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kristin fracchia
lesson by kristin fracchia
magoosh expert
summary
understanding the correct use of commas is crucial for excelling in the act english test, as it covers a significant portion of the grammar questions.
  • commas are primarily used to set off dependent or subordinate clauses, create compound sentences with coordinating conjunctions, and separate lists of items.
  • technical terms like 'dependent clause' or 'coordinating conjunction' are less important than recognizing their function in sentences.
  • appositives and participial phrases are examples of information set off by commas for additional, non-essential details.
  • the use of commas before 'which' but not 'that' is based on whether the information is essential to the sentence's meaning.
  • fanboys (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) are crucial for creating compound sentences correctly, avoiding comma splices.
chapters
00:00
setting off clauses and appositives
00:53
compound sentences and coordinating conjunctions
01:12
lists and non-essential information