Written Communications

Add quotation marks in the correct places for the following sentence: It's hot, Jeremy complained, far too hot to go for a hike.

"It's hot," Jeremy complained, "far too hot to go for a hike."

Add quotation marks in the correct places for the following sentence: My brother was shouting, You're doing it all wrong!

"My brother was shouting, 'You're doing it all wrong!'" EXPLANATION In American English, when there are two people using direct speech in a sentence, we use double quotation marks for the first speech and single quotation marks for the second.

"The room will have five color options red, green, yellow, white, and blue." What punctuation mark is missing in the given sentence?

A colon

What is the difference between a comma and a semicolon?

A comma is used to separate an introductory word or phrase from the main sentence; a semicolon is used to join two independent clauses. A comma is used to separate two independent clauses. Semicolons are also used to identify different items in a list.

"Guess what I finally finished the assignment!" Which punctuation mark after "guess what" will make the sentence read better?

A dash EXPLANATION A dash after "guess what" will make the sentence read better. The sentence should be punctuated as follows: "Guess what—I finally finished the assignment!"

How is the usage of a dash different from the usage of a hyphen?

A dash is used to set off information in a sentence for emphasis, whereas a hyphen is used to combine words that work together to form a single description.

What is a prepositional phrase?

A group of words that begins with a preposition

Which of the following sentences is true of an infinitive?

An infinitive phrase can function as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb, and it can appear in various places in a sentence. EXPLANATION An infinitive phrase can function as a noun, adjective, or an adverb, and there is no set placement for it in a sentence.

"At the age of five, my family finally bought a car." Which of the following error types does the given sentence contain?

Dangling Modifier

"At the age of five, my family finally bought a car." Which of the following error types does the given sentence contain?

Dangling modifier EXPLANATION The given sentence contains a dangling modifier. The sentence can be written correctly as "When I was five, my family finally bought a car."

"Upon entering the doctor's office, a skeleton caught my attention." Which of the following error types does the given sentence contain?

Dangling modifier EXPLANATION The given sentence contains the dangling modifier error. The sentence can be written correctly as "As I entered the doctor's office, a skeleton caught my attention."

Darius sputtered, "I wish you would I don't-know."

Darius sputtered, "I wish you would--I don't know." EXPLANATION Dashes are used to replace commas, semicolons, colons, ellipses, and parentheses to indicate added emphasis, an interruption, or an abrupt change of thought. There is no need for a hyphen in this sentence.

According to the rules of capitalization, which of the following statements is true?

Days of the week and months of the year are capitalized.

When do you capitalize the first letter following a colon?

For a proper noun For the beginning of a quote For the first letter of another independent clause

Which of the following spelling rules is correct?

For words that contain an "e," an "i" should be written before the "e" except after "c" or when pronounced "ay."

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.

Grace worked in her family-owned business from the time she was twelve-years old. CORRECT ANSWER (D) None of the above are correctly punctuated. EXPLANATION The correct punctuation is: Grace worked in her family-owned business from the time she was twelve-years-old.

The verbs be and have are . . .

Helping verbs

Which sentence is correct?

How has the economy affected hiring practices?

"A twenty three year old student created a new record." Which of the following punctuation marks are missing in the given sentence?

Hyphens

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.

I can't go out tonight; I have a big test tomorrow. EXPLANATION A is the only choice where the semicolon connects two independent clauses. Both "I can't go out tonight" and "I have a big test tomorrow" can stand on their own.

Select the sentence with the misplaced modifier.

I returned a toy to the store that was broken. EXPLANATION In D, "broken" modifies "store" rather than the toy. As the store isn't broken, the answer is D.

Select the sentence with the misplaced modifier.

I told my daughter after the movie was over I would play with her. EXPLANATION In A, "after the movie was over" creates more than one meaning—did the speaker tell her daughter she'd play with her after the movie was over, or did she tell her after the movie was already finished that she would play?

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.

I will finish helping Susan, then I will help you; I promise.

Which of the following components of the given sentence are the words "determined to"? William is determined to fly to Rome tomorrow.

Infinitive EXPLANATION The infinitive is the base form of a verb—to eat, to sleep, to read.

