Writing and Editing Punctuation 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence uses the Oxford comma?
- I bought pens, paper and folders.
- I bought pens, paper, and folders. (Correct answer)
- I bought pens paper, and folders.
- I bought pens and paper and folders.
Correct answer: I bought pens, paper, and folders.
The Oxford comma is the comma placed before the conjunction in a list of three or more items.
Question 2: Which sentence uses a semicolon correctly?
- She loves editing; grammar books.
- She loves editing; and she reads grammar books.
- She loves editing; she reads grammar books daily. (Correct answer)
- She loves editing, she reads grammar books; daily.
Correct answer: She loves editing; she reads grammar books daily.
A semicolon joins two independent clauses without a conjunction.
Question 3: Where should the comma be placed in this sentence: 'After the meeting the editor reviewed all the drafts'?
- After 'meeting, the' (Correct answer)
- After 'editor, reviewed'
- After 'reviewed, all'
- No comma is needed.
Correct answer: After 'meeting, the'
A comma follows an introductory phrase ('After the meeting') before the main clause.
Question 4: Which sentence uses an em dash correctly?
- She submitted — the draft — early.
- She submitted the draft — early.
- The editor—a veteran journalist—approved the piece. (Correct answer)
- The editor — a veteran journalist approved the piece.
Correct answer: The editor—a veteran journalist—approved the piece.
Em dashes set off a parenthetical phrase, with one em dash on each side of the inserted material.
Question 5: Which sentence uses apostrophes correctly?
- The editors' desk is cluttered. (Correct answer)
- The editor's' desk is cluttered.
- The editors's desk is cluttered.
- The editors desk' is cluttered.
Correct answer: The editors' desk is cluttered.
When the possessor is a plural noun ending in 's,' only an apostrophe is added after the 's.'
Question 6: In American English, where does the period go relative to closing quotation marks?
- Outside the closing quotation mark
- Inside the closing quotation mark (Correct answer)
- On a new line
- Either position is acceptable
Correct answer: Inside the closing quotation mark
American English style places periods and commas inside closing quotation marks.
Writing and Editing Punctuation 1
Which sentence uses the Oxford comma?