Learn / Reading and Writing / Standard English Conventions

Boundaries

I worked these out from the practice questions. Each code says where to start reading, where to stop, what you can skip, and why it is safe.

Start:: Start at the word just before the punctuation spot and read to the word just after it.
Stop:: Stop when you can say IC, DC or phrase for each side.
Skip:: Skip the rest of the sentence unless there is extra information inside.
Why:: In every practice question, the right mark came from what was on the two sides.

Used in questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Start:: If both sides could stand alone, look for a period, a semicolon, or comma plus and, but or so.
Stop:: Stop at the first choice with a legal joiner.
Skip:: Skip choices with only a comma or only nothing.
Why:: Questions 1 and 8 were IC + IC and the wrong answers were comma splices or run-ons.

Used in questions 1, 8

Start:: If the sentence starts with because, although, when or if, find where the main clause begins.
Stop:: Stop where the subject of the main clause begins.
Skip:: Skip semicolons and colons here.
Why:: In question 4, a dependent clause came first and a comma was the only mark that fitted.

Used in question 4

Start:: When you see one comma or dash opening extra information, look for its partner.
Stop:: Stop when you find the verb that follows the extra information.
Skip:: Skip the middle content of the extra information.
Why:: In questions 3, 6 and 7, the answer was the mark that closed the pair in the same way it was opened.

Used in questions 3, 6, 7

Start:: Check the words just before a colon: could they stand alone?
Stop:: Stop if they could, and what follows is a list or explanation.
Skip:: Skip colons after incomplete phrases.
Why:: In question 2 the sentence was complete before the list, so the colon was right and the semicolon was wrong.

Used in question 2

Start:: Spot however, therefore, for example or moreover in the middle of the sentence.
Stop:: Stop when you see complete sentences on both sides.
Skip:: Skip choices that put only a comma before the transition.
Why:: Question 8 showed 'picked, for example,' as a trap, because a comma before a transition creates a comma splice.

Used in question 8

Start:: Look at the list items. Do they already contain commas?
Stop:: Stop when you see that they do.
Skip:: Skip choices that mix commas and semicolons between items.
Why:: Question 5 had items with descriptions inside, so semicolons kept the items clear.

Used in question 5

Start:: Find the verb just before the blank (includes, were, is) and see whether it still needs an object or complement.
Stop:: Stop when you see that the sentence part before the blank is not complete yet.
Skip:: Skip commas, colons and semicolons, because they cannot separate a subject from its verb or a verb from its objects.
Why:: In questions 11 and 12, the right answer had no punctuation at all, and every wrong answer put a mark in the middle of the verb phrase.

Used in questions 11, 12

Start:: If the sentence starts with a phrase such as 'After the match' or 'After weeks of planning, packing, and arguing', find where the main clause begins.
Stop:: Stop at the subject of the main clause.
Skip:: Skip semicolons and colons, because the opening phrase cannot stand alone.
Why:: In questions 10 and 14, the commas inside the long phrase in question 14 tempted a stronger mark, but only a comma could follow the whole phrase.

Used in questions 10, 14

Start:: When a dash opens extra information, look for the end of that information, even if it contains commas.
Stop:: Stop at the main verb that follows.
Skip:: Skip the content in the middle and every mark that is not a dash.
Why:: In question 15, the extra information was a long list with commas inside, and the matching dash was the only mark that closed it clearly.

Used in question 15