Grammar, Punctuation & Syntax Flashcards

Which sentence correctly uses an Oxford (serial) comma?

Answer: She proofread the title, body, and footnotes.

The Oxford comma is the comma placed before the final conjunction in a list of three or more items.

Which of these sentences contains a misplaced modifier?

Answer: She handed the draft to the author she had proofread.

The clause 'she had proofread' appears to modify 'the author' rather than 'the draft,' creating a misplaced modifier.

What type of clause is underlined in: 'Although the manuscript was long, the editor finished it quickly'?

Answer: Dependent (subordinate) clause

'Although the manuscript was long' is a dependent clause introduced by the subordinating conjunction 'although.'

Which is the correct use of 'that' vs. 'which' in American English?

Answer: The error that appeared on page 3 was critical.

In American English, 'that' introduces restrictive clauses (no commas), while 'which' introduces nonrestrictive clauses (with commas).

Which sentence uses an apostrophe correctly?

Answer: The editor's notes were thorough.

For a singular possessive, add an apostrophe and 's'; 'editor's notes' correctly shows one editor's ownership.

What is wrong with this sentence: 'Being that it was late, the editor called it a night'?

Answer: 'Being that' is a nonstandard construction; use 'because' or 'since'

'Being that' is a nonstandard subordinating phrase in formal writing; 'because' or 'since' should replace it.

Which option correctly identifies an absolute phrase?

Answer: 'The deadline having passed, the editor stopped revising'—'The deadline having passed' is an absolute phrase.

An absolute phrase contains a noun and a participle and modifies the entire sentence, not just one word.