JCM 103 Final
Focus on hyphens: Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?
A rapidly vanishing habitat threatens the few sensitive populations of venus flytraps that still exist in the wild. They are hardly the man-eating plants of movie lore.
What is wrong with the following news story excerpt? Pitts writes about Glenn Vanning, a colon cancer survivor that has a colostomy bag, schizophrenia and depression and has tried to kill himself twice in 15 years. She also tells the story of Felicia Fontaine, who found her cancer lump in prison and is now in stage 4 breast cancer.
A wrong pronoun used
Pick the choice with the correct AP style:
About 30 percent of the players are 9 or younger.
Dashes, semicolons and colons: Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?
At close to 60 years old, Madonna dances and sings like she's 30 - at least that's what her promoters will tell you.
Read the sentence below and decide if there is a comma problem. If you decide there is a problem, choose where a comma should be added or where a comma should be taken out. According to a spokesman from the Samson and Reynolds Recovery Center about 200 people in the area are missing.
Comma needed between "Center" and "about 200"
Identify the problem in the following sentence: There were 45 people standing around the bank, yet no one witnessed the robbery.
Dead Construction
Clauses can be independent or dependent. A dependent clause can act like a noun, an adjective or an adverb. A clause is underlined in the sentence below. Identify what type of clause it is. He tore ligaments in his ankle after he stumbled on a tree root while running down a steep hill.
Dependent clause (adverb clause, telling us when he tore ligaments)
Clauses can be independent or dependent. A dependent clause can act like a noun, an adjective or an adverb. A clause is underlined in the sentence below. Identify what type of clause it is. The last fatal helicopter crash for the Wisconsin State Police Aviation Command was in 1979 when a helicopter went down in fog near Madison, Wisc.
Dependent clause (adverb clause, telling us when the last crash took place)
Pick the choice with the correct AP Style:
Harmony Tools Inc. is on Johnson Avenue in Smithfield, California.
Choose the option that makes this wording more efficient: Is hopeful that
Hopes
Correct AP Style
In November, Sgt. Jim Tucker led the march into Fletcher, North Carolina.
A phrase is underlined in the sentence below. Identify what type of phrase it is. He regularly threatened to leave the profession, but he never did.
Infinitive phrase
A clause is underlined in the sentence below. What type of clause is it? The astronauts stayed inside the space capsule for 45 minutes, and they reviewed their plans before they crawled out of the narrow entrance.
It's a phrase, not a clause.
A verb is underlined in the screenplay excerpt below. What type of verb is it? Manuela is deeply troubled. She is losing consciousness. She sees a girl of ten running down the dark corridor into the heart of the house.
Linking Verb
Pick the choice with the correct AP style:
Maj. Jon Rich
Focus on hyphens: Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?
Murray Cahill caught the final out, and the Cardinals defeated the Cubs 9-2.
Pick the choice with the correct AP style:
NOT :Tiger Tires, Inc., released the new Road Grip tires on Nov. 14. Each tire costs $250.00. NOT: Tiger Tires Inc. released the new Road Grip tires on November 14. Each tire costs $250.
What is wrong with the following excerpt from a PR press release? "For years the high price of inkjet cartridges has kept consumers from freely using their printers," Nillson said. "With affordable premium inks, families can now create crisp documents and lab quality photos at home."
NOT: Dead Construction
Dashes, semicolons and colons: Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?
NOT: For some, the shops and restaurants make Waikiki the place to be; for others, Waikiki is too brash, touristy and busy.
Clauses can be independent or dependent. A dependent clause can act like a noun, an adjective or an adverb. A clause is underlined in the screenplay sentence below. Identify what type of clause it is. As the camera continues down, we discover that an auditorium full of people are staring down at the stage.
NOT: Independent Clause
What role does the underlined word play in the sentence below? Whomever he chooses will need to be capable of leading the country.
NOT: Subject
Read the sentence below and decide if there is a comma problem. If you decide there is a problem, choose where a comma should be added or where a comma should be taken out. "People are losing their retirement funds, and are scared to buy anything," he said.
No comma needed between "funds" and "and are scared"
What role does the underlined word play in the screenplay sentence below? Behind a screen the young government agent we saw earlier sits in the backseat behind the Driver.
