Practice exercises for using commas in a list of actions (printable).

📚 Topic Summary

Commas are essential for clarity, especially when listing actions. When you have three or more actions in a series, you need to separate them with commas. The last comma before 'and' or 'or' is called the Oxford comma, and using it consistently is key for avoiding confusion.

🧠 Part A: Vocabulary

Match each term with its definition:

1. Term: Series
2. Term: Comma
3. Term: Oxford Comma
4. Term: Action Verb
5. Term: Clause

1. Definition: A group of words containing a subject and a verb.
2. Definition: A word that describes what someone or something does.
3. Definition: A punctuation mark (,) used to separate items in a list.
4. Definition: A list of three or more items.
5. Definition: The final comma in a list before 'and' or 'or'.

✍️ Part B: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the following paragraph by filling in the missing words. Choose from these options: commas, series, Oxford, action, clarity.

When writing a list of ____ verbs, it's important to use ____ to ensure ____. The ____ comma, which is the last comma in a ____, is often debated, but it can prevent ambiguity.

💡 Part C: Critical Thinking

Think about a time when a missing comma changed the meaning of a sentence. Describe the situation and explain how the comma would have helped.