English Toolkit

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15.1Commas: separating listed items
TYPICAL ERROR We planted wattles banksias grevillias and lilly pillies.
CORRECTION We planted wattles, banksias, grevillias and lilly pillies.

EXPLANATION The sentence above could have been written:

We planted wattles and banksias and grevillias and lilly pillies.

To avoid having to use and all the time, we can replace it with a comma when it is used to join words or phrases or clauses in a list. Hence, in the example, commas are required where and has been left out (but not where and has been used at the end):

We planted wattles, banksias, grevillias and lilly pillies.

Add commas to punctuate these sentences correctly.
a
The terracotta sculptures on display at Xi'an include over 2000 terracotta officers archers soldiers horsemen and horses.

b
Nearest the sun are Mercury Venus and Earth and then further out are Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus and Neptune.

c
Our trip took us across the Northern Territory through western Queensland down the Strzelecki Track and then to Adelaide.

d
Camp food wasn't so bad. For breakfast we had juice cereal and fruit sausages and eggs toast and jam and tea or coffee.

e
Apart from Bluey, the list of cartoon characters includes Bingo Bandit Chilli Muffin Jack Rusty and many more.

Success!