Punctuation Semicolons Colons Quotation Marks Hyphens

Where does the colon go in the following sentence?

Senator Gary Hawkins said the following “We must stop cutbacks in education, sanitation, and welfare.”

• After Senator

• After Hawkins

• After following

• After cutbacks

Answer explanation

The colon should be placed after 'following' to introduce the quote. The correct structure is 'Senator Gary Hawkins said the following: "We must stop cutbacks in education, sanitation, and welfare." This clarifies that a statement follows.

Identify the sentence with the correct use of a semicolon.

• He loves to play soccer; however, he is not very good at it.

• He loves to play soccer, however, he is not very good at it.

• He loves to play soccer: however, he is not very good at it.

• He loves to play soccer. however, he is not very good at it.

Answer explanation

The correct sentence is 'He loves to play soccer; however, he is not very good at it.' because a semicolon is used to connect two independent clauses, followed by a conjunctive adverb (however).

Which punctuation marks set off supporting information from the main sentence?

• Periods, semicolons, colons

• Commas, dashes, parentheses

• Exclamation marks, question marks, periods

• Hyphens, brackets, ellipses

Answer explanation

Commas, dashes, and parentheses are used to set off supporting information in a sentence, providing additional context without disrupting the main flow. The other options do not serve this purpose.

When should you use a colon between independent clauses?

• When the second clause explains or restates the idea of the first

• When the second clause introduces a new idea

• When the second clause is a question

• When the second clause is a list

Answer explanation

A colon is used between independent clauses when the second clause explains or restates the idea of the first. This clarifies the relationship between the two clauses, making the meaning clearer.

Where should the colon be inserted in the following sentence: "Have you seen the new movie entitled Star Battle 8 The Return of the Mutants?"

• After "entitled"

• After "Battle"

• After "8"

• After "Mutants"

Answer explanation

The colon should be inserted after "8" to properly introduce the subtitle of the movie. The correct format is: "Star Battle 8: The Return of the Mutants." This clarifies the title and its subtitle.

SEMICOLONS: Choose the sentence that is written CORRECTLY.

• We did an experiment; in class all the students participated.

• We did an experiment in class; all the students participated.

• We did an experiment in class all; the students participated.

• We did an experiment in; class all the students participated.

Answer explanation

The correct sentence is 'We did an experiment in class; all the students participated.' It properly uses a semicolon to connect two independent clauses, while the other options misuse punctuation or structure.

My sister has hairy knuckles; she likes to comb them when she's bored. 

• correct use of a semicolon

• incorrect use of a semicolon

Answer explanation

The semicolon is correctly used to connect two closely related independent clauses. The first clause discusses the sister's hairy knuckles, and the second describes her action of combing them when bored, making the use appropriate.

Where does the semicolon go? She didn’t see the other car coming now her car has a huge dent.

• see;

• her;

• huge;

• coming;

Answer explanation

The semicolon should go after 'coming' to separate the two independent clauses: 'She didn’t see the other car coming; now her car has a huge dent.' This clarifies the relationship between the two statements.

Which one of the uses of the colon is done correctly?

• The writer of the poem: Robert Frost.

• Mick Jagger always sang: "You can't always get what you want, you get what you need".

• The time:2022 C.E.

• The weekend: time to recharge before e do it all again.

Answer explanation

The correct use of the colon is in the choice 'Mick Jagger always sang: "You can't always get what you want, you get what you need."' because it introduces a quotation, which is an appropriate context for a colon.

What is a colon used for?

• To introduce a list

• for quotations

• for explanations

• to separate adjectives

Answer explanation

A colon is used to introduce a list, provide quotations, and explain or elaborate on a preceding statement. Therefore, the correct choices are: to introduce a list, for quotations, and for explanations.