Adult Literacy Intermediate Quiz: Using Commas With Transitions
10 questions · exam conditions
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Using Commas With TransitionsQuestion 1 of 10

The warehouse crew finished the inventory. The totals still need to be checked.

Which revision correctly uses however to connect the contrasting ideas?

The warehouse crew finished the inventory, however, the totals still need to be checked.
The warehouse crew finished the inventory; however the totals still need to be checked.
The warehouse crew finished the inventory however; the totals still need to be checked.
The warehouse crew finished the inventory. However, the totals still need to be checked.
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Adult Literacy Intermediate Quiz

Adult Literacy Intermediate Quiz: Using Commas With Transitions

Practice Using Commas With Transitions in Adult Literacy Intermediate with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Using Commas With Transitions, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Adult Literacy Intermediate.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

The warehouse crew finished the inventory. The totals still need to be checked.

Which revision correctly uses however to connect the contrasting ideas?

  1. The warehouse crew finished the inventory, however, the totals still need to be checked.
  2. The warehouse crew finished the inventory; however the totals still need to be checked.
  3. The warehouse crew finished the inventory however; the totals still need to be checked.
  4. The warehouse crew finished the inventory. However, the totals still need to be checked. (correct answer)
Explanation: When you see a question about connecting two contrasting sentences with a transition word like however, you need to think about two things: punctuation rules for conjunctive adverbs, and what creates a complete, grammatically correct sentence. However is a conjunctive adverb — not a coordinating conjunction like and or but. This distinction matters enormously for punctuation. When however joins two independent clauses, it needs a period or semicolon before it, and a comma after it. Option D does exactly this: it keeps the original period, starts a new sentence with However, followed by a comma, and then completes the thought. This creates two clean, correct sentences while clearly signaling contrast. Here's where the wrong answers go wrong. Option A places however between two independent clauses with only commas on both sides — this creates a comma splice, one of the most common punctuation errors. A comma alone isn't strong enough to separate two full sentences. Option B uses a semicolon before however, which is actually the right mark, but then omits the required comma after however — you need both the semicolon and the comma (e.g., inventory; however, the totals). Option C is a jumbled reversal that puts the semicolon after however instead of before it, breaking both sentences apart in the wrong place entirely. A helpful rule of thumb: treat however like a signal that needs a "stop" before it (a period or semicolon) and a brief pause after it (a comma). On punctuation questions, always check both sides of the transition word — one missing mark can make an otherwise strong answer wrong.

Question 2

A community center is updating its membership instructions.

Which sentence correctly sets off however and punctuates the list?

  1. New members however, must submit identification, proof of address, and a signed application.
  2. New members, however must submit identification, proof of address and a signed application.
  3. New members, however, must submit identification, proof of address, and a signed application. (correct answer)
  4. New members however must submit identification proof of address, and a signed application.
Explanation: When a sentence contains a conjunctive adverb like however, therefore, or meanwhile inserted in the middle of a sentence, it acts as a parenthetical expression — an interrupter that needs to be set off with a comma on both sides. Separately, when listing three or more items, standard grammar calls for a comma after each item, including before the final "and" (this is called the Oxford or serial comma). Choice C handles both rules correctly: "New members, however, must submit identification, proof of address, and a signed application." The word however is enclosed by commas on both sides, and the list uses commas after each item including before "and." This is your correct answer. Choice A only places a comma after however, leaving the opening side of the interrupter unpunctuated — "New members however," — which breaks the parenthetical rule. Choice B flips the problem: it puts a comma before however but not after it — "however must submit" — leaving the closing side open. B also drops the Oxford comma before "and," omitting the comma after "proof of address." Choice D skips both commas around however entirely, treating it as if it isn't an interrupter at all, and also drops a necessary comma within the list after "identification." A reliable tip: whenever you spot however, therefore, or moreover sitting in the middle of a sentence, immediately check for a comma both before and after it. Think of it like parentheses — if one side is missing, the punctuation is incomplete.

Question 3

A billing office accepts payment online, by mail, or in person. Customers must keep records of the payment.

Which instruction uses commas correctly? Pay attention to the meaning of however in the sentence.

