Name _______________________________________ Date _____________________

Comma Practice Worksheet

Directions:
Add commas where necessary in the following sentences.
Next to the number, write the letter code(s) for the comma rule(s) in that item.
Codes:
A=
IC, one of the fanboys IC.
B=
DC, IC.
C1 = Transitional Element, IC.
C2 = I . . . , Transitional Element, . . . C.
C3 = IC, Tag-on Element.
D=
Items in a series (item 1, item 2, and item 3)
E=
Coordinate Adjectives (adjective 1, adjective 2 Noun)
1. Maria Rodriguez was born in Puerto Rico but she moved to Atlanta with her family.
2. Although Maria spoke only Spanish before the move she learned English very
quickly.
3. Many Latin American children were in Marias new school so she felt comfortable.
4. Even though Eastwood Elementary was small it was well-funded and well-managed.
5. Ms. Karr Mr. Rivera and Mrs. Johnson were Marias fourth grade teachers.
6. Because Maria made high grades the principal asked her parents about allowing
Maria to go directly to the sixth grade.
7. Despite the fact that Mr. Rodriguez thought the idea was a good one his wife
convinced him that Maria was better off staying in class with her friends.
8. Marias mother was concerned that Maria would have been anxious about skipping a
year that she still needed to adjust to the area and that she would have been a year
younger than most of her classmates.
9. Maria was happy and she proceeded to do even better in fifth grade.
10. One class Maria found difficult however was physical education.
11. Children like Maria who was small for her age are likely to find physical competition
difficult.
12. Maria who would undergo a growth spurt in seventh grade tried to be patient.
13. Math class Marias favorite passed by quickly.

14. On the other hand the hour-long gym class seemed to take forever.
15. Everything Mrs. Rodriguez said will work out for the best.
16. To be honest many children hate mathematics.
17. Maria found math intriguing nevertheless.
18. Her friend April believed math biology and English to be ridiculously difficult.
19. Young students who develop an aversion to a subject are likely to carry that aversion
throughout their academic career so April will likely continue to dislike those three
classes.
20. Maria liked Atlanta very much but her family moved to Florida when she was twelve.
21. When Maria first saw the junior high she said What a dump but she eventually
came to like it.
22. Andrea Walsh Marias biology teacher was born in Minneapolis Minnesota on July 7
1951 and moved to Clickville Florida on August 3 1978.
23. On February 5 1989 Ms. Walsh took her biology class on a field trip to the Reynolds
Wildlife Preserve in Gidneyville a nearby town.
24. When Maria was studying she took short restful breaks and sometime short walks.
25. Recent reports incidentally have shown that regular exercise improves brain flow.
26. Because her father was getting physical therapy the family did not travel the
following summer.
27. Since Maria had so much free time she decided to stimulate her mind by reading
some good literature.
28. Also Maria wrote to her grandmother each week that summer.
29. Finally her grandmother came to live with Maria and her family on July 20 1989 in
Clickville Florida.
30. Marias grandmothers arrival capped an exciting year full of changes many that
Maria would long remember.
31. If you understand the rules of comma usage study the arrangement of words in each
sentence and keep from going comma crazy you should be able to insert the
necessary commas in these thirty-nine sentences.

CODES:
A = Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction joining independent clauses

B = Use a comma after a DC when it comes before an IC.

C1 = Use a comma after an introductory element

C2 = Use commas to set off non-restrictive (non-essential) elements in the middle of a
clause

C3 = Use a comma to set off non-restrictive (non-essential) elements tagged on at the

end of a Clause

D = Use a comma between all items in a series

E = Use a comma between coordinate adjectives

For items of contrasted elements, nouns of direct address, dates and addresses, and
work titles, use Code C1, C2, or C3.
Contrasted elements: I like tea, not coffee. (C3 in this case)
Direct address: Nancy, did you wash the dishes yet? (C1 in this case)
Dates/Addresses: March 2, 2011, is todays date. (C2 in this case)
Addresses: Bakersfield College is located in Bakersfield, California. (C3 in this case)
Work titles: Dr. Rebecca Flores, Dean of Instruction, is conducting several meetings.
(C2 in this case)