Welcome to CPT

This is Professor Donahue's English as a Second Language Faculty Page CPT BLOG A Language Learning Site for students to explore and learn.
Here is an example of a CPT QUESTION:

some places, virtually all the topsoil has washed away, leaving far less productive subsoil to sustain the crops.

Directions: Rewrite Sentence Beginning with: Because in some places virtually all the topsoil has washed away,. . .
[ if because in middle , then no comma]
A. This leaves only the far less productive subsoil to sustain.

B. Leaving far less productive subsoil sustaining to sustain the crops.

C. The far less productive subsoil sustaining.

YES D. The far less productive subsoil must sustain the crops.

If you begin with any type of subordination a participle or preposition you MUST have a comma after the clause.
Additional information has a comma before and after it. My country, Cuba, is a beautiful island. Called an appositive. Cuba renames MY COUNTRY.
Restrictive: People who visit the United States should visit the Statue of Liberty. People, who visit the United States, should visit the Statue of Liberty. [the second one is wrong] Commas tell us that that part could be removed. But if we remove it here it is a very weak sentence.
People should visit the Statue of Liberty. So the first one is best.
Semicolon rule: Use the semicolon to substitute for FANBOYS.

Although, If, are subordinators

The However rule: I like hotdogs; however, I hate hamburgers.

Never put subordination with FANBOYS Example: Because I am a student, so I hate school. [wrong]
Because I am a student, I hate school.
If you begin with a participle, the SUBJECT goes after the COMMA.
Fishing in the lake, the man caught a big one. Fishing in the lake, fish jumped into the man’s net. WRONG While fishing in the lake, the man fell overboard the small boat.
[ remember sometimes you may have the ED or EN ending on a beginning participle]