Comma Exercises

Exercise 1

He left the scene of the accident and tried to forget that it had happened.

Oil, which is lighter than water, rises to the surface.

Madame de Stael was an attractive, gracious lady.

Nice is a word with many meanings, and some of them are contradictory.

The contractor testified that the house was completed and that the work had been done properly.

Some people refuse to go to the zoo because of pity for creatures that must live in small cages.
Taxicabs that are dirty are illegal in some cities.


The closet contained worn clothes, old shoes, and dirty hats.

The uninvited guest wore a dark, blue, tweed suit.

After surviving this ordeal, the trapper felt relieved.

Mark Twain's early novels, I believe, stand the test of time.

December 7, 1941, will never be forgotten.

The field was safe enough, wasn't it?

Write the editor of the Atlantic 8, Arlington Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 02116.

He replied, "I have no idea what you mean."

After a good washing and grooming, the pup looked like a new dog.

Because of their opposition to institutions that force creatures to live in captivity, some people refuse to go to the zoo.

Men who are bald are frequently the ones who are the most authoritative on the subject of
baldness.


Vests which were once popular have been out of vogue for several years.

As a celestial goddess, she regulated the course of the heavenly bodies and controlled the alternating seasons.

I hope that some day, he will learn how to be polite.

Exercise 2

1. There was no question that John's painting, a huge, colorful, and ugly mural, was the worst entry in the art exhibit.

2. Werner von Braun, Willy Ley, and Edward Teller noted authorities in the field of rocket development, have done much to guide the missile program of the United States.

3. Mr. Cready's ability to say the wrong thing at the wrong time is, I believe, amazing.

4. Running around, the house the dog was abruptly stopped by a fence.

5. If the opposition should win, our candidate would never have any political future.

6. Gracefully, lightly, and daintily, the ballerina moved across the stage.

7. Glamour, the woman's fashion magazine, recently incorporated with Charm, another fashion journal.

8. Joe was born on May 7, 1955, and his best friend was born exactly two months later, on July 7, 1955.

9. Mr. and Mrs. Kwon, my parents' best friends, sat in front of us at the football game.

10. November 11, 1918, the armistice ending World War I was signed.

Exercise 3

1. The problems involved in this operation are, I think, numerous.

2. Celene, who does not usually tell anyone what she feels, said she didn't want to go to the dance.

3. To get tickets for some Broadway musicals, one has to order three months in advance.

4. Listening to the radio, Jun heard an announcement that Spangler, his own dog, was lost.

5. I used to live at 16689 Sutton Avenue, Milpitas, California, but we have since moved to 1895 Holland Way, Dubuque, Iowa.

6. The Valley of the Moon, the name of a section in Napa County, California, is the heart of the state's wine producing area.

7. Chris did not see how he could organize, write, and proofread this paper in only two hours.

8. By the pilings of the old pier, I found four starfish, a clam, and a sea anemone.

9. Yes, Helen did mention that all three of you were coming for lunch.

10. I believe, therefore, that fraternities are good influences on a college campus.