Comma
Should a comma be inserted after the word enough in the following sentence:
As if that weren't surprising enough Ethan is not the only teenage national candidate this year.
Yes, the comma should be placed there because it is following an introductory phrase.
Should a colon be placed after challenges in the following sentence:
It was an arduous process, and developers faced many challenges disease-carrying mosquitoes, rugged terrain, and heavy rainfall.
Yes, a colon should be placed there to list the challenges.
Which of the following sentences are written correctly? Be sure to explain why the semicolon is/is not needed:
A) Two hours later the car stopped, and my head shot up. I must have dozed off.
B) Two hours later the car stopped, my head shot up; but then I must have dozed off.
A is correct. The semicolon is incorrectly used in sentence B because of the coordinating conjunction.
Are dashes used correctly in the following sentence:
The meeting–which was scheduled for Monday–was postponed until Thursday.
Yes, the dashes are correctly separating parts of the sentence to add emphasis.
___ is used to separate nonessential information from a sentence, appear after introductory phrases, are placed before coordinating conjunctions, and separate items in a list.
Comma
Should the comma after space be removed from the following sentence:
The structure was a 3,000-foot-diameter space, stood 165 feet tall, had a base of 15 feet, and weighed approximately 5,000 pounds.
No, the comma should not be removed because it is used for listing.
Should the colon after composed of be removed from the following sentence:
A quick glance through the guidebook informed me that the Guadalupe Mountains are actually an ancient reef composed of: fossilized sponges, algae, and shells.
Yes, the colon should be removed because the list has already been introduced by the phrase "composed of".
Should the comma after rodents be changed to a semicolon in the following sentence:
My family has owned 8 dogs, 6 cats, and 4 rodents, in every case, I have been the primary caretaker.
Yes, the comma should be changed to a semicolon because it would connect two independent clauses instead of using a coordinating conjunction.
Where should a dash be placed in the following sentence:
To pass the class, Sally needs to score between 80% 90% on the exam.
The dash should be placed between the numbers to form a number range.
80%-90%
___ is used to introduce a list, an explanation, or a restatement of what has already been said.
Colon
Should the comma after Sonneborn be taken out of the following sentence:
Ethan Sonneborn, a 14-year-old student at Mt. Abraham Union middle school in Bristol, Vermont, became interested in politics when he was in middle school.
No, the comma should not be removed because it is used to separate information in the sentence.
Should the comma after program be changed to a colon in the following sentence:
In 2016, after another rigorous construction program, an expansion to the Panama Canal opened.
No, a colon should not be placed there because there's no reason for it.
Should the comma after Tetris in the following sentence be changed to a semicolon:
The next year, Lee programmed the lights to create a skyscraper-sized version of Tetris, a game that involves rotating oddly-shaped blocks to make them fit together.
No, a semicolon should not be placed there because it would not be connecting two independent clauses.
Should a dash be placed after feet in the following sentence:
The Tetris display was 119,600 square feet so big that it could be seen all over Philadelphia.
Yes, a dash should be placed there because it would be separating parts of the sentence to add emphasis.
___ is used before a conjunctive adverb (however, therefore, moreover, etc.) that joins two independent clauses.
They are also used to join two closely related independent clauses instead of a coordinating conjunction.
Semicolon
___ is used to separate parts of a sentence, indicate a break in thought, to add emphasis, and for number ranges.
Dash