by the alpha or, dominant, pair of wolves, the pack is excited in preparation for the hunt partly by chorus howling.

A.  NO CHANGE

B.   alpha, or dominant, pair

C.  alpha or dominant pair,

D.  alpha or, dominant pair

2.  What’s already clear, is that the stereotypical image of the lone wolf howling at the full moon obscures the importance howling has in the social life of these animals. 

A.  NO CHANGE

B.  clear is that,

C.  clear is, that

D.  clear is that

3.  But this apparent chaos is the subject of scientific research.

A.  NO CHANGE

B.  chaos, is the subject

C.  chaos is the subject,

D.  chaos:  is the subject

4.  In February 2001, polar adventurers Liv Arnesen of Norway, and Ann Bancroft of Minnesota became the first women to climb and ski across the continent of Antarctica. 

A.  NO CHANGE

B.  Arnesen, of Norway, and Ann Bancroft,

C.  Arnesen, of Norway and Ann Bancroft,

D.  Arnesen of Norway and Ann Bancroft

5.  Hiking unassisted up the 10,000-foot-high Sygyn Glacier, and each woman pulled a sled that weighed more than 260 pounds.

A.  NO CHANGE

B.  when

C.  while

D.  Delete the underlined portion