How to Correctly Place Punctuation for Phrasing
Read the sentence and choose the correct option:
My date to the movies spilled his gigantic blue drink on me ruining my favorite dress.
a. My date to the movies spilled his (gigantic blue) drink on me; ruining my favorite dress.
b. My date to the movies spilled his gigantic blue, drink on me, ruining my favorite dress.
c. My date to the movies, spilled his gigantic blue drink on me ruining my favorite dress.
d. My date to the movies spilled his gigantic blue drink on me, ruining my favorite dress.
Correct Answer:
The correct punctuation for the sentence is: d. My date to the movies spilled his gigantic blue drink on me, ruining my favorite dress.
Correct punctuation is crucial for clear and effective communication in writing. In this sentence, the correct placement of punctuation is shown in option d. The comma after "me" separates the main clause "My date to the movies spilled his gigantic blue drink on me" from the participial phrase "ruining my favorite dress."
By using the comma before the participial phrase "ruining my favorite dress," the sentence is properly structured to indicate that the action of spilling the drink occurred first and resulted in the dress being ruined. This conveys the intended meaning in a clear and grammatically correct way.
Remembering to correctly place punctuation marks like commas can make a big difference in how a sentence is understood. Practice and attention to detail can help improve punctuation skills and enhance overall writing clarity.