Name:______Per:______Date:______

The Canterbury Tales Comma Exercises – 11 CP

Directions: Each sentence below contains underlined parts, one of which is a mistake. Circle and fix the mistake.

1. If the knight hopes to survive in his first battle he needs to find his shield.

2. Although you might not believe it a pardoner actually has an easy time taking money from others because no one expects him to do it.

3. If you offer the Wife of Bath a piece of watermelon, she will refuse it, because the slices look like the wicked smile of a circus clown.

4. During the summer when a variety of fruit is in season the nun always avoids the fresh peaches because she enjoys them canned.

5. The nun, a very dainty woman, always nibbles around the pit of a cherry, just as if she were eating a peach because she is vain about her smile.

6. Because the miller thinks that he has big, ugly toes he insists on wearing socks everywhere that he goes.

7. Sick with the flu, the monk craved a hot bowl of his grandmother's chicken soup; however there was only spaghetti in the fridge.

9. During his final exam the squire was unable to perform, so he had to retake the long, grueling test.

10. The summoner, who was responsible for delivering the mail took too many breaks.

11. The miller, who was a red head, was self-conscience about his looks; he was a

burly strong man that should not be questioned.

12. The doctor was such a professional pilgrim that he noticed whenever the nun who was frequently sick, seemed to be under the weather.

13. During the pilgrimage the pardoner, the reeve, and the squire had a major disagreement, so the knight had to break it up.

14. The cook, whose sin was gluttony had a very round face and a seething ulcer on his knee.

15. The cook is an amazing cook because he can look into a nearly empty refrigerator and he can put together an interesting dinner.

16. The carpenter although a minor pilgrim, does have an exciting tale that is one of Chaucer’s best.

17. Because the pilgrims came from Southwark their journey was long, grueling, and arduous; it took them almost two weeks.

18. Although there is an order in which the pilgrims should tell their stories, sometimes the consumption of alcohol prompts them to go out of order; it is cleared up quickly so none of them feels uncomfortable or angry.

19. Thomas Beckett, the Archbishop of Canterbury would have been flattered that the sinful pilgrims decided to visit his shrine.

20. However some might say that the pilgrims used his grave just to feel better about their sin-filled, terrible lives.

3