Object of the preposition
The pronouns "him, her, us, me, them, whom and whomever" are which case?
Objective case
Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly for the possessive case?
Parents expressed concerns about the nutritional quality of the students' lunches in Kannapolis' schools.
What role does the underlined word play in the sentence below? "Buying a home is a dream that every American should be able to afford," Buckley said.
Predicate nominative
A phrase is underlined in the sentence below. Identify what type of phrase it is. Vince Borland, his director in several movies during the 1970s, once put 150 live chickens in his trailer as a practical joke
Prepositional phrase
What are partial quotes?
Quotes that are not full sentences
Identify the problem with the following sentence: Stephen found his dog near the gas station, the dog had jumped the fence.
Run-on sentence (comma splice)
What role does the underlined word play in the sentence below? Hernandez was among thousands of residents who returned to the town to see what remained of their homes
Subject
What role does the underlined word play in the sentence below? I'm going to show you exactly how you can do this too on my free webinar.
Subject
Choose the option that makes this wording more efficient:Surrounded on all sides
Surrounded
Pick the choice with the correct AP style:
The debate between the Republican and Democratic candidates starts at noon.
Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly for the possessive case?
The fate of Keisha and Clancey's evening now depended entirely on the hostess's party plans.
Pick the choice with the correct AP style:
The fish kill on March 4 worried anglers in Lakeside, Calif.
Pick the choice with the correct AP style:
The senator's son was 5 years old.
Identify the problem in the following sentence: The senator wants to significantly change the way pork spending is controlled in Alabama.
The sentence has a split infinitive
Focus on hyphens: Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?
The suspect leaped from the top of a three-story building.
Quote usage: Which of the following is best?
There was speculation that the incident would lead to an investigation by securities regulators.
What's wrong with the following sentence? For some Americans the economic pain is already intense, for many others day-to-day finances are only highly uncertain.
There's a comma splice -- there should be a semicolon instead of a comma between "intense" and "for many others"
What are ellipses?
Three periods indicating missing words
Pick the choice with the correct AP style:
U.S. Sen. Jessup Moss sold his home at 245 Long St. for $1.2 million in November.
Pick the choice with the correct AP style:
Vice President Mike Pence
Quote usage: Which of the following sentences is correct?
Why can't we watch the show "Bojack Horseman"?
Dashes, semicolons and colons: Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?
You walk out your back door, and you are on the beach; your front door, and you are in Kapiolani Park; your side door, and you can walk to Waikiki.
In which situation below should you NOT insert a comma?
a and c
Choose the correct word for this broadcast news sentence: THE COMMITTEE OF LOCAL EDUCATORS (ARE / IS) TRAVELING TO KNOXVILLE FRIDAY.
are
Choose the correct word in this sentence: Both the outfielders and star pitcher (is / are) expected to return this season.
are
This sentence contains both proper and common nouns. Identify the proper nouns: The Henderson County Sheriff's Office bought four new patrol cars Tuesday to help the Federal Bureau of Investigation crack down on drug smuggling.
both a and d
Read the sentence below and decide if there is a comma problem. If you decide there is a problem, choose where a comma should be added or where a comma should be taken out. "Our team played great football today, but I made some coaching mistakes that cost us the game," Phipps said.
correct no changes needed
Read the sentence below and decide if there is a comma problem. If you decide there is a problem, choose where a comma should be added or where a comma should be taken out. Officials have warned consumers about frozen dishes that include chicken cordon bleu, chicken breasts stuffed with various types of cheeses, and chicken breasts stuffed with other foods such as bread crumbs or vegetables.
correct- no changes needed
What role does the underlined word play in the sentence below? His injuries did not require medical attention.
direct object
What is the verb tense for the underlined verb in the broadcast news sentence below? DRIVERS HEADING NORTH ON RYAN BOULEVARD WILL NEED TO DETOUR AROUND WORK ON STORM DRAINS.
future tense
Select the choice that gives the correct form of the pronoun in the sentence. The runner-up in the hotdog eating contest was (he / him).
he
Choose the option that makes this wording more efficient: Is hopeful that
hopes
The Recycling Organizations of North America (is / are) committed to enhancing recycling education.
