Punctuation
What punctuation should go in this sentence and where? "Have you seen the show Julie and the Phantoms"
Correct Answer: "Have you seen the show Julie and the Phantoms?"
Explanation: A question mark should come at the end of the italicized title
What part of speech is the word "blue" in the sentence? "The blue sky is clear".
Correct Answer: Adjective
Explanation: In the sentence the word "blue" is an adjective because it describes the noun "sky" by giving information about its color.
What is the AAVE word for "friend"?
Correct Answer: "Homeboy" or "Homegirl"
What does MLA recommend you do to format the first line of each paragraph in a document?
Bonus 100 pts: What key do you use?
Correct Answer: Indent the first line
Bonus: The tab key
Explanation: MLA recommends indenting the first line of each paragraph one half-inch from the left margin
Which is the right word in this context?
Ice cream sundaes are my favorite dessert/desert.
Correct answer: Dessert
Explanation: Dessert refers to a sweet course typically eaten at the end of a meal, while desert refers to a dry, barren, sandy area, like a desert landscape.
Identify the punctuation error in this sentence: "The cat's chased the dog".
Correct Answer: "The cats chased the dog."
Explanation: There should be no apostrophe in cats
Identify the part of speech for the word "run" in the sentence. "I like to run every morning"
Correct Answer: The word "run" is an infinitive verb (part of the phrase "to run")
Explanation: "To run" functions as a noun (infinitive) because it is the object of the verb "like"—it answers what you like to do. Even though "run" is a verb in other contexts, here it acts as part of a noun phrase ("to run").
In AAVE, this word refers to a "party" or "celebration"
Correct Answer: "Function or Kickback"
How should you properly cite a personal interview in MLA format?
Correct answer: Last Name, First Name. Personal interview. Date of interview.
Example: Smith, Jane. Personal interview. 19 May 2014.
Explanation: In MLA format, a personal interview (one you conducted yourself) is cited by listing the interviewee's name, followed by "Personal interview", and the date of the interview.
Which is the right word in this context?
The company suffered heavy loses/losses due to the economic downturn.
Correct Answer: Losses
Explanation: Losses refers to the state of losing something, often used in financial contexts, while loses is the present tense of the verb "to lose."
"I love three things-coffee, books, and music". Was the dash used correctly in this sentence?
Correct Answer: No. "I love three things: coffee, books, and music."
Explanation: It would be clearer to use a colon instead. The colon is used to introduce a list or explanation, which fits the structure of the sentence.
Correct Answer: the word "quickly" is an adverb
Explanation: It describes how he finished his homework. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, and in this case, "quickly" modifies the verb "finished" by telling us the manner in which the action was done.
In AAVE, who was your mom NOT one of while growing up?
Correct Answer: "your little friends"
In Mother Tongue, Amy Tan reflects on her experiences with her mother’s English. What is the main topic of Tan’s essay?
Correct Answer: Language and identity
Explanation: Tan discusses how her mother's "broken" English shaped her own perception of language, culture, and identity.
Which is the right word in this context?
During the earthquake, the statue surprisingly remained stationary/stationery.
Correct Answer: Stationary
Explanation: Stationary means not moving or not changing, while stationery refers to paper, pens, and other office supplies.
"I have a big test tomorrow; so, I need to study". Was the semicolon used correctly in this sentence?
Correct Answer: No, If you wanted to use a semicolon correctly, you would remove "so":
"I have a big test tomorrow; I need to study."
or "I have a big test tomorrow, so I need to study."
Explanation: No. A semicolon separates two independent clauses that are closely related but could stand alone as separate sentences. However, in this sentence, "so" is a coordinating conjunction that already connects the two clauses. When using a conjunction like "so," a comma should be used instead of a semicolon.
In the sentence "She sat on the chair", What part of speech is "on"?
Correct Answer: The word "on" is a preposition
Explanation: It shows the relationship between "sat" (the verb) and "the chair" (the object). Prepositions indicate location, direction, time, or manner, and in this case, "on" tells us where she sat.
In AAVE, what is another saying for a funeral?
Correct Answer: "A celebration of life"
In Only Daughter, Sandra Cisneros writes about growing up as the only daughter in a family of six brothers. What does she struggle with in the essay?
Correct Answer: Her father's expectations for her
Explanation: Cisneros explores her relationship with her father and his expectation for her to fulfill traditional gender roles while she pursues a career as a writer.
Which is the right word in this context?
The film's climatic/climactic scenes included a tornado that occurred due to the climatic/climactic situations in the atmosphere.
Correct answers: climactic and climatic
Explanation: Climactic refers to the most intense, exciting, or important part of something, such as a scene in a film. The word climatic relates to the climate or weather conditions.
Read the sentence. "I can't believe it's already Sunday said John". If any, what are the punctuation errors?
Correct Answer: "I can't believe it's already Sunday," said John.
Explanation: A comma should come before the closing quotation mark when the sentence continues with a dialogue tag (like said John) & The period at the end comes after John since the sentence continues outside the quotes.
What part of speech is "happily" in the sentence? "She sings happily"
Correct Answer: The word "happily" is an adverb
Explanation: It describes how she sings. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, and in this case, "happily" modifies the verb "sings" by explaining the manner in which she sings.
In AAVE, what is the name of the clothing that most Black women, particularly older Black women, wear to sleep?
Correct Answer: "A Moo Moo"
How should you properly cite a painting, sculpture, or photograph in MLA format?
Correct Answer: "Artist’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Artwork. Year of composition, Name of Institution, Location.
Example: Goya, Francisco. The Family of Charles IV. 1800, Museo del Prado, Madrid.
Explanation:
In MLA format, a painting, sculpture, or photograph is cited by listing: The artist’s name, The title of the artwork in italics, The year it was created, The institution that houses the artwork, The location of the institution (if not included in its name)
Which is the right word in this context?
The cops tried to illicit/elicit a confession from the suspect because they believe that he did something illicit/elicit.
Answer:elicit; illicit
Why?Elicit means to draw something out or to bring forth, whereas illicit means unlawful and illegal.