  1. However, you choose to pay keep the receipt, confirmation email, and account number.
  2. However you choose, to pay, keep the receipt, confirmation email and account number.
  3. However, you choose to pay, keep the receipt confirmation email, and account number.
  4. However you choose to pay, keep the receipt, confirmation email, and account number. (correct answer)
Explanation: Comma placement changes meaning, so when a sentence starts with "however," your first job is to figure out how that word is being used. Here, "however you choose to pay" is an adverbial clause meaning "in whatever way you choose to pay" — it's not using "however" as a transitional word (like "on the other hand"). That distinction is everything in this question. When "however" begins an adverbial clause like this, no comma follows it — the clause runs uninterrupted until it connects to the main clause. That's where the comma belongs: after the full introductory clause. So the correct structure is: However you choose to pay, [pause] keep the receipt, confirmation email, and account number. That's exactly what D does, making it the correct answer. It also correctly uses commas to separate the three items in the list. A treats "however" as a transition word by placing a comma directly after it ("However, you choose to pay..."), which breaks the clause apart and changes the meaning entirely — now it reads like you're saying "regardless, you choose to pay." B places a comma after "choose," splitting the adverbial clause in the wrong spot, and then adds an unnecessary comma after "to pay," creating a choppy, confusing sentence. It also drops the Oxford comma before "and." C correctly avoids a comma after "however" but then places the comma after "pay" in the wrong position and drops the comma after "receipt," breaking the list structure. A handy tip: if "however" can be replaced with "in whatever way," don't put a comma after it. If it means "on the other hand," do.

Question 4

A housing office drafted this notice: Bring a lease utility bill or bank statement. However photocopies must be readable. Therefore check every page before your appointment.

Which revision correctly punctuates the list and both transitions?

  1. Bring a lease, utility bill, or bank statement. However photocopies must be readable. Therefore, check every page before your appointment.
  2. Bring a lease, utility bill, or bank statement. However, photocopies must be readable. Therefore, check every page before your appointment. (correct answer)
  3. Bring a lease utility bill, or bank statement. However, photocopies must be readable. Therefore check every page before your appointment.
  4. Bring a lease, utility bill or bank statement. However photocopies, must be readable. Therefore, check every page before your appointment.
Explanation: When a question asks you to fix punctuation in a sentence with a list and transitional words, tackle it in two parts: commas in series and commas after transitions. For a list of three or more items, you need a comma after each item except the last — so "a lease, utility bill, or bank statement" is correct. This is called the serial comma rule. For transitional words like however and therefore that open a sentence, you always place a comma directly after them. These words signal a shift in thought, and the comma tells the reader to pause before the main idea follows. Answer B handles both rules correctly: "a lease, utility bill, or bank statement" uses proper serial commas, "However," gets its comma, and "Therefore," gets its comma. That's your correct answer. Answer A fails because it correctly punctuates the list and uses "Therefore," properly, but drops the comma after "However" — writing "However photocopies must be readable" without a pause, which breaks the transition rule. Answer C misplaces the first comma in the list — "lease utility bill," skips the comma after "lease," making "lease utility bill" look like a single item. It also drops the comma after "Therefore," missing both errors in different spots. Answer D skips the comma between "utility bill" and "or bank statement," giving you an incomplete serial list. It also moves a comma incorrectly inside the second sentence — "photocopies, must be readable" — and drops the comma after "However," creating multiple new errors. A useful memory trick: if you can replace a transitional word with "on the other hand" or "as a result," you need a comma after it.

Question 5

A training coordinator is describing what the workshop fee covers.

Which sentence correctly punctuates the list and the transition?

  1. The fee covers coffee and tea, fruit, and printed materials. However, lunch is not included. (correct answer)
  2. The fee covers coffee, and tea, fruit and printed materials. However lunch is not included.
  3. The fee covers coffee and tea fruit, and printed materials. However, lunch is not included.
  4. The fee covers coffee and tea, fruit and printed materials. However lunch is not included.
Explanation: When a sentence contains a list, you need commas to separate each item clearly. And when a transitional word like however starts a new sentence, it needs a period before it and a comma after it. These two rules together are what this question is testing. In the passage, the fee covers three things: (1) coffee and tea — treated as one paired item — (2) fruit, and (3) printed materials. Because "coffee and tea" functions as a single unit, the list reads: coffee and tea, fruit, and printed materials. That's a clean three-item list with commas separating each element. Then the next thought begins with However, which must follow a period (since it starts a brand-new sentence) and be followed by a comma (since it's a conjunctive adverb introducing a clause). Answer A does both of these things correctly, making it the right choice. Answer B misplaces a comma after coffee alone, breaking apart the paired item "coffee and tea," and drops the comma after However, leaving the transition improperly punctuated. Answer C drops the comma after "coffee and tea," running that unit into "fruit" without a separator, which blurs where one list item ends and another begins. Answer D omits the serial comma before "printed materials" — a minor issue some styles allow — but more critically, it drops the comma after However, which is a consistent error in this answer set and always wrong when however introduces an independent clause. A handy tip: whenever you see however, therefore, or moreover starting a sentence, mentally check for a period before it and a comma after it — that pattern is tested frequently on this exam.