is
select the correct choice from the verbs in parentheses in the sentence below. The committee of five council members (is / are) scheduled to vote on the cell phone ban Tuesday.
is
Choose the correct verb in the sentence below. Sinclair (lay / laid / layed) on the ground on the sidelines during the entire fourth quarter.
lay
Choose the option that makes the wording more efficient: Held a meeting
met
Choose whether the underlined words in the broadcast news sentence below are a phrase or a clause. POLICE SAY MORE THAN A DOZEN PEOPLE HAD GATHERED ON THE DOCK TO TAKE PICTURES.
phrase
What is the mood of the underlined verb in the broadcast news sentence below? BURGESS TOLD THE CROWD THAT IF WERE UP TO HIM, EVERYONE WOULD GET IN FOR FREE.
subjunctive
Identify the problem in the following sentence: The newspaper seeks to drastically improve its online edition.
the sentence has a split infinitive
Select the word in the sentence below that is the object of a preposition: On Monday, June 11, barriers will be raised on Main Street that allow police more control over the traffic during the Apple Festival.
traffic
Select the choice that gives the correct form of the pronoun in the sentence. It's very difficult to predict (who, whom) will win that election.
who
Select the choice that gives the correct form of the pronoun in the sentence. We don't know (who, whom) will play for the national championship this year.
who
Select the choice that gives the correct form of the pronoun in the sentence. Roberts said she recalls seeing Boswell, (who, whom) she described as the "tall, skinny one."
whom
Quote usage: Which of the following sentences is correct?
"He then told everyone, 'That's a lie,'" Knudson said. "He said we had all been foolish and gullible."
Quote usage: Which of the following sentences is correct?
"There's security now, there's independence now, there's peace now," said Gueye, 24, an entertainer from Dakar.
Quote usage: Which of the following sentences is correct?
"Time magazine listed the top 10 TV comedies of all time," he said. "I couldn't believe it, but 'Seinfeld' was rated No. 1."
What is wrong with the following excerpt from a PR press release? "After today, the inkjet market will never be the same," said Burt Nillson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nillson Photo Co. "We are changing the rules in this industry to ensure that consumers can affordably print what they want, when they want, and at the high level of Nillson Photo quality they've come to expect."
AP Style Error
Dashes, semicolons and colons: Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?
Although scientists have set a time frame of 2030 to get a space elevator under construction - and it's not impossible because developments are moving quickly - Hoover said it could be a little later than that.
This sentence contains both proper and common nouns. Identify the proper nouns: Schools Superintendent David Morrow launched "Big on Books" Tuesday, a new effort to encourage reading among first-graders.
Both B and D
Dashes, semicolons and colons: Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?
Both Democrats and Republicans have their eyes on the same reward: a single electoral vote to win the election.
Choose the correct words from the word pairs in the sentence below: The politicians despised each other, but when they met at the rally outside the (Capital / Capitol) building they smiled and exchanged (complements / compliments).
Capitol/compliments
What is wrong with the following news story excerpt? The news that this tough woman -- so tough she'd once pulled a knife on her abusive husband -- had been fighting cancer shocked the pastor. "It just hit me like a truck" said Gaston, who wrote in her book about her mother and some of the other cancer patients she's worked with.
Comma Problem
Read the sentence below and decide if there is a comma problem. If you decide there is a problem, choose where the comma should be added or where the comma should be taken out. When the government set standards for cough medicines and cold medicines 30 years ago no separate studies were done for kids, women or the elderly.
Comma needed between "ago" and "no separate"
Read the sentence below and decide if there is a comma problem. If you decide there is a problem, choose where a comma should be added or where a comma should be taken out. Consumer spending which accounts for nearly two-thirds of the economy, grew earlier in the year.
Comma needed between "spending" and "which accounts"
What is wrong with the following news story excerpt? The top of the eighth lasted 35 minutes and seven seconds. Before recording a single out, five Rangers pitchers threw 34 pitches to seven Yankees batters and the Yankees turned a seemingly insurmountable 5-1 deficit into a definitively insurmountable 6-5 lead.
