SHSAT English Language Arts Quiz: Comma Usage
20 questions · exam conditions
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Comma UsageQuestion 1 of 20

Riverside has two public libraries. One was built in 1952, and the other opened in 2015.

Which sentence, added after these sentences, is punctuated correctly?

The library built in 1952 recently added a rooftop garden.
The library, built in 1952, recently added a rooftop garden.
The library, built in 1952 recently added a rooftop garden.
The library built in 1952, recently added a rooftop garden.
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SHSAT English Language Arts Quiz

SHSAT English Language Arts Quiz: Comma Usage

Practice Comma Usage in SHSAT English Language Arts with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Comma Usage, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for SHSAT English Language Arts.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

Riverside has two public libraries. One was built in 1952, and the other opened in 2015.

Which sentence, added after these sentences, is punctuated correctly?

  1. The library built in 1952 recently added a rooftop garden. (correct answer)
  2. The library, built in 1952, recently added a rooftop garden.
  3. The library, built in 1952 recently added a rooftop garden.
  4. The library built in 1952, recently added a rooftop garden.
Explanation: This question tests whether a modifying phrase is essential to identifying the noun it describes. The passage says Riverside has "two public libraries" and that "One was built in 1952, and the other opened in 2015." Because "The library" alone could mean either building, the phrase "built in 1952" is what tells the reader which one is meant. An essential phrase takes no commas, so choice A, "The library built in 1952 recently added a rooftop garden.", is correct. Looking at the incorrect options: Choice B encloses "built in 1952" in commas, which treats the phrase as extra information and leaves "The library" pointing to no single building out of two. Choice C opens the phrase with a comma but never closes it, and the phrase is essential in the first place. Choice D places a lone comma after "1952", separating the subject from its verb "recently added". The correct answer is A because the phrase identifies one of the town's two libraries and therefore must not be set off with commas. Strategy tip: On SHSAT comma questions, do not assume every descriptive phrase after a noun needs commas; delete the phrase and ask whether the sentence still points to one specific thing.

Question 2

Which sentence uses commas correctly?

  1. The hikers passed an old, stone farmhouse and rested beside a quiet, shaded pond.
  2. The hikers passed an old stone farmhouse and rested beside a quiet shaded pond.
  3. The hikers passed an old stone farmhouse and rested beside a quiet, shaded pond. (correct answer)
  4. The hikers passed an old stone farmhouse, and rested beside a quiet, shaded pond.
Explanation: This question asks you to tell coordinate adjectives, which need a comma, from cumulative adjectives, which do not. Test each pair by placing "and" between the adjectives. A pond can be quiet and shaded, and the two words can trade places, so they are coordinate and need a comma. A farmhouse described as old and stone sounds wrong, because "stone farmhouse" acts as a unit that "old" then describes, so no comma belongs there. Only choice C pairs "an old stone farmhouse" with "a quiet, shaded pond". Looking at the incorrect options: Choice A wrongly places a comma in "an old, stone farmhouse", splitting cumulative adjectives. Choice B omits the comma in "a quiet shaded pond" even though those adjectives are coordinate. Choice D adds a comma before "and rested", but one subject performs both actions, so no comma separates the two verbs of the compound predicate. The correct answer is C because it punctuates the coordinate pair and leaves the cumulative pair alone. Strategy tip: On SHSAT adjective questions, insert "and" between the adjectives and try reversing them; use a comma only when both tests sound natural.

Question 3

My aunt kept her old letters in two heavy battered leather trunks in the attic.

Which revision correctly punctuates the adjectives in the sentence?

  1. two, heavy, battered leather trunks
  2. two heavy battered, leather trunks
  3. two heavy, battered, leather trunks
  4. two heavy, battered leather trunks (correct answer)
Explanation: This question asks you to decide which adjectives in a string need commas between them. Only coordinate adjectives, ones that could be joined by the word and or reversed, are separated by commas. Trunks can be heavy and battered, so those two words are coordinate. The number "two" and the material word "leather" are cumulative: "leather trunks" works as a unit, and "two" counts the whole group. Choice D, "two heavy, battered leather trunks", places a comma only between the coordinate pair. Looking at the incorrect options: Choice A puts a comma after "two", but a number does not pair with "heavy" as an equal describer. Choice B places the comma in "battered, leather", splitting cumulative adjectives while missing the coordinate pair. Choice C adds a comma after "battered", wrongly treating "leather" as coordinate with the other adjectives. The correct answer is D because the only coordinate adjectives in the string are "heavy" and "battered". Strategy tip: On SHSAT strings of adjectives, test each neighboring pair separately by inserting the word and; a comma belongs only where that test sounds natural.

