Commas Set off Nonessential Elements: Exercise #1

The following sentences have essential and nonessential words, phrases, and clauses in them. Choose the correctly punctuated version of the word, phrase, or clause from the drop down list in order to complete the sentence. Click on the check your answers button to check your answers. (For a non-interactive version of this quiz, please visit our printer-friendly version .)

1. Patterson Tower the recently completed office building ,the recently completed office building, is a monument to concrete ugliness.

2. The movie that I wanted to see ,that I wanted to see, is no longer playing.

3. Each person who enters the contest ,who enters the contest, must send in two box tops.

4. John decided nonetheless ,nonetheless, not to buy the car.

5. The Mississippi River which once flowed north into Hudson Bay ,which once flowed north into Hudson Bay, flows south into the Gulf of Mexico.

6. Your cat watching the dog intently ,watching the dog intently, walked carefully away.

7. The cat that was watching the dog most intently ,that was watching the dog most intently, walked carefully away.

8. TV commercials sometimes the most entertaining parts of a program ,sometimes the most entertaining parts of a program, are essentially flashy corporate propaganda.

9. The dam project which many in the government consider to be a sign of national strength ,which many in the government consider to be a sign of national strength, will destroy hundreds of villages and vast areas of wildlife habitat along the river banks.

10. The free-jazz musician Sun Ra ,Sun Ra, claimed to be from Saturn.