How do commas change the meaning of a sentence?

With commas, a phrase describes everyone or everything named. Without them, it narrows the group. The paintings, restored by experts last year, means all of them were restored, while the paintings restored by experts last year means only some.

What is a participial phrase?

It is a phrase that begins with a verb form such as trained, hiking or erupting and acts like an adjective. Commas Around Nonrestrictive Participial Phrases asks students to decide whether each one is essential.

8th Grade Nonrestrictive Elements Worksheets

Ages 13-14 · Free previews · Print-ready PDFs

Written by Adi Ackerman, Head Teacher

A nonrestrictive element adds extra information to a sentence, so commas set it off, while a restrictive element tells which one is meant and takes no commas. There are 2 sheets for 8th grade here, each with an answer key. Commas Around Nonrestrictive Participial Phrases has students label phrases about volcano scientists essential or nonessential, and Which Meaning Do the Commas Show? matches a stated meaning to one of two sentences. These pages practice L.8.2.

8th Grade Grammar & Writing Punctuation Nonrestrictive elements Clear All

Commas Around Nonrestrictive Participial Phrases

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Which Meaning Do the Commas Show?

Grade8th Grade

TopicPunctuation

More punctuation worksheets

Explore all of our 8th grade punctuation worksheets, covering semicolons, colons and hyphens, nonrestrictive elements, dashes and ellipses, commas practice.

Semicolons, colons and hyphens Dashes and ellipses Commas practice

Frequently Asked Questions

A restrictive, or essential, element tells which person or thing the writer means, so it takes no commas. A nonrestrictive, or nonessential, element only adds extra detail, so commas set it off.

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