Deck 7: Applying the Mechanics of Style

Question 1

Using examples, distinguish a compound sentence from a simple sentence with a compound predicate.

Answer 1

Students' answers will vary.
A simple sentence contains a subject and a verb, and it expresses a complete thought. The subject or the verb may be compound. A simple sentence with a compound predicate has only one subject and a compound verb. In the sentence Alex moved to Bristol last week and started his new job with Cyber Technology today, Alex is the only subject for the two verbs in the compound predicate-moved and started.
A compound sentence has two or more independent clauses, each with a subject and a predicate. Alex moved to Bristol last week, and he started his new job with Cyber Technology today.

Question 2

With the help of examples, discuss some of the comma pitfalls that trap many writers.

Answer 2

Student answers will vary. Two comma pitfalls that trap many writers are:
(1) using a comma to separate a subject from its predicate. For example, "All written requests from our clients, must be initialed by the office manager before being given to the broker." This sentence is incorrectly punctuated because no comma should separate the subject "requests" from its verb "must be initialed."
(2) using a comma to separate a verb or an infinitive from its object or complement. For example, "Since 1995 Jacquelyn has been, one of the hospital's most dedicated volunteers." This sentence is incorrectly punctuated because a comma should never separate a verb, "has been," from its complement, "one." Likewise, never separate an infinitive from its complement with a comma.

Question 3

Discuss the three main uses of semicolons. Write a sentence that demonstrates each use.

Answer 3

Student answers will vary. Semicolons are used:
1. in place of a coordinating conjunction to join independent clauses. For example, "Elton graduated from college in June; he started a new job in July."
2. before an introductory word that begins the second clause in a sentence. For example, "Marsha's parents bought her a new car for graduation; however, they expect her to pay all the expenses associated with ownership."
3. before explanatory or enumerating words. For example, "Gail is seeking to advance his career; for example, he has completed two advanced accounting courses at the university."

Question 4

Discuss how to use periods, commas, colons, semicolons, question marks, and exclamation points with quotation marks.

Question 5

With the help of examples, explain the differences between commas, dashes, and parentheses.

Question 6

What are the rules to be followed when punctuating sentences with parentheses?

Question 7

Discuss some of the typical problems writers face with regard to the use of capitalization.

Question 8

Discuss the rules to be followed when using address abbreviations?

Question 9

With the help of examples, explain when a writer should express numbers in spelled-out words.

Question 10

With the help of examples, explain when a writer should choose to express numbers in numerals over spelled-out words?

Question 11

An _____ is a question restated as a declarative sentence.

Question 12

A participial phrase is always followed by a(n) _____.

Question 13

A(n) _____ is a verb form that ends in "ing" and is used as a noun.

Question 14

When the second independent clause in a compound sentence starts with an introductory word, a _____ must be used before the introductory word.

Question 15

When an expression such as "the following" or "as follows" is used to introduce a list of items, it is often followed by a _____.

Question 16

_____ are used to form possessives of nouns, to form contractions, and to show omissions in dates.

Question 17

The words "American," "Canadian," and "Puerto Rican" are examples of _____ adjectives.

Question 18

Abbreviations of academic degrees and religious orders are generally punctuated with _____.

Question 19

A(n) _____ is a shortened form of a name and is formed from the initial letters of the words in the complete name.

Question 20

Adjacent numbers should be separated by a(n) _____ when both numbers are in numerals or when both are in words.

Question 21

When writers want to show strong emotion or feeling in their writing, they should end their sentences with:

A) periods.
B) exclamation points.
C) semicolons.
D) colons.

Question 22

A writer should avoid using a comma to:

A) separate a compound predicate.
B) separate a dependent clause that precedes a main clause.
C) set off interrupting elements.
D) separate consecutive adjectives that separately modify a noun.

Question 23

Tracy is working on her final English essay for school. She has a reputation for expressing herself well but makes careless punctuation errors, especially with regard to comma placement. To ensure that her comma placement is accurate this time, she should use a comma to separate:

A) the parts of one measurement.
B) two unrelated numbers that end up adjacent to each other in a sentence.
C) a dependent clause that provides essential information, from a main clause.
D) the last adjective in a series of consecutive adjectives, from the noun.

Question 24

Which of the following is a comma pitfall?

A) Using commas to separate thousands, hundred thousands, millions, and so on, in numbers with more than four digits
B) Using commas to set off introductory words, phrases, and clauses
C) Using commas to set off parenthetical elements within sentences
D) Using commas to separate a subject from its predicate

Question 25

Which of the following examples is incorrect with regard to capitalizing after colons?

A) The final step is the most important: Evaluate the actual performance against set standards.
B) The changes in law will affect two industries: Automobile and consumer electronics.
C) The huge financial loss has been due to the negligence of two employees: Mark and Jane.
D) The company identified the most important feature: quality.

Question 26

A_____ is used (1) in place of a coordinating conjunction to join independent clauses, (2) before an introductory word that begins the second clause in a sentence, and (3) before explanatory or enumerating words.

A) semicolon
B) colon
C) comma
D) dash

Question 27

Which of the following sentences does NOT illustrate the correct use of dashes?

