Medium ACT Comma Practice Questions

Concept Explanation

Commas are punctuation marks used to indicate a brief pause or to separate elements within a sentence to ensure clarity and proper grammatical structure. On the ACT English section, about 10-15% of the questions focus on punctuation, making comma proficiency vital for a high score. You can build a strong foundation for these rules by visiting our ACT Prep hub. The ACT specifically tests your ability to use commas with independent and dependent clauses, items in a series, non-essential phrases, and introductory elements.

To navigate Medium ACT Comma Practice Questions effectively, you must understand four primary rules:

• FANBOYS: Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So) to join two independent clauses.

• Introductory Phrases: Use a comma after a dependent clause or long phrase that starts a sentence.

• Non-essential Elements: Use a pair of commas to offset information that is not required for the sentence to make sense (appositives and parenthetical expressions).

• Lists: Use commas to separate three or more items in a list, including the Oxford comma before the conjunction.

Confusion often arises with "restrictive" versus "non-restrictive" clauses. If a piece of information is essential to identify the noun it describes, do not use commas. If the information is just extra detail, it must be "hugged" by commas. For more advanced practice on how sentences are built, check out our guide on ACT Sentence Structure Practice Questions.

Solved Examples

Review these examples to see how comma rules are applied in context.

1. Connecting Independent Clauses:

   The storm intensified quickly, but the sailors managed to reach the harbor safely.

   1. Identify the two independent clauses: "The storm intensified quickly" and "the sailors managed to reach the harbor safely."

   2. Locate the coordinating conjunction: "but."

   3. Apply the rule: A comma must precede "but" when it joins two complete thoughts.

2. Non-essential Appositives:

   Dr. Aris, a renowned biologist, presented her findings at the conference.

   1. Identify the phrase "a renowned biologist."

   2. Determine if it is essential: If we remove it, the sentence "Dr. Aris presented her findings" still makes sense and identifies the subject.

   3. Apply the rule: Place commas before and after the non-essential phrase.

3. Introductory Dependent Clauses:

   After the final bell rang for the summer, the students sprinted toward the parking lot.

   1. Identify the introductory element: "After the final bell rang for the summer."

   2. Recognize this is a dependent clause (it cannot stand alone).

   3. Apply the rule: Place a comma after the introductory clause to separate it from the main independent clause.

Practice Questions

1. The chef prepared a feast consisting of roasted duck, glazed carrots, and creamy polenta for the guests.

2. Although the marathon was grueling many runners felt a sense of accomplishment at the finish line.

3. The novel, which was written in 1924 remains a classic example of modernist literature today.

4. The team captain, Sarah, decided that the practice session would be moved to the indoor gym.

5. The company expanded its operations to Europe yet it struggled to maintain its domestic profit margins.

6. To win the championship, the athletes must train for at least six hours every day.

7. The scientist who discovered the new element was awarded a prestigious grant from the National Science Foundation.

8. He packed his suitcase, grabbed his passport and ran out the door to catch the taxi.

9. The city of Venice, built on a series of small islands is famous for its intricate canal system.

10. Before the sun began to set over the horizon the hikers reached the summit of the mountain.

Answers & Explanations

1. Correct: The sentence is already correct. It uses commas to separate three items in a list ("roasted duck," "glazed carrots," and "creamy polenta"). For more on list structures, see our ACT Parallelism Practice Questions.

2. Correction: Although the marathon was grueling, many runners... Explanation: A comma is required after the introductory dependent clause starting with "Although."

3. Correction: The novel, which was written in 1924, remains... Explanation: The phrase "which was written in 1924" is a non-essential relative clause and must be enclosed in commas.

4. Correct: The sentence is correct. "Sarah" is an appositive identifying the captain and is correctly set off by commas.

5. Correction: ...Europe, yet it struggled... Explanation: "Yet" is a coordinating conjunction joining two independent clauses; a comma must precede it. Check your understanding of conjunctions with ACT Transition Practice Questions.

6. Correct: The sentence is correct. "To win the championship" is an introductory infinitive phrase followed by a comma.

7. Correct: No commas are needed. The phrase "who discovered the new element" is essential (restrictive) because it identifies which specific scientist is being discussed.

8. Correction: ...passport, and ran... Explanation: This is a list of three actions. A comma is needed after "passport" to separate the second and third items.

9. Correction: ...islands, is famous... Explanation: The phrase "built on a series of small islands" is non-essential and requires a closing comma before the verb "is."

10. Correction: ...horizon, the hikers... Explanation: A comma is needed after the introductory dependent clause ending at "horizon."

1. Which sentence correctly uses a comma with a coordinating conjunction?

• AThe rain fell heavily, and the streets flooded.
• BThe rain fell heavily and, the streets flooded.
• CThe rain fell heavily and the streets, flooded.
• DThe rain fell, heavily and the streets flooded.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Oxford comma and is it required on the ACT?

The Oxford comma is the final comma in a list of three or more items, placed just before the conjunction. On the ACT, you should consistently use the Oxford comma as it is the standard for clarity in American English and most academic style guides.

How can I tell if a phrase is non-essential?

A phrase is non-essential if you can remove it from the sentence without changing the core meaning or making the sentence grammatically incorrect. If the sentence still identifies the specific subject without the phrase, use commas to set it off.

Do I need a comma before "because"?

Generally, you do not use a comma before "because" when it introduces a dependent clause at the end of a sentence. A comma is only used before "because" in rare cases to avoid extreme ambiguity, which is seldom tested on the ACT.

What is the difference between a comma and a semicolon?

A comma is used with a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS) to join two independent clauses, whereas a semicolon joins them without a conjunction. You can learn more about these distinctions in our ACT Semicolon Practice Questions guide.

Can I use a comma to separate a subject from its verb?

No, you should never place a single comma directly between a subject and its main verb. The only exception is if a non-essential phrase, which requires two commas, is placed between the subject and the verb.

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