Advanced Punctuation
What punctuation mark is used to show an abrupt change in thought within a sentence?
Elipses (...)
What is the past participle of the verb "to swim"?
Swum
What is an independent clause?
An independent clause is a group of words that can stand alone as a complete sentence because it has a subject and a verb.
Choose the correct pronoun: “Neither of the boys finished ____ homework.” (his/her/their)
His
What is the difference between “less” and “fewer”?
"Less" is used with uncountable nouns, while "fewer" is used with countable nouns.
When do you use a colon instead of a semicolon?
A colon is used to introduce a list, explanation, or quote after an independent clause.
What is the difference between the subjunctive mood and the indicative mood?
The subjunctive mood expresses wishes, desires, or hypothetical situations (e.g., “If I were you…”), while the indicative mood is used for stating facts.
What is the difference between a compound-complex sentence and a complex sentence?
A compound-complex sentence has two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent clause, while a complex sentence has one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses.
Correct the pronoun error: “Everyone should bring their own pencil.”
"Everyone" is singular, so the correct sentence is: "Everyone should bring his or her own pencil."
What is the term for a verb that is followed by an object (e.g., “give the book”)?
A transitive verb is followed by an object.
How is an em dash (—) used in a sentence?
An em dash is used to emphasize a break in thought or to set off parenthetical information.
What tense is used to describe an action that will be completed before another future action?
Future perfect tense (e.g., "By the time you arrive, I will have finished my homework.")
What is a sentence fragment?
A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence that is missing a subject, verb, or a complete thought.
Identify the antecedent: “The dog chased its tail.”
The antecedent is "dog."
Identify the error in this sentence: “She don’t like to run.”
“Don’t” should be “doesn’t.” The correct sentence is: “She doesn't like to run.”
What is the rule for using quotation marks with dialogue?
Quotation marks are used to enclose spoken words, but punctuation marks go inside the quotation marks when they are part of the spoken dialogue.
What is the past perfect form of “to sing”?
Had sung
Identify the error in this sentence: "Because he was tired, he went to bed early."
The sentence is a fragment because it starts with "Because," a subordinating conjunction, and needs an independent clause to complete the thought (e.g., "Because he was tired, he went to bed early." is correct).
Choose the correct form: “The committee made ____ decision.” (its/their)
its
What is an adverbial phrase?
An adverbial phrase modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb and indicates how, when, where, or to what extent an action occurs (e.g., "He sings in a very loud voice").
What is the purpose of a hyphen in compound modifiers?
A hyphen is used to combine two or more words that function as a single adjective before a noun (e.g., well-known author).
What is the future perfect continuous tense used for?
Future perfect continuous is used to express an action that will be ongoing until a point in the future (e.g., "By next year, I will have been working here for ten years.")
What is an elliptical construction in a sentence?
An elliptical construction omits parts of a sentence because they can be implied or understood from context (e.g., "She likes pizza, and I, pasta." The word “like” is omitted).
What is a reflexive pronoun, and give an example?
A reflexive pronoun reflects back to the subject (e.g., "Myself," "yourself," "himself," "herself"). Example: "She taught herself to play the guitar."
What is the difference between “affect” and “effect”?
“Affect” is a verb that means to influence, while “effect” is a noun that refers to a result.