Punctuation – English Grammar Exercises for A2
Telling a younger brother what to do if he gets lost in a supermarket. Choose the correct punctuation (A, B, or C) to complete the sentences. Pay close attention to how you separate the condition (the “If” part) from the action.
1 “If you get ______ where you are.”
(A) lost, stay
(B) lost stay
(C) lost. Stay
2 “If you can’t find ______ my name loudly.”
(A) me. call
(B) me, call
(C) me call
3 “If a stranger talks to ______ not answer them.”
(A) you do
(B) you. Do
(C) you, do
4 “If you feel ______ for a security guard.”
(A) scared look
(B) scared, look
(C) scared; look
5 “If you see a police ______ for help.”
(A) officer ask
(B) officer; ask
(C) officer, ask
6 “If you start ______ will notice you and help.”
(A) crying, someone
(B) crying someone
(C) crying. Someone
7 “If you are near the ______ for me there.”
(A) toys wait
(B) toys. Wait
(C) toys, wait
8 “If someone tries to grab your ______ loudly for help.”
(A) hand. Yell
(B) hand, yell
(C) hand yell
9 “If you find a ______ them you are lost.”
(A) cashier, tell
(B) cashier. Tell
(C) cashier tell
10 “If we get separated in the ______ run outside the store.”
(A) crowd don’t
(B) crowd, don’t
(C) crowd. Don’t
11 “If a worker asks for my phone ______ them this card.”
(A) number. Give
(B) number give
(C) number, give
12 “If you drop your ______ it on the floor and stay with me.”
(A) toy, leave
(B) toy leave
(C) toy. Leave
13 “If you need to go to the ______ a store worker first.”
(A) toilet. Tell
(B) toilet, tell
(C) toilet tell
14 “If you hear your name on the ______ to the front desk.”
(A) speakers go
(B) speakers. Go
(C) speakers, go
15 “If the supermarket closes and you are still ______ a manager immediately.”
(A) inside find
(B) inside, find
(C) inside. Find
16 “If you are lost and you feel ______ not take food from strangers.”
(A) hungry, do
(B) hungry do
(C) hungry. do
17 “If you go to the main ______ by the large glass doors.”
(A) entrance wait
(B) entrance. Wait
(C) entrance, wait
18 “If you don’t see me after five ______ to the checkout area.”
(A) minutes, walk
(B) minutes walk
(C) minutes; walk
19 “If someone offers you candy to go with ______ no and walk away.”
(A) them say
(B) them, say
(C) them. Say
20 “If you get tired of ______ chair near the exit is a safe place to sit.”
(A) standing a
(B) standing. A
(C) standing, a
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (A)
Explanation: When an “If” clause comes at the beginning of a sentence (First Conditional), you must put a comma after it before starting the main clause. (B) is a run-on error, and (C) incorrectly uses a full stop, making the “If” clause an incomplete sentence (fragment).
2 (B)
Explanation: The condition is “If you can’t find me”. You need a comma to separate it from the imperative result “call my name”. (A) is a full stop error, and (C) is missing punctuation.
3 (C)
Explanation: The comma perfectly connects the hypothetical situation with the rule. (A) lacks punctuation, which confuses the reader. (B) cuts the sentence in half incorrectly.
4 (B)
Explanation: The comma is required after the introductory “If” clause. (C) uses a semicolon, which is incorrect because “If you feel scared” is not an independent sentence.
5 (C)
Explanation: The comma signals a brief pause between the condition and the instruction. (A) is a run-on. (B) incorrectly uses a semicolon.
6 (A)
Explanation: The comma separates the condition from the future result. (C) uses a full stop, leaving the “If” part as a meaningless fragment.
7 (C)
Explanation: Place a comma after the “If” clause. (B) is a common mistake for A2 learners who think a pause means the sentence is over.
8 (B)
Explanation: The comma correctly separates the dependent “If” clause from the main imperative clause (“yell loudly”). (A) and (C) are incorrect punctuation choices.
9 (A)
Explanation: Use a comma to connect the condition to the action. (B) makes the first part a sentence fragment. (C) is missing a comma.
10 (B)
Explanation: The correct punctuation is a comma after the word “crowd”. (A) is a run-on. (C) incorrectly breaks the sentence into two.
11 (C)
Explanation: The introductory “If” clause ends at “number”, so the comma must go there. (A) uses a full stop inappropriately.
12 (A)
Explanation: The comma separates the “If” clause from the imperative clause. (B) and (C) fail to punctuate the conditional structure correctly.
13 (B)
Explanation: A comma is required after “toilet” to introduce the solution. (A) is the common full-stop distractor.
14 (C)
Explanation: The comma is placed right before the main action (“go to the front desk”). (B) is a fragment error.
15 (B)
Explanation: Even though the “If” clause is a bit longer (“If the supermarket closes and you are still inside”), the rule remains the same: use a comma before the main clause.
16 (A)
Explanation: The comma correctly separates the double condition from the negative imperative (“do not take…”). (C) is grammatically incorrect.
17 (C)
Explanation: A comma is mandatory to separate the “If” clause from the main clause. (B) incorrectly uses a full stop.
18 (A)
Explanation: The comma connects the condition to the instruction. (C) uses a semicolon, which cannot be used to connect a dependent “If” clause to a main clause.
19 (B)
Explanation: The comma creates the necessary grammatical pause between the hypothetical danger and the safety instruction. (A) is a run-on error.
20 (C)
Explanation: A comma is needed after “standing”. Without the comma (A), the sentence reads “standing a chair”, which is highly confusing. The comma clarifies the structure.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- The First Conditional Rule: When you write a conditional sentence starting with “If…”, you must put a comma (,) at the end of that “If” clause before you write the result or instruction.
- Example: If you are lost**,** stay here.
- Avoiding Fragments: Never use a full stop (.) to end an “If” clause. An “If” clause cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.
- Incorrect: If you are lost. Stay here.
- The Reverse Rule (No Comma): Remember that if the result comes first and the “If” clause comes second, you do not use a comma.
- Example: Stay here if you are lost.