LESSON #2 - EXERCISE

1. After they took their baths, Sister of Mercy sprinkled fairy dust on the elves flying above the tub.
Rules: 2 and 6b
(Hint: 2 different rules apply here. Is there an Introductory Clause here? Secondly, who is flying--Sister of Mercy or the elves? Do elves fly? You are the author. You have to determine the meaning for your reader.)

2. On Ava's vacation, she went to see Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, and the Comma Museum.
Rules: 6a and 5
(Hint: 2 different rules apply here. Is there an Introductory Phrase here, or is it a Clause? Secondly, there are a Series of things which Ava went to see.)

3. Amber, who lives in England, finished her assignments before she ate.
Rules: 4a and 1
(Hint: 2 rules apply here. Is it Essential that we know Amber lives in England in order to understand the sentence? Secondly, is the conjunction in this compound sentence coordinating or subordinating?)

4. The scruffy Border collie ate Kate's i-pod that she just bought.
Rules: 3b and 4c
(Hint: 2 different rules apply here. Are the adjectives describing the collie equal in importance to the collie? Secondly, what kind of clause is modifying the i-pod?)

5. The tall army sergeant was decapitated when he entered the helicopter.
Rules: 3b and 1
(Hint: 2 different rules apply here. First, are the adjectives describing the sergeant equal in importance--Can you switch the adjectives and still make sense? Secondly, is the conjunction in this compound sentence coordinating or subordinating?)

6. Please put the plate smeared with Amber's birthday cake into the dishwasher before it draws flies and stinks up the kitchen and attracts the cat.
Rules: 4b and 1
(Hint: 2 rules apply here. First, is it Essential that we know the plate we are talking about is the one 'smeared with Amber's birthday cake'? [By the way, Amber's birthday is the 19th!!] Secondly, do we need a comma before the SUBORDINATING conjunction 'before'? Be careful here. There are elements in a series present, but do we want to separate them with commas?)

7 & 8. Tripping over her old, blue rocking chair, Riot spilled her drink. Nevertheless, she rose with dignity.
Rules: 3a, 3b, 6a, and 7
(Hint: 4 different rules apply here. There is an Introduction to the sentence here. There are Adjectives describing the chair. Are ALL the Adjectives equal in importance to the chair? Does the word "Nevertheless" create continuity from one sentence to the next? )

9. Dagnabit, Nani dropped her novel on my foot, and the weight of the pages broke my toe.
Rules: 8 and 1
(Hint: 2 different rules apply here. Is there an expletive here in this Compound Sentence?)

10. Winnie‘s older brother, who taught High School English for thirty years, refuses to help her grade these comma assignments.
Rule: 4a
Hint: Winnie only has one older brother.)