Commas to clarify meaning: humpback whale
The Grammar Bit!
The correct placement of a comma within a sentence is very important for separating chunks of information. When a comma is used incorrectly, it can lead to confusion or even change the meaning of a sentence entirely.
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Now, use the Time to Talk Detective Partnered Talk prompt below to identify how the placement of commas changes the meaning in each of the scintillating sentence pairs opposite. Work with your partner to spot the differences, discuss how they affect the meaning, and decide which version you think is correct.
– Detective Partnered Talk (Click 🗣️)
Scintillating Sentences
1A) The female humpback, said the diver, was at least fifteen metres long.
1B) The female humpback said the diver was at least fifteen metres long.
2A) Humpback whales are affected by noise pollution, ship strikes and entanglement in fishing nets.
2B) Humpback whales are affected by noise, pollution, ship strikes and entanglement in fishing nets.
3A) When they saw the humpback’s enormous fluked tail on the horizon, the divers got their underwater cameras ready.
3B) When they saw the humpback’s enormous fluked tail, on the horizon, the divers got their underwater cameras ready.
“OK team, let’s go in for the Krill!”
