Pizza Night: Commas in a Series

Use commas to separate the items in a series.

Find the series

A series is a list of three or more words, phrases, or clauses in one sentence. Put a comma after each item except the last one. On this worksheet, also put a comma before the and or or that comes before the last item.
Example: Grandpa Tito set out bowls, spoons, and pans.
Two items joined by and do not need a comma: Lena grabbed a fork and a napkin.

Every Friday is pizza night at Grandpa Tito's apartment. Nadia, her brother Omar, and their cousin Lena each make a small pizza with the toppings they like best.

Underline each item in the series.

These sentences have no commas yet. Which sentence has a series that needs commas?

A. Lena spread the warm tomato sauce over the dough with a big spoon.B. Lena spread the sauce and then added a thick layer of cheese.C. Lena spread the sauce added the cheese and sprinkled the basil.D. Lena and her cousin Omar added the cheese on top.

Place the commas

Use the rule from the first section to decide where commas belong.

Grandpa gives the cooks their first jobs. Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

A. Grandpa told the kids to wash their hands, put on aprons, and find a spot at the counter.B. Grandpa told the kids to wash their hands put on aprons, and, find a spot at the counter.C. Grandpa told the kids, to wash their hands, put on aprons, and find a spot at the counter.D. Grandpa told the kids to wash, their hands put on, aprons and find a spot at the counter.

This sentence has no commas yet.
Omar chopped onions peppers and spinach for his pizza.
After which words do the commas belong?

A. after chopped and after onionsB. after onions and after peppersC. after peppers and after spinachD. after onions and after spinach

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

A. Nadia kneaded, the dough Omar made, the sauce and Grandpa heated the oven.B. Nadia kneaded the dough Omar made the sauce, and, Grandpa heated the oven.C. Nadia, kneaded the dough, Omar, made the sauce and Grandpa heated the oven.D. Nadia kneaded the dough, Omar made the sauce, and Grandpa heated the oven.

These sentences have no commas yet. Sort them: does each sentence have a series that needs commas?

Check and write

Find the mistakes, then write a series of your own.

Nadia wrote this sentence in her journal.
Omar, Lena, and I, made pizzas tonight.
What is wrong with the commas?

A. There should be no comma after the word Omar.B. There should be no comma after the word I.C. There should be a comma after the word and.D. There should be a comma after the word made.

Why does this sentence have no commas?
Omar folded the napkins and filled the water glasses.

A. Commas go between naming words, not between actions.B. Each action is more than one word long, so commas don't fit.C. The sentence is too short to need any commas.D. It names only two actions, so it does not have a series.

10.

Write a sentence that names three toppings you would put on your own pizza. Put commas where they belong.