Question 4

Four bridges cross the Harlan River, and each one was built in a different decade.

Which version of the next sentence is punctuated correctly?

  1. The bridge, which was built in 1887, is now closed to cars.
  2. The bridge that was built in 1887 is now closed to cars. (correct answer)
  3. The bridge that was built in 1887, is now closed to cars.
  4. The bridge, that was built in 1887, is now closed to cars.
Explanation: This question tests whether a clause after a noun is essential, which decides whether it takes commas. The passage says "Four bridges cross the Harlan River", so the words "The bridge" alone do not tell the reader which bridge is meant. The clause "that was built in 1887" identifies it, so it is essential and takes no commas: "The bridge that was built in 1887 is now closed to cars." Looking at the incorrect options: Choice A is a correctly formed nonessential clause, but setting it off with commas implies there is only one bridge, which contradicts the passage. Choice C places a single comma after "1887", separating the subject from its verb "is". Choice D surrounds a clause beginning with "that" with commas, but a that clause is always essential and never set off. The correct answer is B because the clause is needed to pick out one bridge from four and so must not be enclosed in commas. Strategy tip: On SHSAT questions about which and that clauses, use the surrounding sentences to count how many things the noun could mean; more than one means the clause is essential and gets no commas.

Question 5

(1) Lena has only one pet. (2) Her dog a ten-year-old beagle named Pepper sleeps at the foot of her bed every night.

Which choice shows the correct punctuation for sentence 2?

  1. Her dog, a ten-year-old beagle named Pepper, sleeps at the foot of her bed every night. (correct answer)
  2. Her dog, a ten-year-old beagle named Pepper sleeps, at the foot of her bed every night.
  3. Her dog a ten-year-old beagle named Pepper, sleeps at the foot of her bed every night.
  4. Her dog, a ten-year-old, beagle named Pepper, sleeps at the foot of her bed every night.
Explanation: This question asks you to punctuate an appositive phrase that interrupts a subject and its verb. Sentence 1 says "Lena has only one pet", so "Her dog" already identifies the animal. The phrase "a ten-year-old beagle named Pepper" renames the dog and adds information, so it is nonessential and needs a comma on each side. The closing comma belongs right after "Pepper", where the appositive ends, and before the verb "sleeps". Choice A places both commas at the edges of the phrase. Looking at the incorrect options: Choice B has two commas but puts the second one after "sleeps", so the verb is pulled inside the appositive and then cut off from "at the foot of her bed". Choice C closes the appositive but never opens it, so a single comma separates the subject from its verb. Choice D adds a comma in "a ten-year-old, beagle", which splits an adjective from the noun it modifies. The correct answer is A because the nonessential appositive is enclosed by a matching pair of commas placed exactly where the phrase begins and ends. Strategy tip: On SHSAT questions about interrupting phrases, do not stop at counting commas; check that the second comma falls exactly where the phrase ends and before the main verb.

Question 6

Between March 2009 and October 6 2017 the bakery on Grove Street sold more than a million loaves of bread.

Which choice correctly punctuates the dates in this sentence?

  1. Between March, 2009, and October 6, 2017, the bakery
  2. Between March 2009 and October 6, 2017, the bakery (correct answer)
  3. Between March 2009, and October 6, 2017 the bakery
  4. Between March 2009 and October 6, 2017 the bakery
Explanation: This question tests the different comma rules for a month with a year and for a full date. A month followed only by a year, such as "March 2009", takes no comma. A full date takes a comma between the day and the year and another after the year when the sentence continues. Choice B, "Between March 2009 and October 6, 2017, the bakery", follows both rules, and the comma after "2017" also ends the long introductory phrase before the subject "the bakery". Looking at the incorrect options: Choice A inserts commas in "March, 2009," even though a month and year alone are never separated. Choice C adds a comma after "March 2009" and drops the required comma after "2017". Choice D handles "October 6, 2017" correctly inside the date but omits the comma that must follow the year. The correct answer is B because it leaves the month-year pair unpunctuated and wraps the year of the full date in commas. Strategy tip: On SHSAT date questions, check whether a day is present; only a full month-day-year date needs commas, while a month and year stand together without one.

