Books·Jan 12, 2017Can You Pass This Comma Quiz?"Let's eat Grandma."by Sarah WillsonBuzzFeed StaffFacebookPinterestTwitterMailLink Which of these commas is incorrect? The one after "Hey" Correct Incorrect The one after "Hey" The one after "2016" Correct Incorrect The one after "2016" The one after "sight" Correct Incorrect The one after "sight" The one after "fancy" Correct Incorrect The one after "fancy" The one after "expensive" Correct Incorrect The one after "expensive" Correct! Wrong! "Winter scarf" is a unit modified by the other adjectives, so the adjective right before it should not be followed by a comma. Which version of this sentence uses commas properly? On Christmas Eve, we drank eggnog, sang carols, and watched the classic holiday movie, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, before settling in for a long winter's nap. Correct Incorrect On Christmas Eve, we drank eggnog, sang carols, and watched the classic holiday movie, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, before settling in for a long winter's nap. On Christmas Eve, we drank eggnog, sang carols, and watched the classic holiday movie Santa Claus Conquers the Martians before settling in for a long winter's nap. Correct Incorrect On Christmas Eve, we drank eggnog, sang carols, and watched the classic holiday movie Santa Claus Conquers the Martians before settling in for a long winter's nap. On Christmas Eve, we drank eggnog, sang carols and watched the classic holiday movie Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, before settling in for a long, winter's nap. Correct Incorrect On Christmas Eve, we drank eggnog, sang carols and watched the classic holiday movie Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, before settling in for a long, winter's nap. On Christmas Eve, we drank eggnog, sang carols and watched the classic holiday movie, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians before settling in for a long winter's nap. Correct Incorrect On Christmas Eve, we drank eggnog, sang carols and watched the classic holiday movie, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians before settling in for a long winter's nap. Correct! Wrong! Since Santa Claus Conquers the Martians isn't the *only* classic holiday movie, there shouldn't be any commas around the movie title. (The serial comma thing is really a matter of opinion.) How many commas does this sentence need? 3 Correct Incorrect 3 4 Correct Incorrect 4 5 Correct Incorrect 5 6 Correct Incorrect 6 Correct! Wrong! "His father, who was a teacher in Portland, Maine, in the ’80s, retired to Florida, while his mother stayed in New England and became a ski instructor." Which of these sentences needs a comma? I was on time for work but I couldn't find parking. Correct Incorrect I was on time for work but I couldn't find parking. My favorite word is "defenestrate." Correct Incorrect My favorite word is "defenestrate." Today I volunteered at the animal shelter for the first time. Correct Incorrect Today I volunteered at the animal shelter for the first time. I'll write myself a note so I don't forget to bring the snacks. Correct Incorrect I'll write myself a note so I don't forget to bring the snacks. Correct! Wrong! Two independent clauses should be joined by a comma (and a conjunction, of course). This sentence is missing a comma — but where? After "two" Correct Incorrect After "two" After "Brooklyn" Correct Incorrect After "Brooklyn" After "group" Correct Incorrect After "group" After "Home" Correct Incorrect After "Home" Correct! Wrong! The "where" clause is not essential to the sentence (since we're not distinguishing these streets from some other Brooklyn streets), so it should be preceded by a comma.
