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Apostrophes
Quotation Marks
Colons
Semicolons
Dashes
100
Apostrophes are used for these two purposes.
Contractions and showing possession
100
What is wrong with the following use of quotation marks? "The trials indicated a significant reduction in cancerous cell growth, said Diane Jenkins, MD."
The end quotation mark should appear after the spoken words: "The trials indicated a significant reduction in cancerous cell growth," said Diane Jenkins, MD.
100
What is wrong with the following use of a colon? All students must take: anatomy and microbiology.
The colon does not follow a complete sentence.
100
True or false: Colons and semicolons can be used interchangeably.
False.
100
Where should dashes be placed to clarify the following phrase? Only three year old children have appointments today.
There are two options: Only three year-old children have appointments today. Only three-year-old children have appointments today.
200
True or false: Possessive pronouns (our's, your's, their's, and her's) always have apostrophes.
False. Possessive pronouns never have apostrophes.
200
What is wrong with the following use of quotation marks? According to the National Institute for Caffeine Addiction, "Forty-nine percent of college students claim to drink more than eight cups of coffee per day".
The quotation marks should follow the end punctuation: "Forty-nine percent of college students claim to drink more than eight cups of coffee per day."
200
Where could a colon be placed in the following sentence? Three factors are interfering with studying indigestion, oversleeping, and attention deficit disorders.
After the word STUDYING: Three factors are interfering with studying: indigestion, oversleeping, and attention deficit disorders.
200
True or false: A semicolon and a period can often be used interchangeably.
True.
200
Which of the following terms should have a dash? prefrontal cortex, preemptive measure, preexisting condition
Dashes are often used to separate prefixes that create awkward double vowels: pre-emptive measure, pre-existing condition
300
True or false: Words that end with a "y" or a silent "e" alway's require apostrophe's before the "s."
False.
300
What is wrong with the following use of quotation marks? 'The first thing we look at,' says executive director Horace Trimble, 'is the student's attitude toward English grammar.'
The quotation marks should be double: "The first thing we look at," says executive director Horace Trimble, "is the student's attitude toward English grammar."
300
True or false: A colon is one way to correct a comma splice.
False.
300
Where would you place a semicolon to correct the following sentence? The doctor's primary focus was the infection, the patient's diabetes, depression, and allergies were secondary concerns.
The doctor's primary focus was the infection; the patient's diabetes, depression, and allergies were secondary concerns.
300
Which kind of dash (regular, en dash, or em dash) would you use in page ranges?
Use an en dash in page ranges.
400
Why is the following use of an apostrophe incorrect? The Smith's are our favorite neighbors.
The sentence is speaking about more than one Smith, making this noun plural but not possessive. It needs no apostrophe: The Smiths.
400
How would you correct the following? According to the American Nurses Association, "A culture of safety is paramount. This policy affects workplaces around the country.
There must be an ending quotation mark. According to the American Nurses Association, "A culture of safety is paramount." This policy affects workplaces around the country.
400
True or false: Colons should never be used to separate a city and a state.
True. Use a comma instead. Salt Lake City, Utah
400
When should semicolons be used in a list?
To separate list items that have commas in them: Attendees came from Jackson, Mississippi; Miami, Florida; and Albuquerque, New Mexico.
400
Em dashes are usually interchangeable with what other type of punctuation?
Parentheses
500
What is the rule for using an apostrophe in the word "it's"?
You use an apostrophe if the word is a contraction for "it is" or "it has," such as "it's a nice day" or "it's been fun."
500
How do you punctuate a quote within another quote?
Use double quotation marks outside the main quote and single quotation marks within it: "Although the director warned that 'students who eat in the computer lab will be fined,' most are doing it anyway."
500
How would you correct the following use of a colon? Residents are advised to prepare for a prolonged power outage, stock up on water: dehydrated foods and batteries.
Residents are advised to prepare for a prolonged power outage: stock up on water, dehydrated foods, and batteries.
500
Why is the following use of a semicolon incorrect? All students were expected to answer the question correctly; Only one of them did.
The first word after the semicolon should not be capitalized. All students were expected to answer the question correctly; only one of them did.
500
True or false: Em dashes can be used instead of parentheses for text citations.
False. Always use parentheses for text citations.