Question 7

Although the forecasters had promised rain for the afternoon, the sky over the riverbank stayed clear and dry, the volunteers who had planted the saplings hauled water from the creek in buckets.

Which revision corrects the error in the sentence?

  1. stayed clear and dry, so, the volunteers who had planted the saplings hauled
  2. stayed clear and dry, so the volunteers who had planted the saplings, hauled
  3. stayed clear and dry, so the volunteers who had planted the saplings hauled (correct answer)
  4. stayed clear and dry, as a result the volunteers who had planted the saplings hauled
Explanation: This question asks you to find and repair a comma splice, which is two independent clauses joined by only a comma. In the sentence, "the sky over the riverbank stayed clear and dry" and "the volunteers who had planted the saplings hauled water from the creek in buckets" are both complete clauses, and only a comma joins them. Choice C adds the conjunction "so" after that comma, which links the clauses correctly and adds no other commas. Looking at the incorrect options: Choice A fixes the splice but adds a comma after "so", which wrongly separates the conjunction from the clause it introduces. Choice B fixes the splice but puts a comma in "saplings, hauled", which separates the subject "the volunteers" from its verb "hauled". Choice D uses "as a result", a transitional phrase rather than a conjunction, so the two clauses are still joined by only a comma. The correct answer is C because a comma plus "so" joins the two independent clauses and no other comma interrupts the sentence. Strategy tip: On SHSAT comma questions, once a choice fixes the main error, keep checking every other comma in it, since a second misplaced comma makes the choice wrong.

Question 8

Which of the following sentences contains no comma errors?

  1. Beyond the old mill at the edge of the village stood a row of crumbling stone cottages. (correct answer)
  2. Beyond the old mill at the edge of the village, stood a row of crumbling stone cottages.
  3. Beyond the old mill at the edge of the village stood a row of crumbling, stone cottages.
  4. Beyond the old mill at the edge of the village stood, a row of crumbling stone cottages.
Explanation: This question asks you to spot misplaced commas in an inverted sentence and in a string of adjectives. The sentence is inverted: the subject, "a row of crumbling stone cottages", comes after the verb "stood". The opening phrase "Beyond the old mill at the edge of the village" leads straight into the verb, so it is not a separate introductory element, and no comma follows it. The adjectives "crumbling stone" are cumulative, because "stone cottages" is a unit that "crumbling" describes, so they take no comma either. Choice A has no commas and is correct. Looking at the incorrect options: Choice B places a comma after "village", which cuts the opening phrase off from the verb it leads into. Choice C adds a comma in "crumbling, stone cottages", although the words crumbling and stone cannot sensibly be joined by and. Choice D places a comma after "stood", which separates the verb from its subject. The correct answer is A because the inverted sentence and its cumulative adjectives require no commas. Strategy tip: On SHSAT sentences that begin with a long phrase, check whether a verb comes right after it; if so, the sentence is inverted and no comma belongs between the phrase and the verb.

Question 9

Construction of the Millbrook Bridge began on May 4 1927 and ended almost four years later.

Which revision of the sentence is punctuated correctly?

  1. Construction of the Millbrook Bridge began on May 4, 1927 and ended almost four years later.
  2. Construction of the Millbrook Bridge began on May 4, 1927, and ended almost four years later. (correct answer)
  3. Construction of the Millbrook Bridge, began on May 4, 1927, and ended almost four years later.
  4. Construction of the Millbrook Bridge began on May 4 1927, and ended almost four years later.
Explanation: This question tests the comma rules for a full date in the middle of a sentence. When a month, day, and year appear mid-sentence, a comma goes between the day and the year, and a second comma follows the year. Choice B, "began on May 4, 1927, and ended almost four years later", includes both. The comma after the year is required by the date rule, even though "began" and "ended" share one subject and would otherwise take no comma before "and". Looking at the incorrect options: Choice A separates the day from the year but omits the closing comma after "1927", leaving the date unfinished. Choice C has the correct date commas but adds a comma after "Bridge", which separates the subject from its verb. Choice D omits the comma between "4" and "1927", so the day and year run together. The correct answer is B because it places a comma both before and after the year in a mid-sentence date. Strategy tip: On SHSAT punctuation questions, treat the year in a full date as if it were wrapped in commas; whenever the sentence continues after the year, a comma must follow it.

