The Little Seagull Handbook: Commas P-1
“Commas matter” (Bullock, Brody, and Weinberg 324). The comma (,) separates and groups sentence parts to create clarity for readers. Chapter P-1 of The Little Seagull Handbook discusses comma use and misuse. Read through this chapter carefully, and complete the exercise below, by adding or deleting commas in the following sentences if necessary. Do all corrections on this sheet, and mark C in the margin of those sentences that are correctly punctuated.
1. Although most postcards cost only a dime, one recently sold for thousands of dollars.
2. On postcard racks, several designs are usually available.
3. For example, animals are timeless favourites.
4. Therefore, stores often fill their racks with postcards of animals.
5. Because I am an animal lover, I gravitate to postcards of animals.
6. At stores in Moose Jaw, one can buy postcards of a giant moose statue.
7. However, I prefer postcards featuring real animals.
8. Postcards are ideal for brief greetings, yet they can also be miniature works of art.
9. I often buy several postcards at a time, but seldom use them.
10. Therefore, I have many postcards cluttering my home.
11. I will have to give some away, and I will save my favourites to frame.
12. My favourite postcards are those with puppies, kittens, and iguanas.
13. Some postcards depict famous, historical sights.(c)
14. These are often quite beautiful, but I still prefer animals.