Question 6

A supervisor is revising this supply-room notice: The cabinet contains paper folders labels and envelopes. (Note: 'paper folders' is one item—a type of folder made of paper.)

Which revision uses commas correctly in both the list and the transition?

  1. The cabinet contains paper folders, labels and envelopes. However it does not contain printer toner.
  2. The cabinet contains paper, folders, labels and envelopes. However, it does not contain printer toner.
  3. The cabinet contains paper folders, labels, and envelopes. However, it does not contain printer toner. (correct answer)
  4. The cabinet contains paper folders labels, and envelopes. However it does not contain printer toner.
Explanation: When a sentence lists three or more items, you need commas to separate each one clearly. This question tests two skills at once: punctuating a series (list) and punctuating a transitional word like "however." For a list of three or more items, place a comma after each item except the last — or use the Oxford comma, which adds a comma before "and" as well. The key here is identifying the three items correctly: paper folders (one item — a type of folder), labels, and envelopes. That means the comma goes after "paper folders" and after "labels," giving you: paper folders, labels, and envelopes. For "however" used as a transition between two sentences, it must be followed by a comma: However, it does not... Choice C gets both rules right — the list is correctly separated as three items, and "however" is properly followed by a comma. That's your answer. Choice A misreads the list. It places a comma only after "paper folders," skipping the comma after "labels," and it drops the comma after "however" — two errors in one sentence. Choice B makes a different but serious mistake: it treats "paper" as a separate item, splitting "paper folders" into two items. This creates a four-item list that doesn't match the passage's intent, and it also omits the Oxford comma and the comma after "however." Choice D skips the comma after "paper folders" entirely, runs "paper folders" and "labels" together without separation, and again drops the comma after "however." A handy tip: whenever you see "however" starting a sentence, mentally cue yourself — comma required. And always count list items carefully before placing your commas.

Question 7

The city confirmed that a late charge was added by mistake.

Which sentence correctly sets off therefore and punctuates the list of services?

  1. The late charge, therefore, should be removed from charges for water, sewer, and trash. (correct answer)
  2. The late charge, therefore should be removed from charges for water, sewer and trash.
  3. The late charge therefore, should be removed from charges for water sewer, and trash.
  4. The late charge therefore should be removed, from charges for water, sewer, and trash.
Explanation: When a sentence includes a conjunctive adverb like therefore, you need to know two things: how to set off that word with commas, and how to punctuate a series. This question tests both skills at once. A conjunctive adverb that appears in the middle of a sentence must be set off by commas on both sides — one before it and one after it. Think of the commas as a pair of bookends. Additionally, when listing three or more items in a series, standard punctuation requires commas after each item, including a comma before the final and (this is called the Oxford or serial comma, and it prevents ambiguity). Choice A handles both rules correctly: "The late charge, therefore, should be removed from charges for water, sewer, and trash." The word therefore is bracketed by commas, and the list — water, sewer, and trash — uses proper serial commas. This is your correct answer. Choice B drops the comma after therefore, leaving only one bookend instead of two. That comma after the opening word is not optional — both commas are required. Choice C places a comma after therefore but not before it, which is the opposite error from B. Again, you need both commas surrounding the interrupting word. Choice D removes both commas around therefore entirely, so the sentence reads as though therefore is not an interrupting word at all. The misplaced comma after removed also creates confusion about what is being modified. A good study tip: whenever you spot therefore, however, or moreover mid-sentence, mentally place a comma on each side of it — no exceptions.

Question 8

A bus company is preparing a route memo: The morning route includes Oak Street Pine Avenue and River Road. Therefore drivers should allow forty minutes for the trip.

Which version correctly punctuates the route list and the transition?