Question 10

My grandparents lived in Savannah Georgia for forty years before they moved to Asheville North Carolina in 2016.

Which revision correctly punctuates the place names in the sentence?

  1. Savannah, Georgia for forty years before they moved to Asheville, North Carolina, in 2016
  2. Savannah, Georgia, for forty years before they moved to Asheville, North Carolina in 2016
  3. Savannah, Georgia, for forty years before they moved to, Asheville, North Carolina, in 2016
  4. Savannah, Georgia, for forty years before they moved to Asheville, North Carolina, in 2016 (correct answer)
Explanation: This question tests how to punctuate a city and state that appear in the middle of a sentence. A state that follows a city is set off like an appositive: one comma goes between the city and the state, and another follows the state whenever the sentence continues. Choice D gives "Savannah, Georgia, for forty years" and "Asheville, North Carolina, in 2016", supplying all four required commas. Looking at the incorrect options: Choice A handles the second place correctly but writes "Savannah, Georgia for forty years", leaving out the comma after the first state. Choice B handles the first place correctly but writes "North Carolina in 2016", leaving out the comma after the second state. Choice C has every needed comma but adds one in "moved to, Asheville", which splits the preposition from its object. The correct answer is D because each state is followed by a closing comma and no extra comma interrupts the sentence. Strategy tip: On SHSAT questions with places, check both ends of every city-state pair; the comma after the state is the one test writers remove most often, and the choice with the most commas is not automatically right.

Question 11

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

  1. The coach studied the game film for hours, and then redesigned the team's entire defense.
  2. The coach studied the game film for hours and then she redesigned the team's entire defense.
  3. The coach studied the game film for hours, and then she redesigned the team's entire defense. (correct answer)
  4. The coach, studied the game film for hours, and then she redesigned the team's entire defense.
Explanation: This question tests the difference between a compound sentence and a compound predicate. When "and" joins two verbs that share one subject, no comma goes before it; when "and" joins two independent clauses, a comma goes before it. In choice C, "she redesigned the team's entire defense" has its own subject, so the sentence contains two independent clauses and the comma before "and then she" is required. Looking at the incorrect options: Choice A uses the same comma, but "and then redesigned" has no subject of its own; it is the second verb of a compound predicate, so no comma belongs before "and". Choice B has two independent clauses but omits the comma in "for hours and then she redesigned" that standard usage puts before "and" when a new subject begins a second independent clause. Choice D adds a comma after "The coach", which separates the subject from its verb "studied". The correct answer is C because it places a comma before "and" only where a new subject begins a second independent clause. Strategy tip: On SHSAT comma questions, look right after a conjunction such as "and"; if a new subject follows, use a comma, and if a verb follows, leave the comma out.

Question 12

(1) Ms. Okafor has three sons, and all of them live in different cities. (2) Her son David who is the youngest just started college in Ohio.

Which revision of sentence 2 is punctuated correctly?

  1. Her son, David, who is the youngest, just started college in Ohio.
  2. Her son David who is the youngest, just started college in Ohio.
  3. Her son, David who is the youngest, just started college in Ohio.
  4. Her son David, who is the youngest, just started college in Ohio. (correct answer)
Explanation: This question asks whether a name and a clause are needed to identify the noun they follow, which decides whether commas set them off. Sentence 1 says Ms. Okafor has "three sons", so the name David is needed to tell which son is meant, and it takes no commas. The clause "who is the youngest" only adds information about a son already identified, so a pair of commas encloses it: "Her son David, who is the youngest, just started college in Ohio." Looking at the incorrect options: Choice A puts commas around the name in "Her son, David, who", treating David as extra information, which fits only a mother with one son. Choice B drops the opening comma, leaving a single comma that splits the subject from the verb "just started". Choice C wraps "David who is the youngest" in commas, wrongly treating the essential name as removable and failing to separate the clause from the name. The correct answer is D because it leaves the essential name unpunctuated and encloses the nonessential clause in two commas. Strategy tip: On SHSAT comma questions, look for a number such as "three sons" before deciding whether a name needs commas; if the noun could mean more than one person, the name is essential and gets no commas.