Dangling Modifier

Is a word, phrase, or clause that describes something that has been left out of the sentence. When there is nothing that the word, phrase, or clause can modify, the modifier is said to dangle. Incorrect: Riding in the sports car, the world whizzed by rapidly. Correct: As Jane was riding in the sports car, the world whizzed by rapidly.

What is the purpose of an adjective?

It describes nouns and pronouns

Why is this sentence a run-on? Michelle rode her bicycle to the beach she wanted to go swimming.

It's missing a semicolon between beach and she

Which of the following is a run-on sentence?

Jeremy had led a charmed life nothing bad ever seems to happen to him.

Which of the following components of the given sentence are the words "felt"? "Cathy felt sick."

Linking Verb

Which of the following components of the given sentence are the words "shall be"? "She shall be the greatest champion of them all!"

Linking Verb EXPLANATION The linking verb connects the subject of the sentence with something that describes the subject. Here, the subject "She" is connected to "greatest champion." A good trick is to substitute the word seems for the verb. If the sentence still makes sense, the verb is a linking verb.

"The computer was taken to the engineer with faults." Which of the following error types does the given sentence contain?

Misplaced modifier

"He wore a cap on his head that was too large." Which of the following error types does the given sentence contain?

Misplaced modifier EXPLANATION The given sentence contains the misplaced modifier error. The sentence can be written correctly as "He wore a cap that was too large on his head."

"The man loaded the bottles and cans into his shopping cart, which he planned to redeem at the recycling center." Which of the following error types does the given sentence contain?

Misplaced modifier EXPLANATION The man intends to redeem the bottles and cans at the recycling center, but this sentence explains that he will, instead, redeem his shopping cart.

What is the error in the following sentence? Everyone should help as much as he or she can after this disaster.

None of the above

What is the error in the following sentence? Someone left his or her bag on the table.

None of the above

What is the error in the following sentence? The cardinal and his mate tried their best to keep the squirrel away from their nest.

None of the above

For subject-verb agreement in sentences, the following must match:

Number

What is the error in the following sentence? Above his desk was a sign that read, "Do not annoy the writer or they may put you in a book and kill you."

Number agreement EXPLANATION "the writer" is singular. "They" is plural.

What does "agreement in writing" mean?

Proper grammatical match between words and phrases.

What is the "Apostrophe Trick"?

Put your hand over the apostrophe and the owner should appear to the left

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.

Rachel pays all the bills—her younger sister had all the fun.

What's the difference between revising and editing?

Revising is making "big-picture" changes; editing is correcting smaller errors.

Select the sentence with the dangling modifier.

Running for the bus, my bag fell in the mud.

Which academic discipline or disciplines use APA style citation format?

Social Sciences

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.

Stan likes to stay inside; but I like to go outdoors.

"Glaciers are icy." Which of the following subject-verb patterns is used in the given sentence?

Subject-Linking Verb-Adjective

Which sentence is correct?

The capital of California is Sacramento, where the capitol is located.

Which sentence is correct?

The capitol is running out of capital.

What is the meaning of the word "diction"?

The choice or use of words

Colon Usage Definition

The colon (:) is a punctuation mark that is used to indicate a full stop. Colons can introduce lists, quotes, examples, and explanations. You can also use a colon after the greeting in formal business letters and memos.

What is the meaning of the word "etymology"?

The history of the word EXPLANATION Etymology means "history of the word," when it was first recorded, the various meanings it has been ascribed over the years, and from what language it originated.

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.

The house they viewed had a one-year-old, state-of-the-art kitchen.

Which sentence uses quotation marks correctly?

The sign read, "If you are pregnant, tell the technician immediately."

When is a semicolon typically used in a sentence?

To combine two closely related independent clauses EXPLANATION Semicolons are not used to separate parenthetical information from the rest of the sentence.

Why do we cite outside sources?

To demonstrate our credibility

Why is it important to use a dictionary and/or thesaurus during your revision process?

To gain a full understanding of denotative and connotative meanings of a word

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.

We have students from Tokyo, Japan; Shanghai, China; Irvine, California; and New York City, New York.

Which sentence is correct?

What is the ultimate effect of the joblessness rate? EXPLANATION Affect means to create a change. Effect means an outcome or result.

