Comma Confusion Trivia Quiz

Answer: A comma belongs only after the word "commas".

A comma should be placed before conjunctions that connect two independent clauses. "And properly place commas" is not an independent clause.

Answer: A comma belongs after the words "quiz" and "editor".

Commas should be placed between items in a series. Note that there is no comma after "inevitable" in the phrase "a frustrating, recurring, inevitable cycle." Commas are required only between the items, not after the last item. Note that the comma before the conjunction is typically omitted in British usage and may be omitted according to some American authorities.

Answer: Words in a series do not require commas between them if they "go together".

The University of Delaware's suggestion for knowing whether items go together is to place the word "and" between them and then see if the phrase is "natural." The mangy black haired dog sat on the chair. The mangy and black and haired dog sat on the chair. Nope, no commas needed there.

Answer: No

A dependent clause used as an introductory expression for a sentence will generally require a comma after it. According to the University of Delaware, even if an introductory expression is just a word or a collection of words, an expression that does not flow smoothly into a sentence should be followed by a comma.

Answer: A comma belongs before and after the phrase "dear reader".

My will to be serious is starting to crack. I hate punctuation. Why do we need it anyway? Why we should be tools of the egomaniacal, military-grammatical-complex imperialist lackey...? Wait. I'm taking deep breaths. I'm calming down. I'm Ok now. Commas, dear reader, must be placed around the name of a person to whom the writer is speaking.

Answer: Yes

This rule that anything, no matter how small, that interrupts a sentence, therefore, needs a comma is, if you ask me, a license for inordinate, specious, and even spurious comma introduction! But I guess it's better than having to leave out the interrupters.

Answer: Certain expressions do not impede the flow if placed at the beginning of a sentence, but the same expression would do so if placed at the end.

Expressions like "I think" and "I am sure" generally work well without commas when placed at the beginning of sentences. "I think" could be taken as the primary subject and verb of the first sentence, and then a comma would not be needed on that basis.

When they are placed at the beginning of sentences, words like "moreover" and "therefore" generally require commas. Take note that subordinate clauses like "when placed at the beginning of sentences" require commas if starting the sentence but not if ending one. Sigh...

Answer: Yes

An expression containing information not essential to the main idea of a sentence, no matter how amusing or enlightening that information may be, is to be placed, in lonely isolation, between two harsh and unfeeling commas. Should a rule that seems so heartless be obeyed? Woe, I fear that it must be so. How else are we to avoid wasting not only our own time, but our editor's time?

Answer: A comma belongs after the word "advise".

The seven rules for comma usage can be found at: "www.english.udel.edu/wc/handouts/rules_for_commas.html#2". I just may be returning there myself from time to time.

Answer: No

My grammar checker was happy with the above sentence. It didn't mind the extra comma after the word "truly" a bit. The one missing between "you" and "gentle" didn't bother my grammar checker at all. My grammar checker will neither weed out the unnecessary comma nor add a comma I omit. I must either master this nasty business or continue to burden the overworked Funtrivia editors with the task.