Question 13

The museum's curator spent three years tracking down the stolen paintings and eventually recovered all but one of them from a private collector.

How should the sentence be punctuated?

  1. Leave the sentence as it is, with no commas. (correct answer)
  2. Add commas after "curator" and "paintings."
  3. Add a comma after "paintings" only.
  4. Add a comma after "years" only.
Explanation: This question asks whether a long sentence actually needs any commas. The sentence has one subject, "The museum's curator", followed by two verbs, "spent" and "recovered", joined by "and". Two verbs sharing one subject form a compound predicate, which takes no comma. No other phrase in the sentence is introductory or nonessential, so the sentence is correct as it is. Looking at the incorrect options: Choice B places a comma after "curator", which separates the subject from its verb, and also adds the compound-predicate comma. Choice C puts a comma after "paintings", but "eventually recovered all but one of them from a private collector" has no subject of its own, so it is not an independent clause. Choice D puts a comma after "three years", which cuts off "tracking down the stolen paintings" from the verb phrase it completes. The correct answer is A because a single subject with two joined verbs needs no comma anywhere in the sentence. Strategy tip: On SHSAT punctuation questions, do not add commas just because a sentence is long; a comma needs a specific rule behind it, and leaving a sentence unchanged is sometimes the correct answer.

Question 14

(1) Most of the eighth graders needed the full three hours to finish the exam. (2) The students who finished early, and the teachers who had proctored the morning session, gathered in the cafeteria for lunch.

How should sentence 2 be punctuated?

  1. The students, who finished early, and the teachers, who had proctored the morning session, gathered in the cafeteria for lunch.
  2. The students who finished early and the teachers who had proctored the morning session gathered in the cafeteria for lunch. (correct answer)
  3. The students who finished early and the teachers who had proctored the morning session, gathered in the cafeteria for lunch.
  4. The students who finished early, and the teachers who had proctored the morning session gathered in the cafeteria for lunch.
Explanation: This question tests commas in a sentence with a long compound subject. The subject of sentence 2 is everything before "gathered": two groups joined by "and". Sentence 1 says "Most of the eighth graders needed the full three hours", so "who finished early" identifies only some students and is essential. No comma belongs inside the subject or between the subject and the verb, so choice B is correct. Looking at the incorrect options: Choice A sets off "who finished early" with commas, which would mean every student finished early and contradicts sentence 1. Choice C places a comma after "the morning session", which separates the long subject from its verb. Choice D places a comma after "finished early", which splits the two parts of the compound subject, since "and" joins two nouns here rather than two clauses. The correct answer is B because the compound subject and its essential clauses need no commas before the verb. Strategy tip: On SHSAT long sentences, find the main verb first and make sure no single comma separates it from the subject, however long that subject is.

Question 15

Which sentence correctly uses commas to set off the appositives?

  1. For my report, I chose The Glass Orchard a novel by my favorite author, Marisol Vega.
  2. For my report, I chose, The Glass Orchard, a novel by my favorite author, Marisol Vega.
  3. For my report, I chose The Glass Orchard, a novel by my favorite author Marisol Vega.
  4. For my report, I chose The Glass Orchard, a novel by my favorite author, Marisol Vega. (correct answer)
Explanation: This question asks you to set off appositives, the noun phrases that rename a nearby noun. The sentence contains two nonessential appositives. "a novel by my favorite author" renames The Glass Orchard, so a comma must come before it. "Marisol Vega" renames "my favorite author", and since a person has only one favorite author, the name adds information rather than identifying someone, so a comma comes before it too. Choice D supplies both commas. Looking at the incorrect options: Choice A omits the comma in "The Glass Orchard a novel", so the title runs into its appositive. Choice B has both appositive commas but adds one in "I chose, The Glass Orchard", which separates the verb from its direct object. Choice C omits the comma in "my favorite author Marisol Vega", treating the name as if it were needed to identify which favorite author is meant. The correct answer is D because it sets off both nonessential appositives without splitting the verb from its object. Strategy tip: On SHSAT appositive questions, ask whether the noun before the name already points to one person; words like "my favorite" make the name extra information that needs a comma.

