Commas & Apostrophes

Front

What is the purpose of a comma in a sentence?

Back

Commas are used to indicate a pause between parts of a sentence, separate items in a list, or clarify meaning.

Front

When should you use a comma before a conjunction?

Back

A comma should be used before a conjunction (like 'and', 'but', 'or') when it connects two independent clauses.

Front

What is an apostrophe used for?

Back

An apostrophe is used to show possession (e.g., 'the dog's leash') or to form contractions (e.g., 'can't' for 'cannot').

Front

How do you punctuate a list of three or more items?

Back

Use commas to separate the items in the list, and place 'and' before the last item.

Front

What is the correct way to punctuate this sentence: 'I bought apples oranges and bananas'?

Back

I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.

Front

When is it appropriate to use an apostrophe for possession?

Back

Use an apostrophe to show that something belongs to someone or something, e.g., 'Sarah's book'.

Front

What is the difference between 'its' and 'it's'?

Back

'Its' is a possessive pronoun meaning 'belonging to it', while 'it's' is a contraction for 'it is'.

Front

How do you correct this sentence: 'The cat's are playing outside'?

Back

Change 'cat's' to 'cats' to indicate plural, not possession.

Front

What is a common mistake when using commas in a sentence?

Back

A common mistake is to omit a comma before a conjunction when connecting two independent clauses.

Front

How do you punctuate this sentence: 'My brother who lives in New York is visiting'?

Back

My brother, who lives in New York, is visiting.