English Grammar Test English Grammar Punctuation 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence correctly uses a dash to set off an appositive list?
- Three cities—Paris, Rome, and Tokyo—are on my list. (Correct answer)
- Three cities, Paris, Rome, and Tokyo, are on my list.
- Three cities: Paris, Rome, and Tokyo are on my list.
- Three cities; Paris, Rome, and Tokyo; are on my list.
Correct answer: Three cities—Paris, Rome, and Tokyo—are on my list.
Em dashes effectively set off an appositive list within a sentence, especially when the list itself contains commas.
Question 2: Which sentence correctly avoids a comma splice?
- I was tired, I went to bed.
- I was tired, so I went to bed. (Correct answer)
- I was tired, however I went to bed.
- I was tired, then I went to bed.
Correct answer: I was tired, so I went to bed.
A comma followed by a coordinating conjunction (so, and, but) correctly joins two independent clauses.
Question 3: Which sentence uses the hyphen correctly in a compound number?
- She is thirty five years old.
- She is thirty-five years old. (Correct answer)
- She is thirty–five years old.
- She is thirty—five years old.
Correct answer: She is thirty-five years old.
Compound numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine are always hyphenated when written out.
Question 4: Which sentence correctly punctuates a tag question?
- You're coming to the party, aren't you.
- You're coming to the party aren't you?
- You're coming to the party, aren't you? (Correct answer)
- You're coming to the party; aren't you?
Correct answer: You're coming to the party, aren't you?
A tag question is separated from the main clause by a comma and ends with a question mark.
Question 5: In a sentence with a list of items that already contain commas, which punctuation separates the items?
- Commas
- Semicolons (Correct answer)
- Colons
- Em dashes
Correct answer: Semicolons
Semicolons are used as 'super-commas' to separate list items that already contain internal commas.
Question 6: Which correctly punctuates a sentence with a restrictive clause?
- The book, that I borrowed, is overdue.
- The book that I borrowed is overdue. (Correct answer)
- The book that I borrowed, is overdue.
- The book, that I borrowed is overdue.
Correct answer: The book that I borrowed is overdue.
A restrictive clause (one essential to the sentence's meaning) is NOT set off by commas.
Question 7: Which sentence correctly uses a period with an abbreviation at the end?
- She earned her M.D..
- She earned her M.D. (Correct answer)
- She earned her M.D,
- She earned her M.D;
Correct answer: She earned her M.D.
When a sentence ends with an abbreviation that already has a period, no second period is added.
English Grammar Test English Grammar Punctuation 5
Which sentence correctly uses a dash to set off an appositive list?