Question 16

The procedure is effective not dangerous when performed by a professional.

Where should a comma be placed in this sentence for clarity?

  1. after the word 'procedure'
  2. after the word 'effective' (correct answer)
  3. after the word 'dangerous'
  4. after the word 'performed'
Explanation: When you encounter comma placement questions, focus on identifying where ideas shift or contrast within the sentence. The key is recognizing that commas help separate conflicting or contrasting elements for clear meaning. In this sentence, "The procedure is effective not dangerous when performed by a professional," you have two contrasting adjectives: "effective" and "dangerous." The phrase "not dangerous" directly contrasts with "effective," creating a compound description. To clarify this contrast and prevent misreading, you need a comma after "effective" to separate these contrasting elements. This gives you: "The procedure is effective, not dangerous when performed by a professional." Choice A places the comma after "procedure," which unnecessarily separates the subject from its predicate and creates an awkward pause where none is needed. Choice C puts the comma after "dangerous," which separates the descriptive phrase from the qualifying clause "when performed by a professional" – but these elements should flow together since the professional performance applies to both qualities (effective and not dangerous). Choice D places the comma after "performed," which creates an illogical break within the dependent clause and disrupts the sentence's natural flow. The comma after "effective" in choice B creates the clearest meaning by properly setting off the contrasting phrase "not dangerous." Strategy tip: Look for contrasting ideas or phrases introduced by "not," "but," or "rather than." These almost always need comma separation to prevent confusion and ensure the contrast is clear to readers.

Question 17

The ancient city was remarkably well preserved and archaeologists were eager to begin the excavation.

Which revision corrects the error in the sentence?

  1. The ancient city was remarkably well preserved and, archaeologists were eager to begin the excavation.
  2. The ancient city was remarkably well preserved, and archaeologists were eager to begin the excavation. (correct answer)
  3. The ancient city was remarkably well preserved; and archaeologists were eager to begin the excavation.
  4. The ancient city, was remarkably well preserved and archaeologists were eager to begin the excavation.
Explanation: This question tests your understanding of compound sentences and proper punctuation when joining two independent clauses. When you see two complete thoughts connected by a coordinating conjunction like "and," you need to identify whether a comma is required. The sentence contains two independent clauses: "The ancient city was remarkably well preserved" and "archaeologists were eager to begin the excavation." Each clause can stand alone as a complete sentence. When joining two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet), you must place a comma before the conjunction. Choice B correctly places a comma before "and," following the standard rule for compound sentences. This creates proper separation between the two independent ideas while maintaining their connection. Choice A incorrectly places the comma after "and" instead of before it. This creates an awkward pause and violates the punctuation rule for compound sentences. Choice C uses a semicolon before "and," which is incorrect because semicolons should not be followed by coordinating conjunctions when joining independent clauses. Choice D places a comma after "city," which incorrectly separates the subject from its verb "was," creating a grammatical error within the first clause. Remember this pattern: Independent clause + comma + coordinating conjunction + independent clause. When you spot two complete thoughts joined by "and," "but," or other coordinating conjunctions, always check that there's a comma directly before the conjunction. This is one of the most commonly tested punctuation rules on standardized exams.

Question 18

The scientist explained 'Students we must record our observations carefully.'

Which revision correctly punctuates the sentence?

