Let's Eat Grandma
Two complete sentences that are separated by a comma
What is a comma splice?
The standard space for indenting paragraphs and MLA citations.
What is a half inch?
The type of punctuation you can use to separate clauses when you don't want to use a comma, colon, or semicolon.
What is an em dash?
Identify the type and correct the error in this sentence:
There is only three types of grammar errors.
What is verb-noun agreement? Also, what is the vague antecedent?
There are only three types of grammar errors (which is untrue. There are MANY types of grammar errors).
A pronoun that should always be capitalized.
What is the first-person singular “I”?
The two ways to use an apostrophe
What are possessions and contractions (19a, b)?
This symbol in proofreading: #
What is a space (Revision symbols)?
A dependent word group, such as an adverb clause, prepositional phrase, or participial phrase that “sets the stage” for the main part of a sentence and is typically followed by a comma.
What is an introductory clause (17b)?
Identify and correct the error in the passage:
The girls snuck home two hours after curfew. And waited for the consequences.
What is a sentence fragment?
The girls snuck home two hours after curfew, AND THEN waited for the consequences.
Two reasons to use passive voice.
What is (1) when the person or thing acted upon is more important or (2) when the actor is not as important as the action, in scientific or technical writing?
The placement and type of punctuation in parenthetical expressions, such as in the following: My father I am proud to say is a great man.
What is a comma before and after the expression (17f)? My father, I am proud to say, is a great man.
Proper MLA formatting for book titles and journals in Works Cited and in-text citations in scholarly writing.
What are italics?
The two main reasons to use a semi-colon.
What are (1) to separate two independent clauses and (2) to separate items in a list/series in which the items already contain commas (18a)?
Identify and correct the grammatical error:
Snoozing on his sofa, Sammy smooched the sleek sloth.
What is a dangling modifier?
Sammy smooched the sleek sloth that was snoozing on his sofa.
The author who said, “Substitute 'damn' every time you're inclined to write 'very;' your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.”
Who is Mark Twain?
The four main reasons to use a colon (not including time).
What are to introduce a list, an appositive, or a quotation, and to separate independent clauses (18b)?
The two ways you cite a source in MLA formatting for an internal citation when the author is unknown.
What is put the source title or signal phrase in quotation marks inside parentheses at the end of the sentence OR cite the article in an in-text citation (33a3)?
Punctuate this sentence: Harry is a good wizard moreover he is a polite one
What is this: Harry is a good wizard; moreover, he is a polite one (18a)? This uses a conjunctive adverb (THAMO), which is usually preceded by a semicolon.
A pronoun that refers to one or more groups of words where the reference is not clear. (Hint: It's a bad way to start a sentence, particularly topic sentences and sentences in introductory paragraphs.)
What is a vague antecedent, dummy/ambient “it”, or existential “there”?
“That” is a _______ element; “which” is a ______ element. (Hint: Choose from restrictive or nonrestrictive.)
What are restrictive and nonrestrictive, respectively (17e)? A restrictive element defines or limits the meaning of the word it modifies and does not require a comma; a nonrestrictive element describes a word or phrase whose meaning is clear without it and does require a comma.
Punctuate and correct this sentence: the declaration of independence was signed on july 4 1776 and marked the colonies brake with britain
What is this: The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, and marked the colonies’ break with Britain. (17i)
Reconstruct this quoted passage so it contains an in-text citation: “Many people assume that professional writers don’t need to rewrite. The words just fall into place. On the contrary, careful writers can’t stop fiddling."
On Writing Well by William Zinsser, p. 85
“Many people assume that professional writers don’t need to rewrite,” says William Zinsser in On Writing Well (85). The words don’t “fall into place. On the contrary, careful writers can’t stop fiddling” (85).
The difference between ellipses and brackets
What are the ellipses signify deleted material in a direct quote and brackets indicate word insertions by the writer in a direct quote (17f, g)?
The meaning of FANBOYS, their part of speech, and how they are punctuated.
What are the coordinating conjunctions for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so (17a)? When two or more independent clauses are connected by a coordinating conjunction, a comma usually precedes the conjunction.
The function of an appositive.
What is to rename a nearby noun (17e)? Nonrestrictive appositives are set off with commas; restrictive appositives are not.
Nonrestrictive: My sister, Ginny, can cast a mean bat-bogey hex. (This shows I only have one sister and her name is Ginny.)
Restrictive: My friend Ginny can cast a mean bat-bogey hex. (This shows I have more than one friend and the one I'm referencing is named Ginny. Including her name restricts the meaning to just this particular friend.)