Dictations aren't just about commas; they are about "grammatical vigilance."
If you hear a phrase that adds detail to the verb, put commas around it.
The humming isn't the main event; it’s the background vibe to the walking. 2. The Punctuation "Gold Mine"
The 7th-grade dictation focuses heavily on the . Unlike its cousin, the Participle (Причастие), the Gerund is almost always set off by commas, regardless of its position in the sentence. The Golden Rules for the Dictation:
Take a classic text (Turgenev or Paustovsky are favorites for 7th-grade tests) and highlight every Gerund you find.