  1. The scientist explained 'Students, we must record our observations carefully.'
  2. The scientist explained, 'Students, we must record our observations carefully.' (correct answer)
  3. The scientist explained, 'Students we must record our observations carefully.'
  4. The scientist, explained 'Students, we must record our observations carefully.'
Explanation: This question tests your understanding of punctuating dialogue and direct quotations. When a sentence includes someone speaking or being quoted, you need to follow specific punctuation rules to show where the spoken words begin and end. The correct answer is B because it properly punctuates the dialogue in two essential ways. First, it places a comma after "explained" to separate the dialogue tag (who is speaking) from the actual quotation. Second, it includes a comma after "Students" within the quotation because the scientist is directly addressing the students - this is called a direct address or vocative, which requires a comma to set off the person being spoken to. Choice A is incorrect because it's missing the crucial comma after "explained." Without this comma, the sentence incorrectly runs the dialogue tag directly into the quotation. Choice C makes the opposite error - it has the comma after "explained" but omits the comma after "Students," making the direct address grammatically incorrect. Choice D places a comma in the wrong location, putting it after "scientist" instead of after "explained," which disrupts the flow and creates an awkward, incorrect construction. Remember this pattern: dialogue tag + comma + opening quotation mark + spoken words (with proper internal punctuation) + closing quotation mark. Also watch for direct addresses within dialogue - when someone calls another person by name or title, that word or phrase needs to be set off with commas. These punctuation rules appear frequently on standardized tests, so mastering them will serve you well.

Question 19

Many nocturnal animals are active at night, some sleep during the day.

Which revision best corrects the comma splice in the sentence?

  1. Many nocturnal animals are active at night some sleep during the day.
  2. Many nocturnal animals are active at night, but some sleep during the day.
  3. Many nocturnal animals are active at night, and some sleep during the day. (correct answer)
  4. Many nocturnal animals, are active at night, some sleep during the day.
Explanation: When you encounter questions about comma splices, you're dealing with a fundamental sentence structure error. A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses (complete thoughts that could stand alone as sentences) are incorrectly joined with only a comma. The original sentence "Many nocturnal animals are active at night, some sleep during the day" contains this error. Both "Many nocturnal animals are active at night" and "some sleep during the day" are independent clauses, so they can't be connected with just a comma. Choice C correctly fixes this by adding the coordinating conjunction "and" after the comma. The phrase "and some sleep during the day" creates a proper compound sentence structure, connecting two related ideas about nocturnal animals' behavior patterns. Choice A creates a run-on sentence by removing the comma entirely, leaving two independent clauses smashed together without any punctuation—this is called a fused sentence, which is even worse than the original comma splice. Choice B uses "but," which creates a logical contradiction. The conjunction "but" suggests contrast, yet both clauses describe typical nocturnal behavior, making them complementary rather than opposing ideas. Choice D adds an unnecessary comma after "animals," creating awkward punctuation that doesn't address the original comma splice problem. The sentence still incorrectly joins two independent clauses with only a comma. Remember: to fix comma splices, you can add a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, so, etc.), use a semicolon, or create separate sentences. Always ensure your chosen conjunction matches the logical relationship between the ideas.

Question 20

When the Industrial Revolution began many people moved from rural areas to cities.

Which revision corrects the punctuation error in the sentence?

  1. When the Industrial Revolution began, many people moved from rural areas to cities. (correct answer)
  2. When the Industrial Revolution, began many people moved from rural areas to cities.
  3. When the Industrial Revolution began many people, moved from rural areas to cities.
  4. When, the Industrial Revolution began many people moved from rural areas to cities.
Explanation: When you encounter a sentence that begins with a dependent clause like "When the Industrial Revolution began," you need to identify where to place the comma that separates it from the main clause. The original sentence contains a dependent clause ("When the Industrial Revolution began") followed by an independent clause ("many people moved from rural areas to cities"). In English, when a dependent clause comes before an independent clause, you must place a comma between them to show where one thought ends and the next begins. Choice A correctly places the comma after "began," properly separating the dependent clause from the independent clause. This follows the standard rule for complex sentences and makes the sentence easy to read and understand. Choice B incorrectly places the comma after "Revolution," which splits the dependent clause in the middle and disrupts its meaning. This creates confusion about when the Industrial Revolution began versus when people moved. Choice C places the comma after "people," which separates the subject from its verb in the main clause. This creates an awkward pause and violates basic sentence structure rules. Choice D puts the comma after "When," which immediately breaks apart the dependent clause marker from its clause. This placement serves no grammatical purpose and makes the sentence difficult to follow. Remember this pattern: dependent clause + comma + independent clause. When you see sentences starting with words like "when," "because," "although," or "if," look for the spot where the introductory thought ends and the main idea begins—that's where your comma belongs.