Punctuation

Read the sentence: "You ate the last cookie" Depending on the speaker's tone, different end punctuation could be used. Which option best punctuates the sentence to show surprise and disbelief?

• You ate the last cookie.

• You ate the last cookie?

• You ate the last cookie!

• You ate the last cookie;

Answer explanation

While a question mark could imply a question, an exclamation mark best conveys a tone of strong surprise or disbelief. A period makes it a neutral statement, and a semicolon is used to connect related independent clauses.

Which of the following sentences uses an apostrophe incorrectly?

• The dog wagged its tail excitedly.

• It's going to be a sunny day tomorrow.

• All of the players' uniforms were brand new.

• My two sister's rooms are always messy.

Answer explanation

When a plural noun ending in 's' (like 'sisters') is possessive, the apostrophe should come after the 's'. The correct form is 'sisters''. 'Its' is possessive, 'It's' is a contraction for 'it is', and 'players'' is the correct possessive for multiple players.

Complete the sentence with the correct word: The team celebrated _____ big win with a pizza party.

• it's

• its'

• its

• it is

Answer explanation

The word 'its' is a possessive pronoun that shows ownership (the win belongs to the team). 'It's' is a contraction for 'it is', which would not make sense in the sentence. 'Its'' is not a real word.

How would you correctly rewrite the phrase 'the decision of the judges' using a possessive apostrophe?

• the judge's decision

• the judges decision

• the judges's decision

• the judges' decision

Answer explanation

Since 'judges' is a plural noun ending in 's', the possessive is formed by adding an apostrophe after the 's'. 'Judge's' would be correct for a single judge, and 'judges's' is grammatically incorrect.

Identify the error in the following line of dialogue: "I can't believe we won", whispered Alex.

• The comma should be a period.

• The comma should be placed outside the quotation marks.

• The word 'whispered' should be capitalized.

• There should be an exclamation mark instead of a comma.

Answer explanation

In American English, commas and periods that are part of the main sentence but follow a quote go inside the closing quotation mark. The correct punctuation is: "I can't believe we won," whispered Alex.

Which sentence correctly punctuates the direct quote?

• My mom always says, "Do your best."

• My mom always says "Do your best."

• My mom always says, "Do your best".

• My mom always says "Do your best".

Answer explanation

A direct quote is typically introduced with a comma, and the end punctuation (in this case, a period) goes inside the closing quotation mark. The other options have incorrect comma placement or end mark placement.

Which sentence best integrates the line of dialogue into the surrounding narrative?

• As she grabbed her backpack, Maya announced "I'm ready for the trip!"

• As she grabbed her backpack, Maya announced, "I'm ready for the trip!"

• As she grabbed her backpack, Maya announced, "I'm ready for the trip"!

• As she grabbed her backpack, Maya announced: "I'm ready for the trip!"

Answer explanation

A comma is used to introduce the dialogue after a speech tag like 'announced'. The exclamation mark, which is part of the original quote, stays inside the closing quotation mark. No other end punctuation is needed.

Choose the correct punctuation to complete the sentence: The storm was getting worse _____ we decided to head home early.

• ;

• :

• ,

• .

Answer explanation

A semicolon is used to connect two closely related independent clauses (complete sentences). A comma alone would create a comma splice, a colon is used to introduce a list or explanation, and a period would create two separate sentences.

Three of these sentences use colons or semicolons correctly. Which sentence uses the punctuation incorrectly?

• I have a lot to do today; I need to finish my essay and study for a test.

• Bring the following items to camp: a sleeping bag, a flashlight, and a water bottle.

• My favorite subjects are: science, math, and history.

• The concert was amazing; the band played all of their greatest hits.

Answer explanation

A colon should not be used to separate a verb ('are') from its objects ('science, math, and history'). The colon is only used after a complete sentence to introduce a list. The other sentences use the semicolon and colon correctly.

Which of the following sentences contains a comma error in a list of items?

• The flag is red, white, and blue.

• We need to buy milk, bread and cheese from the store.

• She packed a sweater, a pair of jeans, and a warm hat.

• My dog can sit, stay, and roll over.

Answer explanation

This sentence is missing the Oxford comma before 'and' in the series of items. While sometimes omitted in informal writing, its absence can be considered an error in formal contexts, and it is required for full clarity in a list of three or more items.