Curing Two Comma Conundrums Name ______________________
Two of the most common student punctuation faults involve overuse or misuse of commas.
Comma Fault 1: Comma Splice With however:
Faulty: Mike got an interview, however, he didn’t get the job.
Correct: Mike got an interview; however, he didn’t get the job.
Comma Fault 2: Unnecessary Comma With Coordinating Conjunction
Faulty: Mike prepared for the interview, and thought he had done well.
Correct: Mike prepared for the interview and thought he had done well.
In the following sentences, add appropriate commas or semicolons and remove
inappropriate commas. Mark “C” if the sentence is correct. Be prepared to justify your
choices.
1. Frito-Lay wants to sell healthier foods, and intends to use no artificial ingredients in its
60 snack varieties.
5. All-natural products represent only about a fifth of the $15 billion U.S. savory snack
market but such sales grew an average of 14 percent over the past two years.
6. The company said that natural substitutes cost as much as 35 percent more than
8. In recent years Frito-Lay eliminated trans fats, and reduced saturated fats in most of its
snack varieties.
12. A PepsiCo executive said that he wouldn’t tell his children to eat all-natural chips for
breakfast, however, he does think that it’s a sensible snack that is better than most
available treats.
Key
1. Delete comma preceding coordinating conjunction and. It does not join two clauses.
2. Delete comma preceding and. It does not join two clauses.
3. Delete both commas. They do not join two clauses.
4. lose weight and eat better; however, it’s not clear . . . .
The conjunctive adverb however joins two clauses and requires a semicolon.
