Commas between describing words

Grade 7 Reading Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. 1.

   Ari swaps the two describing words: “a spicy, hot stew” sounds as natural as “a hot, spicy stew.” Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

   • The cook served a hot, spicy stew to the hikers.
   • The cook served a hot, and spicy stew to the hikers.
   • The cook served a hot, spicy, stew to the hikers.
   • The cook served a hot spicy stew to the hikers.
2. 2.

   Bo swaps the two describing words: “a canvas heavy curtain” sounds odd. Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

   • Tala hung a heavy canvas, curtain across the doorway.
   • Tala hung a heavy, canvas curtain across the doorway.
   • Tala hung a heavy, canvas, curtain across the doorway.
   • Tala hung a heavy canvas curtain across the doorway.
3. 3.

   Kira puts and between the two words: “a red and wool hat” sounds odd. Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

   • Ren found a red, wool, hat in the lost-and-found box.
   • Ren found a red wool hat in the lost-and-found box.
   • Ren found a red, wool hat in the lost-and-found box.
   • Ren found a red wool, hat in the lost-and-found box.
4. 4.

   Luz puts and between the two words: “a sharp and bitter taste” sounds natural. Which sentence is correct?

   • Milo noticed a sharp, and bitter taste in the old tea.
   • Milo noticed a sharp, bitter, taste in the old tea.
   • Milo noticed a sharp, bitter taste in the old tea.
   • Milo noticed a sharp bitter taste in the old tea.
5. 5.

   Milo reads the results: swapping “sleek, silent” works, and “sleek and silent” works. Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

   • A sleek, silent submarine slid beneath the ice.
   • A sleek, silent, submarine slid beneath the ice.
   • A sleek silent submarine slid beneath the ice.
   • A sleek, and silent submarine slid beneath the ice.
6. 6.

   Noah reads the results: “an iron rusty gate” sounds odd, and “rusty and iron gate” sounds odd. Which sentence is correct?

   • The rusty, iron, gate creaked in the wind.
   • The rusty iron gate creaked in the wind.
   • The rusty iron, gate creaked in the wind.
   • The rusty, iron gate creaked in the wind.
7. 7.

   Pia reads the results: “cold, damp” and “damp, cold” both work, but “stone damp cellar” sounds odd. Which sentence is correct?

   • A cold, damp, stone cellar held the old jars.
   • A cold damp, stone cellar held the old jars.
   • A cold damp stone cellar held the old jars.
   • A cold, damp stone cellar held the old jars.
8. 8.

   A cold, damp, cellar held the old jars. Ren reads a sentence with one comma slip. What is the slip?

   • The comma after “damp” is right, since it ends the list of describing words.
   • A comma is missing between “cold” and “damp”.
   • A comma is stuck between the last describing word and the noun.
   • A comma splits two describing words that build on each other.
9. 9.

   Pia sketched three, tall pines near the cabin. Tala reads a sentence with one comma slip. What is the slip?

   • A comma splits “three” and “tall”, which build on each other.
   • The sentence is correct, since a comma may follow a counting word like “three”.
   • A second comma is needed between “tall” and “pines”, to finish the list.
   • The word and is needed in place of the comma between “three” and “tall”.
10. 10.

    The warm gentle breeze carried the smell of pine. Zee reads a sentence with one comma slip. What is the slip?

    • A comma is missing between “gentle” and “breeze”, where the describing words end.
    • A comma is missing between “warm” and “gentle”, since gentle describes the word warm.
    • A comma is missing between “warm” and “gentle”, which pass both checks.
    • No comma is needed, since a sentence with two describing words already works.