IXL | Commas with series, dates, and places

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

On May 4 1965 Willie Mays, an African American baseball player, broke the National League record for home runs.

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question

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

At Céide Fields in County Mayo, Ireland, archaeological digs have revealed primitive buildings tombs and stone walls that are more than five thousand years old.

key idea

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.

solution

The sentence lists three items in a series. Use commas after the first two items.

At Céide Fields in County Mayo, Ireland, archaeological digs have revealed primitive buildings, tombs, and stone walls that are more than five thousand years old.

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Not feeling ready yet? These can help:

TT.1Commas with a series

TT.2Commas with dates and places

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