Level 06 – Step 01 : Coordination Verbs and Commas — I sing, dance, and smile. She reads and writes.
/Level 06 – Step 01 : Coordination Verbs and Commas — I sing, dance, and smile. She reads and writes.
🚪 Let’s Begin
/🚪 Let’s Begin
🦉Professor Owl: Today we will learn how to join verbs or actions in a sentence using and, or, and commas.
/🦉Professor Owl: Today we will learn how to join verbs or actions in a sentence using and, or, and commas.
🐧Igupen: So we can put more than one action in one sentence?
/🐧Igupen: So we can put more than one action in one sentence?
🦉Professor Owl: Yes.
/🦉Professor Owl: Yes.
🐧Igupen: We call this coordination.
/🐧Igupen: We call this coordination.
🦉Professor Owl: It helps make writing smooth and clear.
/🦉Professor Owl: It helps make writing smooth and clear.
🐧Igupen: Please show me easy examples.
/🐧Igupen: Please show me easy examples.
🦉Professor Owl: Ho ho.
/🦉Professor Owl: Ho ho.
Watch the examples and listen for the connecting words.
/Watch the examples and listen for the connecting words.
📚 Lesson
/📚 Lesson
What is coordination with verbs?
/What is coordination with verbs?
Coordination joins two or more verbs that share the same subject.
/Coordination joins two or more verbs that share the same subject.
We often use and, or, and but to join verbs.
/We often use and, or, and but to join verbs.
Use commas when you join three or more verbs.
/Use commas when you join three or more verbs.
Two common patterns:
/Two common patterns:
Two verbs: She reads and writes. (no comma)
/Two verbs: She reads and writes. (no comma)
Three or more verbs: I sing, dance, and smile. (a comma before and is common in American English)
/Three or more verbs: I sing, dance, and smile. (a comma before and is common in American English)
Why use commas?
/Why use commas?
A comma before the final and (the Oxford comma) makes lists clearer, especially with three or more items.
/A comma before the final and (the Oxford comma) makes lists clearer, especially with three or more items.
With just two verbs, do not use a comma.
/With just two verbs, do not use a comma.
🦉Professor Owl’s one-point tip
/🦉Professor Owl’s one-point tip
Ask: How many actions? If two, join with and (no comma). If three or more, separate with commas and put and before the last verb.
/Ask: How many actions? If two, join with and (no comma). If three or more, separate with commas and put and before the last verb.
Quick checks inside the lesson:
/Quick checks inside the lesson:
Two verbs: She reads and writes. → no comma.
/Two verbs: She reads and writes. → no comma.
Three verbs: I sing, dance, and smile. → commas separate items; comma before and is common.
/Three verbs: I sing, dance, and smile. → commas separate items; comma before and is common.
🌼 Sample Sentences
/🌼 Sample Sentences
No.01 I sing, dance, and smile.
/No.01 I sing, dance, and smile.
No.02 She reads and writes.
/No.02 She reads and writes.
No.03 He runs and jumps every morning.
/No.03 He runs and jumps every morning.
No.04 They study, practice, and play together.
/No.04 They study, practice, and play together.
No.05 Mom cooks and cleans on Sunday.
/No.05 Mom cooks and cleans on Sunday.
No.06 The bird sings, flies, and rests.
/No.06 The bird sings, flies, and rests.
No.07 We draw and color pictures.
/No.07 We draw and color pictures.
No.08 The students listen, take notes, and ask questions.
/No.08 The students listen, take notes, and ask questions.
No.09 Tom plays soccer and swims after school.
/No.09 Tom plays soccer and swims after school.
No.10 The chef chops, stirs, and tastes the soup.
/No.10 The chef chops, stirs, and tastes the soup.
🎓 Practice exercises:
/🎓 Practice exercises:
Note: Think first, then check the answers.
/Note: Think first, then check the answers.
Q1: True or False: Use a comma when you join two verbs with and.
/Q1: True or False: Use a comma when you join two verbs with and.
Q2: Choose the correct sentence: A) She laughed, cried, and smiled. B) She laughed cried and smiled.
/Q2: Choose the correct sentence: A) She laughed, cried, and smiled. B) She laughed cried and smiled.
Q3: Edit this sentence: He reads, and writes books. → Make it correct for two verbs.
/Q3: Edit this sentence: He reads, and writes books. → Make it correct for two verbs.
Q4: How many verbs? List them: I jump, kick, and run.
/Q4: How many verbs? List them: I jump, kick, and run.
Q5: Join with and (no comma if two): The cat / sleep / purr.
/Q5: Join with and (no comma if two): The cat / sleep / purr.
Q6: Choose correct punctuation: I eat __ play __ sleep. (options: A) , and , B) and C) , and)
/Q6: Choose correct punctuation: I eat __ play __ sleep. (options: A) , and , B) and C) , and)
Q7: Identify whether comma is needed: They cook and clean. (Yes or No)
/Q7: Identify whether comma is needed: They cook and clean. (Yes or No)
Q8: Rewrite with commas: We bake cookies, make tea and sing. → Add comma(s) where needed.
/Q8: Rewrite with commas: We bake cookies, make tea and sing. → Add comma(s) where needed.
Q9: Find the verbs and say if commas are correct: The dog barks, wags its tail, and sleeps.
/Q9: Find the verbs and say if commas are correct: The dog barks, wags its tail, and sleeps.
Q10: Make a sentence with three verbs about you (use commas and and).
/Q10: Make a sentence with three verbs about you (use commas and and).
◆ Answers:
/◆ Answers:
A1: False — do not use a comma for two verbs.
/A1: False — do not use a comma for two verbs.
A2: A is better with commas: She laughed, cried, and smiled.
/A2: A is better with commas: She laughed, cried, and smiled.
A3: Correct: He reads and writes books.
/A3: Correct: He reads and writes books.
A4: Three verbs: jump; kick; run.
/A4: Three verbs: jump; kick; run.
A5: The cat sleeps and purrs.
/A5: The cat sleeps and purrs.
A6: C) , and — use commas between items and include and before the last item.
/A6: C) , and — use commas between items and include and before the last item.
A7: No — no comma is needed for two verbs.
/A7: No — no comma is needed for two verbs.
A8: We bake cookies, make tea, and sing.
/A8: We bake cookies, make tea, and sing.
A9: Verbs: barks; wags; sleeps. Commas are correct.
/A9: Verbs: barks; wags; sleeps. Commas are correct.
A10: Example: I study, write, and teach.
/A10: Example: I study, write, and teach.
🦉 Closing
/🦉 Closing
🦉Professor Owl: Excellent work.
/🦉Professor Owl: Excellent work.
Counting actions helps you choose commas or no commas.
/Counting actions helps you choose commas or no commas.
🐧Igupen: I will check how many verbs are in each sentence before I add commas.
/🐧Igupen: I will check how many verbs are in each sentence before I add commas.
🦉Professor Owl: Practice by writing short sentences with two actions and with three actions.
/🦉Professor Owl: Practice by writing short sentences with two actions and with three actions.
You are learning fast — keep it up!
/You are learning fast — keep it up!