Comma problem
Clauses can be independent or dependent. A dependent clause can act like a noun, an adjective or an adverb. A clause is underlined in the sentence below. Identify what type of clause it is."Hunting camouflage that makes a person look like a tree can work if you're in a place where other trees look like that," Trenton says.
Dependent clause (adjective clause)
Clauses can be independent or dependent. A dependent clause can act like a noun, an adjective or an adverb. A clause is underlined in the sentence below. Identify what type of clause it is. Ambulances were sent to the army base, which is halfway between the accident site and the county hospital.
Dependent clause (adjective clause, telling us more about the base)
Clauses can be independent or dependent. A dependent clause can act like a noun, an adjective or an adverb. A clause is underlined in the sentence below. Identify what type of clause it is. Officials at the Beijing Zoo said that they had no cases of animals sickened from milk powder.
Dependent clause (noun clause)
What role does the underlined word play in the broadcast news sentence below? GARCIA'S HOMERUN SCORES FLOYD STEINBERG TO GIVE THE TIGERS THE LEAD IN THE FIFTH INNING.
Direct Object
What is the verb tense for the underlined verb in the broadcast news sentence below? DRIVERS HEADING NORTH ON RYAN BOULEVARD WILL NEED TO DETOUR AROUND WORK ON STORM DRAINS.
Future Tense
Select the choice that gives the correct form of the pronoun in the sentence. The last ones to leave the party were (he / him) and his sister.
He
Quote usage: Which of the following is best?
He had surgery four years ago for a rare form of pancreatic cancer, he said.
Focus on hyphens: Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?
He pitched well enough Sunday for the Pirates to win 6-3 before a capacity crowd of 49,123.
Pick the choice with the correct AP style:
Hendersonville City Hall can be found between Third and Fourth avenues.
Choose the correct word for this broadcast news sentence: JOHNSON SAYS NONE OF THE PLANES (ARE FLYING / IS FLYING) INTO HAMBURG FOR THE CONFERENCE.
IS FLYING
Pick the choice with the correct AP style:
In February, President Donald Trump said...
Clauses can be independent or dependent. A dependent clause can act like a noun, an adjective or an adverb. A clause is underlined in the sentence below. Identify what type of clause it is. A boning knife would be perfect for cutting the steak, but you can do the job almost as well with a sharp paring knife.
Independent Clause
What is the mood of the underlined verb in the screenplay sentence below? Giles looks up from his phone, narrows his eyes, and slowly shakes his head.
Indicative
A verbal is underlined in the sentence below. Identify what kind of verbal it is: Herald reporters will be reimbursed an extra 10 cents per mile to cope with high fuel costs.
Infinitive
A phrase is underlined in the sentence below. Identify what type of phrase it is. Kiptanui became the first runner to win the Berlin race three times.
Infinitive Phrase
A verb in the sentence below may be in passive voice. If a verb is passive, choose the sentence that makes the verb active: He had just given his speech when the curtains fell to the stage floor.
It's already in active voice - no change is needed
Read the sentence below and decide if there is a comma problem. If you decide there is a problem, choose where a comma should be added or where a comma should be taken out. Sheriff's deputies, firefighters and K-9 units have been looking for victims.
It's correct - no changes are needed.
Read the sentence below and decide if there is a comma problem. If you decide there is a problem, choose where the comma should be added or where the comma should be taken out. After five days with no word and no answers, Rodriguez borrowed a boat to search the area himself, but sheriff's deputies turned people away.
It's correct - no changes are needed.
Read the sentence below and decide if there is a comma problem. If you decide there is a problem, choose where a comma should be added or where a comma should be taken out. The governor asked Alabamians to try driving slower on the state's highways, to avoid idling in their cars for long periods of time, and to make sure they properly inflate their tires in order to save fuel.
Its correct -- no changes needed
Focus on hyphens: Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?
James hit a fastball over the left-field fence, and the Tigers led, 5-0.
Select the choice that gives the correct form of the pronoun in the sentence. The bank loaned my brother and (I / me / mine) money for a new warehouse.
ME
Dashes, semicolons and colons: Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?