  1. The morning route includes Oak Street, Pine Avenue, and River Road. Therefore drivers should allow forty minutes for the trip.
  2. The morning route includes Oak Street, Pine Avenue, and River Road. Therefore, drivers should allow forty minutes for the trip. (correct answer)
  3. The morning route includes Oak Street Pine Avenue, and River Road. Therefore, drivers should allow forty minutes for the trip.
  4. The morning route includes Oak Street, Pine Avenue and River Road. Therefore drivers should allow forty minutes for the trip.
Explanation: When a sentence lists three or more items, you need commas to separate each one clearly — and when a transitional word opens a new sentence, it typically needs a comma after it to signal a pause before the main clause. Keep both rules in mind as you work through this question. Answer B handles both situations correctly. The list "Oak Street, Pine Avenue, and River Road" uses commas after each item, including before the final "and" — this is called the serial comma (or Oxford comma), and it prevents confusion in lists. Then "Therefore," is followed by a comma before "drivers," which is standard punctuation when a conjunctive adverb like therefore, however, or consequently introduces a clause. Answer A gets the list right but drops the comma after "Therefore." Without that pause, the sentence feels abrupt and technically violates the convention for conjunctive adverbs opening sentences. Answer C misplaces the commas in the list — there's no comma after "Oak Street," which means the first two items run together without separation. That's the kind of error that makes a list hard to read quickly. Answer D omits the Oxford comma before "and River Road," leaving the list only partially punctuated, and it also drops the comma after "Therefore" — so it actually makes two errors at once. A good strategy: when you spot a list, count the commas. For three items, you need two commas (one after item one, one after item two). And whenever you see a word like therefore or however starting a sentence, ask yourself — is there a comma after it? There should be.

Question 9

The job fair will include employers from health care, construction, and, food service. However attendees must register before entering.

Which revision corrects both comma errors without changing the meaning?

  1. The job fair will include employers from health care, construction and, food service. However, attendees must register before entering.
  2. The job fair will include employers from health care construction, and food service. However, attendees must register before entering.
  3. The job fair will include employers from health care, construction, and food service. However, attendees must register before entering. (correct answer)
  4. The job fair will include employers from health care, construction, and food service. However attendees, must register before entering.
Explanation: When you see a question asking you to fix comma errors, focus on two key rules: commas in a series and commas after introductory words. A series comma (also called the Oxford comma) means you place commas between each item in a list of three or more, including before the word "and" or "or." So "health care, construction, and food service" is correct. The original passage incorrectly places a comma after "and" — writing "and, food service" — which splits the final item away from the conjunction it belongs with. The second error involves the word "However" at the start of the second sentence. When a transitional word like "however," "therefore," or "meanwhile" opens a sentence, it must be followed by a comma. The original omits this comma entirely. Choice C fixes both problems cleanly: the series reads "health care, construction, and food service" (comma before "and," not after it), and "However," is correctly followed by a comma. This is your correct answer. Choice A moves the misplaced comma but keeps it in the wrong spot — now it's after "and" in the first series item instead of the last, which still breaks the rule. It does fix the "However," comma, but one error remains. Choice B removes a necessary comma from the series entirely, leaving "health care construction" running together without separation. It fixes "However," but introduces a new mistake. Choice D gets the series right but misplaces the comma in the second sentence — putting it after "attendees" instead of after "However," which changes the sentence's natural pause and rhythm. A handy tip: always check both the list commas and any transitional words at the start of sentences — these are two of the most commonly tested comma rules on literacy exams.

Question 10

The main parking lot is full. The library wants to tell visitors that another parking area may still have spaces.

Which sentence correctly places however at the end to show contrast?

  1. Spaces may still be available, behind the library however.
  2. Spaces may still be available behind the library, however. (correct answer)
  3. Spaces may still be available behind, the library however.
  4. Spaces may still be available behind the library however.
Explanation: When a transitional word like however appears at the end of a sentence, it needs to be set off by a comma immediately before it. This signals to the reader that the word is a "sentence adverb" — it comments on the whole idea, not just the word it sits next to. The comma is the key punctuation move here. Option B — Spaces may still be available behind the library, however. — is correct because the comma appears right before however, cleanly separating it from the rest of the sentence. The phrase "behind the library" stays together as a unit, which preserves the meaning: the spaces are located behind the library. Option A places the comma after available and before "behind the library however," which splits apart the location phrase and awkwardly attaches however directly to "library" without a comma. This misreads the sentence's structure. Option C inserts a comma after behind, which cuts the prepositional phrase "behind the library" in half. You never separate a preposition from its object with a comma — that breaks a grammatical unit that must stay together. Option D has no comma at all before however. Without that comma, however blurs into the sentence and loses its transitional punch. Punctuation rules require the comma when however closes a sentence. A handy tip: whenever however ends a sentence, mentally replace it with though — you'd naturally pause before it, and that pause is exactly where your comma belongs. Train yourself to look for that final-comma pattern on punctuation questions.