Select the sentence with the misplaced modifier.

While camping, I saw a raccoon in my pajamas.

_____ should teenagers look up to as a role model?

Who

____ is your closest friend?

Who is your closest friend?

When to use who verses whom

Whom should be used to refer to the object of a verb or preposition. When in doubt, try this simple trick: If you can replace the word with "he"' or "'she," use who. If you can replace it with "him" or "her," use whom. Who should be used to refer to the subject of a sentence.

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.

YOU ANSWERED: CONFIDENT you gave the wrong answer (B) I love camping; although I don't like carrying a heavy backpack. CORRECT ANSWER (D) I love camping; however, I don't like carrying a heavy backpack. EXPLANATION D is the only choice where the semicolon connects two independent clauses. Both sentences can stand on their own.

Which sentence uses quotation marks incorrectly?

YOU ANSWERED: CONFIDENT you gave the wrong answer (B) The sign reads, "Fresh" Pizza, $3 a Slice. CORRECT ANSWER (D) All of the above. EXPLANATION Quotations are not used to emphasize certain words, but instead to mark them as direct speech. They are also used to denote irony, sarcasm, or disdain. The correct sentence here would use quotation marks in this way: The sign reads, "Fresh Pizza, $3 a Slice." If only the word "Fresh" is enclosed in quotation marks, the reader might think that the pizza is the opposite of fresh.

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.

YOU ANSWERED: CONFIDENT you gave the wrong answer (B) You are the best-friend, the only friend, I still have. CORRECT ANSWER (A) You are the best friend—the only friend—I still have. EXPLANATION Dashes are used to replace commas, semicolons, colons, ellipses, and parentheses to indicate added emphasis, an interruption, or an abrupt change of thought.

When does an independent clause become dependent?

YOU ANSWERED: CONFIDENT you gave the wrong answer (C) It does not express a complete thought CORRECT ANSWER (D) All of the above EXPLANATION All three items listed here must be present for a sentence to be complete. If any are missing, your independent clause will become dependent.

Add quotation marks in the correct places for the following sentence: In today's address, the governor told his constituents that there would be additional restrictions on water usage.

YOU ANSWERED: CONFIDENT you gave the wrong answer (D) 'In today's address, the governor told his constituents that there would be "additional restrictions on water usage."' CORRECT ANSWER (A) "In today's address, the governor told his constituents that there would be 'additional restrictions on water usage.'" EXPLANATION In American English, when there are two people using direct speech in a sentence, we use double quotation marks for the first speech and single quotation marks for the second.

Which sentence is correct?

YOU ANSWERED: NOT CONFIDENT you gave the wrong answer (D) The capital is in the center of the capitol. CORRECT ANSWER (A) The capitol is in the center of the capital. EXPLANATION "Capitol" with an 'o' refers to the building where a legislative body meets. "Capital" with an 'a' refers to the city where the building is located.

A misplaced modifier is . . .

a modifier that is placed too far from the word or words it modifies.

Where should the colon be placed? "The four most beautiful words in our common language I told you so." (Gore Vidal, quoted in The Independent, November 1, 2000)

between language and I

What are the present, past, and past-participle forms of the verb "go"?

go, went, gone

Choose the correct verb to complete the following sentence. Breaking and entering _____ criminal.

is

Infinitive

is a verb paired with the word to; for example, to run, to write, or to reach.

What are the present, past, and past-participle forms of the verb "lay"?

lay, laid, laid

What are the present, past, and past participle forms of the verb "lie"?

lie, lay, lain EXPLANATION lie, lay, lain are the correct forms of this irregular verb

What is the superlative form of the word "small"?

smallest

Choose the correct verb phrase to complete the following sentence. Everybody at the concert _________ to the music.

was dancing

Four of the men ______ played in the World Series were later traded to new teams.

you gave the wrong answer (B) Whom CORRECT ANSWER (A) Who EXPLANATION Like the word whom, the word him ends with an 'm'. Would you ask whether "he" had been traded, or "him"? If it's "he was traded," then you use "who." Remember, "who" is always used as the subject of the sentence (who or what the sentence is about) and "whom" is used as an object.