IXL | Commas: review | 5th grade language arts

Correct the sentence by adding one comma. (Note: in this skill, serial commas are not optional.)

Josephine Cochrane invented the dishwasher in 1886 but it was used almost solely by businesses.

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question

Correct the sentence by adding two commas. (Note: in this skill, serial commas are not optional.)

On January 20 1961 John F. Kennedy became the thirty-fifth president of the United States.

key idea

Use commas to separate the name of a person being spoken to from the rest of the sentence.

Thank you, Bella.

Thank you, Bella, for your help.

Use a comma after words like yes, no, well, and many others, when they are followed by a complete sentence.

Yes, that sounds great!

Use a comma after a mild interjection.

Oh, what a stunning sunset.

Use commas to separate three or more items in a series. Put a comma after each item in the list, except for the last one. The last comma in the list (right before the coordinating conjunction) is called an Oxford comma or serial comma. The serial comma is sometimes considered optional, but most style guides demand it.

Red, white, and blue are the colors of the American flag.

Expressions that consist of pairs of words, such as "thunder and lightning" and "bread and butter," are generally treated as single items.

College costs typically include tuition, room and board, and textbooks.

In dates with a day and a year, use a comma after the day. Also use a comma after the year unless the date ends the sentence.

January 1, 2001, was the first day of this century.

Mahatma Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869.

When the name of a city is used with the name of its state or country, use a comma after the city. Also use a comma after the state or country unless it ends the sentence.

Chicago, Illinois, is known as the Windy City.

We've just booked our flight to Athens, Greece.

In a compound sentence, use a comma before the coordinating conjunction that joins the two independent clauses. Examples of coordinating conjunctions are and, or, but, and so.

We saw a flash of lightning, and seconds later we heard the rumble of thunder.

In a complex sentence, if a dependent (or subordinate) clause comes before an independent (or main) clause, use a comma after the dependent clause. A dependent clause is one that starts with a subordinating conjunction, such as after, although, as, because, before, if, since, unless, until, when, or while.

If she ever gets the chance, Terri would love to visit the Egyptian pyramids.

solution

The sentence has a date with a day and a year, so use a comma after the day. Also use a comma after the year unless it ends the sentence.

On January 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy became the thirty-fifth president of the United States.

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Work it out

Not feeling ready yet? These can help:

TT.1Commas with a series

TT.2Commas with dates and places

TT.3Commas with direct addresses

TT.4Commas with introductory elements

TT.5Commas with compound and complex sentences

UU.6Commas: review

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