Mrs. Huff is survived by her brother, Fred Gumpton of Durham; sister, Catherine Verner of Fleming, North Carolina; Ann Brook Ayers of Albany, New York; and nieces and nephews.
Dashes, semicolons and colons: Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?
NOT: (a), (c) and (d)
In which situation below should you insert a comma?
NOT: (b) and (c)
Dashes, semicolons and colons: Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?
NOT: All this charm on the Gold Coast comes at a price: two-bedroom apartments start at $1.5 million and go to about $6.5 million. NOT: All this charm on the Gold Coast comes at a price, two-bedroom apartments start at $1.5 million and go to about $6.5 million. NOT: All this charm on the Gold Coast comes at a price: two-bedroom apartments start at $1.5 million and go to about $6.5 million.
Clauses can be independent or dependent. A dependent clause can act like a noun, an adjective or an adverb. A clause is underlined in the sentence below. Identify what type of clause it is.The last fatal helicopter crash for the Wisconsin State Police Aviation Command was in 1979 when a helicopter went down in fog near Madison, Wisc.
NOT: Dependent clause (adjective clause, telling us more about the Aviation Command)
What role does the underlined word play in the sentence below? The driver of the car was Gary T. Hindling, of Bostville.
NOT: Direct Object NOT: Subject Maybe: Predicative Nominative
What role does the underlined word play in the sentence below?I'm going to show you exactly how you can do this too on my free webinar.
NOT: Direct Object NOT: indirect object
What role does the underlined word play in the sentence below? Her spokesperson said the governor planned to visit the site of the hurricane damage on Wednesday.
NOT: Indirect Object NOT: Direct Object NOT: : subject NOT: object of the gerund
Read the sentence below and decide if there is a comma problem. If you decide there is a problem, choose where a comma should be added or where a comma should be taken out. After five days with no word and no answers, Rodriguez borrowed a boat to search the area himself but sheriff's deputies turned people away.
NOT: Its correct no changes needed Maybe: Comma needed between "himself" and "but"
What role does the underlined word play in the sentence below? Our new wireless routers will give you unsurpassed speed and reliability.
NOT: Object of Participle
What role does the underlined word play in the sentence below? His injuries did not require medical attention.
NOT: Object of the Gerund Correct: Direct Object
A phrase is underlined in the sentence below. Identify what type of phrase it is. The Kenyan, running his first marathon, paced himself well and controlled the race from the beginning.
NOT: Prepositional Phrase NOT: Gerund phrase NOT:Participle phrase NOT: Infinitive Phrase
Pick the choice with the correct AP style:
NOT: U.S. Senator Jessup Moss sold his home at 245 Long Street for $1.2 million in November. NOT: U.S. Sen. Jessup Moss sold his home at 245 Long St. for $1.2 million dollars in November.
Identify the problem in the following sentence: The TV network warned parents that the new show can be very frightening for children.
Needless intensifiers
Read the sentence below and decide if there is a comma problem. If you decide there is a problem, choose where a comma should be added or where a comma should be taken out. Federal officials did not name the states that are affected, and did not respond to a question about this information.
No comma needed between "affected" and "and did not respond"
The pronouns "he, she, we, they, who and whoever" are which case?
Nominative Case
The pronouns "he, she, we, they, who and whoever" are which case?
Nominative case
Clauses can be independent or dependent. A dependent clause can act like a noun, an adjective or an adverb. Clauses are underlined in the screenplay sentence below. Identify what types of clauses they are. Larry throws the coffee in his face. Mike needs a few seconds to understand what has just happened, and then he lunges at Larry.
Not: Independent Clause Not: Dependent clause (adverb clause)
What role does the underlined word play in the sentence below? It's getting hard to know whom you can trust.
Not: Object of the preposition Not: Object of infinitive Not: Subject
What's wrong with the following sentence? For some Americans the economic pain is already intense, for many others day-to-day finances are only highly uncertain.
Not: There should be no hyphens in "day-to-day"
What role does the underlined word play in the sentence below? Viewing our high definition content will change the way people think about media in the home.
Object of the gerund
What role does the underlined word play in the screenplay sentence below? Then in a sudden rush of fury, she yanks the drawer free and hurls it across the room
Object of the preposition
Identify the problem in the following sentence: The film "A Hard Rain Fell" will be directed by Robert E. Jamison, who co-wrote the scripts for four summer blockbusters.
