BKSB Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence uses a semicolon correctly?
- I was tired; but I kept working.
- She finished her report; then she went home. (Correct answer)
- He likes coffee; and tea.
- They arrived late; because of traffic.
Correct answer: She finished her report; then she went home.
A semicolon correctly joins two independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction.
Question 2: Choose the correctly spelled word.
- accomodate
- accommodate (Correct answer)
- acommodate
- acomodate
Correct answer: accommodate
'Accommodate' is spelled with double 'c' and double 'm'.
Question 3: Which sentence is grammatically correct?
- Neither the manager nor the staff were informed.
- Neither the manager nor the staff was informed. (Correct answer)
- Neither the manager nor the staff are informed.
- Neither the manager nor the staff have been inform.
Correct answer: Neither the manager nor the staff was informed.
With 'neither…nor,' the verb agrees with the subject closest to it ('staff' is plural, but 'the staff' here is a collective treated as singular in formal US English; however, the standard rule makes 'was' agree with the nearer noun 'staff' — correct answer follows the rule that the verb matches the nearer subject).
Question 4: Which word correctly completes the sentence? 'The committee reached ___ decision after hours of debate.'
- it's
- its (Correct answer)
- their
- they're
Correct answer: its
'Its' is the possessive pronoun referring to the committee.
Question 5: Identify the sentence with correct apostrophe use.
- The dog's bowl's were empty.
- The dogs bowls were empty.
- The dogs' bowls were empty. (Correct answer)
- The dog's bowls' were empty.
Correct answer: The dogs' bowls were empty.
'Dogs'' shows plural possessive — multiple dogs owning multiple bowls.
Question 6: Which option correctly punctuates this sentence? 'After the meeting ___ the team celebrated with dinner.'
- After the meeting, the team celebrated with dinner. (Correct answer)
- After the meeting; the team celebrated with dinner.
- After the meeting: the team celebrated with dinner.
- After the meeting — the team celebrated with dinner.
Correct answer: After the meeting, the team celebrated with dinner.
A comma is used after an introductory adverbial phrase.
Question 7: Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?
- Running to the bus stop, Maria dropped her keys.
- Running to the bus stop, the keys were dropped. (Correct answer)
- While running, Maria dropped her keys.
- Maria, running to the bus stop, dropped her keys.
Correct answer: Running to the bus stop, the keys were dropped.
In 'Running to the bus stop, the keys were dropped,' the keys cannot run — the modifier dangles.
BKSB Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar 2
Which sentence uses a semicolon correctly?