COOP Writing Mechanics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence uses commas correctly with a list?
- I need eggs milk and butter.
- I need eggs, milk, and butter. (Correct answer)
- I need, eggs, milk and butter.
- I need eggs milk, and butter.
Correct answer: I need eggs, milk, and butter.
A serial (Oxford) comma is placed before 'and' in a list of three or more items.
Question 2: Which word is spelled correctly?
- recieve
- beleive
- achieve (Correct answer)
- decieve
Correct answer: achieve
The rule 'i before e except after c' applies here: achieve is spelled correctly.
Question 3: Which sentence contains a misplaced modifier?
- Running quickly, she caught the bus.
- She caught the bus running quickly. (Correct answer)
- The dog that was barking scared the cat.
- After finishing homework, he watched TV.
Correct answer: She caught the bus running quickly.
In 'She caught the bus running quickly,' it seems the bus is running quickly due to the misplaced modifier.
Question 4: Which punctuation correctly ends a polite request?
- Could you please pass the salt!
- Could you please pass the salt? (Correct answer)
- Could you please pass the salt...
- Could you please pass the salt,
Correct answer: Could you please pass the salt?
A polite request ends with a question mark because it asks something of someone.
Question 5: Which sentence uses an apostrophe correctly?
- The dog wagged it's tail.
- The dogs' bone was buried. (Correct answer)
- The childrens' toys were everywhere.
- Its' raining outside.
Correct answer: The dogs' bone was buried.
Dogs' is the correct possessive form for a plural noun ending in -s.
Question 6: What is the correct capitalization in this sentence: 'my aunt visited washington d.c. in july.'?
- my aunt visited Washington D.C. in July.
- My aunt visited Washington D.C. in July. (Correct answer)
- My aunt visited Washington D.C. in july.
- My Aunt visited Washington D.C. in July.
Correct answer: My aunt visited Washington D.C. in July.
Proper nouns (Washington D.C.) and the first word of a sentence must be capitalized, as must month names.
Question 7: Which sentence correctly uses a semicolon?
- I was tired; and went to bed.
- She loves math; science is her favorite too. (Correct answer)
- He ate dinner; then dessert.
- We went to the park; but it rained.
Correct answer: She loves math; science is her favorite too.
A semicolon correctly joins two independent clauses that are closely related without a conjunction.
COOP Writing Mechanics 2
Which sentence uses commas correctly with a list?