Passive voice
Choose the correct word from the word pair in the sentence below. "I live by the (principle, principal) that hard work and honesty are the only values worth holding on to," Garber told the crowd.
Principle
Choose the option that makes the wording more efficient: Local residents
Residents
Identify the problem in the following sentence: Another example of the financial crisis, when gas cannot be found on any city block.
Sentence Fragment
Focus on hyphens: Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?
She found a part-time job waiting tables.
Focus on hyphens: Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?
Some of the healthiest venus flytrap populations include tens of thousands of plants living in well-protected spots, including the Fort Bragg military base area.
Pick the choice with the correct AP style:
Stephen Jenkins, 7, lives at 314 Mills River Road.
What role does the underlined word play in the sentence below? DigiCount is built for small business owners who want to get organized and get paid faster.
Subject
What role does the underlined word play in the sentence below? They know that I'll take whoever wants to go.
Subject
Identify the type of conjunction in the screenplay sentence below. Houser chases the boy, barely catching him before he can climb over a fence.
Subordinating Conjunction
Quote usage: Which of the following sentences is correct?
The Lionsgate movie "The Big Sick" was ninth at the box office, making $15.9 million, according to the New York Times.
Focus on hyphens: Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?
The company FirstBank was regarded as a laid-back place where top-ranking executives have had less work stress.
Identify the problem in the following sentence: Dropping more than 700 points, traders fear the future after the stock market experienced one of its worst days in history.
The sentence has a dangling participle.
Identify the problem in the following sentence: Beautiful to see, the founding fathers drew inspiration from the site of the bald eagle soaring overhead.
The sentence has a misplaced modifier.
Select the choice that gives the correct form of the pronoun in the sentence. (Whoever, Whomever) the voters choose will have a tough job.
Whomever
The underlined word in this screenplay sentence is either an adjective or an adverb. Please identify which. VIOLA stare blankly at TYREE for a moment, before silently returning to setting the table.
adverb
Coach Johnson's half time speech (effected / affected) the morale of the players, which in turn had an (effect / affect) on the way they played in the second half.
affected/effect
Select the correct choice from the verbs in parentheses in the sentence below: All of the songs (are / is) available for download
are
Choose the correct verb in the sentence below: Some of the sheriffs (is ordering / are ordering) deputies to provide support to state troopers.
are ordering
Choose whether the underlined words in the broadcast news sentence below are a phrase or a clause. ABC14 WAS THERE TODAY AS CREWS PUT THE GIANT PUZZLE TOGETHER.
clause
Choose whether the underlined words in the sentence below are a phrase or a clause. Historic preservationists have opposed the project on the grounds that it will alter a landscape that has changed little since the 1600s.
clause
Choose the option that makes this wording more efficient: Specific example
example
Select the word in the sentence below that is the object of a preposition: Her parents imposed such a strict curfew, she could not hang out with her group of friends.
friends
Choose the correct word from the word pair in the sentence below.During the debate, the candidate (implied, inferred) to viewers that his opponent was un-American.
implied
Choose the correct verb in the sentence below. The mayor called Putnam a hero, and he (lay / laid / lied) a wreath at Putnam's feet.
laid
Choose the correct word in the sentence below. She was considered the (more / most) athletic point guard of the two players.
more
Choose the correct word in this sentence: Each of the senators (say / says) they do not plan to vote for the measure.
says
Choose the correct verb in the sentence below. The Midwest Councils of Churches (was / were) scheduled to hold a convention in July.
was
Choose the correct word in this sentence: A few on the team (was / were) interested in playing minor league baseball.
were
Select the choice that gives the correct form of the pronoun in the sentence.He said the election should be won by (whoever, whomever) is most knowledgeable about the issues.
whoever
Select the choice that gives the correct form of the pronoun in the sentence. He still hoped for a quick agreement, despite criticism from Republicans, some of (who, whom) compared the plan to socialism.
whom
Select the choice that gives the correct form of the pronoun in the sentence. Many Ohio residents say they still aren't sure (who, whom) they will vote for.
whom