Commas for Sixth Grade

Front

What is a comma?

Back

A comma is a punctuation mark used to indicate a pause between parts of a sentence or to separate items in a list.

Front

When should you use a comma before a conjunction?

Back

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

Front

What is an independent clause?

Back

An independent clause is a group of words that can stand alone as a sentence because it has a subject and a verb.

Front

How do you use commas in a list?

Back

Use commas to separate items in a list. For example: 'I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.'

Front

What is a non-restrictive clause?

Back

A non-restrictive clause provides additional information but can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence. It is usually set off by commas.

Front

Example of a non-restrictive clause:

Back

'My brother, who lives in New York, is visiting.' The clause 'who lives in New York' is non-restrictive.

Front

When should you use a comma after an introductory phrase?

Back

Use a comma after an introductory phrase to separate it from the main clause. For example: 'After dinner, we went for a walk.'

Front

What is the rule for dates in a sentence?

Back

When writing dates, use commas to separate the day from the year. For example: 'On March 3, 1965, her mother opened a store.'

Front

How do you punctuate direct address?

Back

Use commas to separate the name of the person being addressed from the rest of the sentence. For example: 'Can you help me, Sarah?'.

Front

What is a series of adjectives?

Back

When using multiple adjectives to describe a noun, separate them with commas if they are coordinate adjectives. For example: 'It was a long, tiring journey.'