Punctuation: commas, apostrophes, and more: applying the high-frequency punctuation rules the EOC tests, commas in a series, after introductory elements, around nonessential phrases, and between coordinated clauses, apostrophes for possession and contractions, and end punctuation and quotation marks, on the Virginia EOC Writing test.

What this skill is asking

Punctuation is part of the mechanics the Virginia EOC Writing test scores, and a handful of rules account for most of the items: commas (in a series, after introductory elements, around nonessential phrases, and between coordinated clauses), apostrophes (for possession and contractions), and end punctuation and quotation marks. The EOC tests these with "which is punctuated correctly" multiple-choice items and with drop-down items, and the same conventions are scored on the Short Paper's Usage and Mechanics domain. The skill is knowing the high-frequency rules and applying them precisely. This page covers the comma rules, the apostrophe, and end and quotation punctuation, the marks the EOC returns to.

Comma rules the EOC tests

A handful of comma rules cover the great majority of items.

The most-tested comma rules are the introductory comma and the nonessential phrase. An introductory phrase ("After the long meeting") is followed by a comma before the main clause begins. A nonessential phrase is set off by a pair of commas because the sentence is complete without it; an essential phrase (one that defines which noun) takes no commas. A frequent error is a comma between the subject and the verb ("The students, went home"), which the EOC includes as a distractor, never separate a subject from its verb with a single comma.

Apostrophes: possession and contractions

The reliable checks are simple. For possession, ask "whose?" and place the apostrophe based on whether the owner is singular or plural: one dog's bowl, two dogs' bowls. For its/it's, expand the contraction: if "it is" or "it has" fits, use "it's"; otherwise use possessive "its." For a plain plural, use no apostrophe at all. These three checks resolve nearly every apostrophe item, including the distractors that add a stray apostrophe to a simple plural.

End punctuation and quotation marks

Try this

Q1. What is the difference between "its" and "it's"? [Recall]

• Cue. "Its" is possessive (no apostrophe, like "his"): "the cat licked its paw." "It's" is a contraction of "it is" or "it has": "it's raining." Expand the contraction to test which is needed.

Q2. Where do the commas go in this sentence, and why? "My neighbor who is a nurse helped during the storm." [Short explanation]

• Cue. If "who is a nurse" is nonessential extra information, set it off with commas: "My neighbor, who is a nurse, helped during the storm." The pair of commas marks the phrase as nonessential, since the sentence makes sense without it; an essential clause that identifies which neighbor would take no commas.