IXL | Use semicolons and commas to separate clauses

Add a comma or semicolon if needed. Otherwise, submit the text without any additional punctuation.

Jill and her sister both love Italian if consequently, they often dine at the little Italian café on Springdale Avenue.

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question

Add a comma or semicolon if needed. Otherwise, submit the text without any additional punctuation.

Until humans began cultivating plants and animals for food about ten thousand years if all people obtained their food by hunting, gathering, and fishing.

key idea

Use a comma to separate two independent clauses that are joined with a coordinating conjunction, such as and, or, but, or so. However, if the coordinating conjunction joins verbs or verb phrases in a compound predicate, a comma should not be used.

Wyatt was reserved around new people, but he was hardly shy.

Wyatt was reserved around new people but was hardly shy.

Also use a comma to separate a dependent (or subordinate) clause and an independent clause when the dependent clause comes first. These dependent clauses usually start with a subordinating conjunction, such as after, although, or because.

Although Wyatt was reserved around new people, he was hardly shy.

Use a semicolon to connect two closely related independent clauses that are not joined with a coordinating conjunction.

Wyatt was hardly shy; he was simply reserved around new people.

Also use a semicolon to connect two independent clauses that are joined with a conjunctive adverb, such as consequently, however, or therefore.

Wyatt was hardly shy; nevertheless, he was reserved around new people.

solution

The dependent clause (until humans began cultivating plants and animals for food about ten thousand years ago) comes before the independent clause, so you should complete the sentence with a comma.

$Confetti$

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Not feeling ready yet? These can help:

GG.3Identify dependent and independent clauses

PP.2Identify coordinating conjunctions

PP.3Identify subordinating conjunctions

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