A) Our new neighbors-have you met them?-will join us for dinner.
B) Rebecca Mathews-The CEO of True Trust Inc.-has won the entrepreneur of the year award.
C) Marketing managers-Vivian, John, and Fred are among them-have decided to adopt social media marketing.
D) This television has several features not usually found in competitors' products-an LED screen, a USB drive, and a camera.

Question 28

Which of the following is True of punctuation marks at the end of quotations in a sentence?

A) Commas are always inside the closing quotation mark.
B) Semicolons are inside or outside the closing quotation mark depending on the context of a sentence.
C) Periods are outside the closing quotation mark irrespective of the context of a sentence.
D) Exclamation points are never placed inside the closing quotation mark.

Question 29

Which of the following statements does NOT illustrate the correct use of parentheses?

A) As clearly stated in the report, we have increased our production capacity. (Please refer to the attached document.)
B) Rachel Toms (She's the customer relationship manager) is the person whom you should complain to.
C) I want to see the final draft of the report (is it on this floppy disk?) and ask Sam to quickly proofread it.
D) When they met last month (at a common friend's wedding), they exchanged their cell phone numbers.

Question 30

Which of the following statements illustrates the incorrect use of the apostrophe?

A) In March 09', the company had the largest market share.
B) They couldn't meet the market demands due to production problems.
C) The company aims to provide services that are better than the competitors' services.
D) They'll increase the selling price only when the demand increases.

Question 31

Which of the following book titles has not been capitalized correctly?

A) What Employees Strive For
B) Tales of the Twentieth Century
C) The Path of the Gods
D) The Revolution of the Internet: a look back

Question 32

Which of the following statements has been capitalized correctly?

A) The Government of the country has decided to ban the export of precious stones.
B) The Head of our Department was made to quit his job.
C) The employees at the headquarters use a Canon photocopier.
D) The company decided to set up a distribution unit in the north to improve sales in that region.

Question 33

In which of the following statements should the word "city" NOT be capitalized?

A) She lives in New York City.
B) They want to set up operations in the City of Paris.
C) They made their travel reservations with True City Inc.
D) The most popular shopping mall is City Shine Avenue.

Question 34

Which of the following should a writer capitalize while writing?

A) The suffix "-elect" when joined to titles
B) A personal title of a specific person
C) A common noun that names the general class of a product
D) The term "government" when it stands alone

Question 35

Which of the following is a rule to be practiced when using abbreviations?

A) Use "Mr." before a person's name that is followed by an abbreviation of an academic degree.
B) Use "Jr." and "Sr." with a person's last name only.
C) Omit the comma before "Jr." or "Sr." when either follows a person's name.
D) Abbreviate "United States" as a noun.

Question 36

A person's address reads "156 Chalfont Drive NW." Which of the following punctuations should be used to separate the street name from the abbreviation "NW"?

A) A comma
B) An apostrophe
C) An internal period
D) A dash

Question 37

Which of the following examples illustrates the incorrect expression of numbers?

A) The 1st few employees of the company helped create a strong organizational culture.
B) The company's production units are spread across seven countries.
C) According to the survey, 82 percent of the employees accepted the new code of conduct.
D) About one-third of the employees do not need any training.

Question 38

Which of the following should be expressed in numerals rather than words?

A) Indefinite numbers and amounts
B) Ordinal numbers used for ages and anniversaries
C) Numbers higher than ten
D) Numbers appearing at the beginning of a sentence

Question 39

Which of the following statements will be more effective if the numbers in it are expressed in words?

A) The company's fixed expenses totaled $15,000.
B) The club will celebrate its 125th anniversary next year.
C) The firm received 1000s of customer orders for its product.
D) The business report has 354 pages in total.

Question 40

Declarative sentences make statements, and imperative sentences order someone to act.

Question 41

If the introductory statement for a numbered list is grammatically complete, use periods after the items in the list.

Question 42

A comma splice creates a run-on sentence in which two related ideas that can stand alone grammatically are joined together by only a comma.

Question 43

Effective writers use commas to connect thoughts and to separate elements within sentences.

Question 44

Commas should be avoided after infinitive phrases, participial phrases, and prepositional phrases.

Question 45

When using consecutive adjectives in writing, no comma follows the last adjective in a series.

Question 46

The first word following a colon must be capitalized if it begins a sentence stating a formal rule.

Question 47

When a dash is used to set off words within a sentence, a semicolon follows the dash.

Question 48

Indirect quotations, which are restatements of a person's exact words introduced by the word "that," are not enclosed in quotation marks.

Question 49

Single quotation marks are used for words quoted within other quoted material.

Question 50

The words "north," "south," "east," and "west" are capitalized when they refer merely to direction.

Question 51

A person's name reads "Dr. Alex Keating, Ph.D." This phrasing demonstrates the correct use of abbreviations before names.

Question 52

Writers must express a number in words rather than in numerals when the number is a significant statistic or deserves special emphasis.

Question 53

A mixed number is best expressed in spelled-out words.

Question 54

When referring to time, writers must use "9 o'clock" instead of "nine o'clock" for greater formality but less emphasis.