Question 1

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank.
-This strange sea is one of ____________ oddities.

Accepted Answer

The phrase "nature's oddities" refers to oddities belonging to or related to nature, and the possessive form "nature's" is the correct choice to express this idea.

Question 2

The following sentences form an essay.  Select the correct word or phrase for each blank.
-According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, one out of four _____________ has high blood pressure, and anyone can develop this dangerous condition.

Accepted Answer

"American adults" is plural and requires proper capitalization of the first letter of each word. Option B is incorrect because "American adult's" is possessive and does not make sense in the context of the sentence. Option C is incorrect because it is not properly capitalized.

Question 3

The following sentences form a paragraph.  Select the correct word or phrase for each blank.
-By 1906, 300,000 _____________ and 500,000 ____________ were being sold yearly.

Accepted Answer

The sentence is presenting the number of two items sold, razors and blades, which are both plural. Therefore, the correct answer would be option C, as it correctly uses the plural form of both words without indicating possession.

Question 4

The following sentences form an essay.  Select the correct word or phrase for each blank.
-Your systolic pressure should be no higher than 120. The second type of blood pressure is the diastolic, which is the amount of ____________ your heart is resting.

Accepted Answer

The correct phrase is "force when" as it correctly describes the condition of the heart during diastolic pressure without unnecessary punctuation.

Question 5

The following sentences form a paragraph.  Select the correct word or phrase for each blank.
-While shaving with his old-fashioned one-piece razor one __________ had an inspiration.

Accepted Answer

The correct choice is "morning, he" because a comma is needed after "morning" to separate the introductory phrase from the main clause.

Question 6

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank.
-For years scientists wondered how seaweed began growing in open water. They now believe some seaweed once drifted from the West __________________ multiplied wildly.

Accepted Answer

The correct punctuation is needed to separate the clauses properly. The commas correctly set off the phrase "adapted to growth in open water," making the sentence clear and grammatically correct.

Question 7

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank.
-Lacking land ______________ is marked only by a dark patch of rippling weeds.

Accepted Answer

A comma is needed to separate the two different elements of the sentence - "lacking land boundaries" and "it is marked only by a dark patch of rippling weeds". Option A correctly adds the necessary comma. Option B does not include the comma, resulting in a run-on sentence, and Option C adds a comma where one is not needed, creating a grammatical error.

Question 8

The following sentences form a paragraph.  Select the correct word or phrase for each blank.
-When the United States entered ____________the government ordered 2.5 million razors and 36 million blades.

Accepted Answer

The correct choice is "World War I," because it is a proper noun and should be capitalized, and a comma is needed after "World War I" to correctly punctuate the sentence.

Question 9

The following sentences form a paragraph.  Select the correct word or phrase for each blank.
-"As I stood there with the razor in my ________________ Gillette razor and disposable blade were born."

Accepted Answer

The sentence is a quote and should begin with a capital letter. Option C correctly places a comma after "hand" and opens the quote with a capital letter.

Question 10

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank.
-_________ name comes from a ___________ word for the kind of seaweed that floats in great quantities on its surface.

Accepted Answer

The possessive pronoun "its" is used to refer to the name, and the capitalization of "Portuguese" indicates that it is a proper noun. The correct spelling of the word is also "Portuguese," not "Portugese."

Question 11

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank.
-The ____________________ of the Canary Islands.

Accepted Answer

The correct phrase is "Sargasso Sea is set in the Atlantic Ocean just west" because "Sargasso Sea" is a proper noun and should be capitalized, "Atlantic Ocean" is also a proper noun and should be capitalized, and "west" is not a proper noun, so it should not be capitalized.

Question 12

The following sentences form an essay.  Select the correct word or phrase for each blank.
-If you want to live a healthy, long _________ way to help yourself is to have your blood pressure checked.

Accepted Answer

The comma after "life" is necessary to separate the phrase and make it clear that it's referring to the same idea of living a healthy, long life.

Question 13

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank.
-The sailors ideas of course are not true.

Accepted Answer

The correct possessive form for multiple sailors is "sailors'," and the phrase "of course" should be set off by commas.

Question 14

The following sentences form a paragraph.  Select the correct word or phrase for each blank.
-For years, King Camp Gillette tried to make his fortune by inventing an item that could be ____________ easily replaced.

Accepted Answer

The sentence requires a list of three things that the item can do - be used, be discarded, and be easily replaced. Therefore, the correct choice is B as it contains all three items in the correct format. Choice A is incorrect as it only lists two items and does not include "easily replaced." Choice C is also incorrect as it contains a comma after "and" which is grammatically incorrect.

Question 15

The following sentences form an essay.  Select the correct word or phrase for each blank.
-The first is called the systolic ___________ is how much force is in your arteries when your heart pumps.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The following sentences form an essay. ...

Question 16

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank.
-In fact, the seaweed in the Sargasso Sea is merely the home of __________________ barnacles.

Accepted Answer

The correct choice is "crabs, shrimp, and" because it uses the Oxford comma, which is the standard punctuation for listing items in a series in English.

Question 17

The following sentences form a paragraph.  Select the correct word or phrase for each blank.
-Consequently, a whole generation of ____________ men became everyday users of __________ invention.

Accepted Answer

"American" should be capitalized, and "Gillette's" requires an apostrophe to indicate possession. Therefore, the correct choice is A, which has both capitalization and the correct use of the apostrophe.

Question 18

The following sentences form an essay.  Select the correct word or phrase for each blank.
-High blood pressure causes serious health problems by making your heart work harder than it should. When you have your blood pressure ____________ will measure two types of blood pressure.

Accepted Answer

The sentence requires a verb to connect "blood pressure" and "measure". Option C provides the appropriate verb "checked" and correctly uses a comma after it. Option A has the correct verb and comma, but the second part of the sentence is not complete without the article "a" before doctor. Option B is missing the comma after "checked" and the article "a" before "doctor."

Question 19

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank.
-The Sargasso __________________ to frighten sailors, who imagined monster-infested islands underneath the water.

Accepted Answer

In this sentence, "Sea" is being used as a proper noun to refer to the specific body of water known as the Sargasso Sea. Therefore, it should be capitalized and separated from the rest of the sentence with commas for clarity. Option A is incorrect because it is grammatically incorrect to have a comma and "used" at the end of the sentence. Option B is also incorrect because it is missing a comma after "Sea".

Question 20

The following sentences form a paragraph.  Select the correct word or phrase for each blank.
-Unfortunately the reality was harder to produce than the idea. Only with the help of William Nickerson, a professor from the Massachusetts ______________ the safety razor finally hit the market in 1903.

Accepted Answer

"Institute of Technology" should be capitalized as it refers to a specific institution, and there should be a comma after "Technology" for correct punctuation. Option A is the only one that follows these rules.

Quiz 33: Putting Your Proofreading Skills to Work

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank. -This strange sea is one of ____________ oddities.

The following sentences form an essay. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank. -According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, one out of four _____________ has high blood pressure, and anyone can develop this dangerous condition.

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank. -By 1906, 300,000 _ and 500,000 were being sold yearly.

The following sentences form an essay. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank. -Your systolic pressure should be no higher than 120. The second type of blood pressure is the diastolic, which is the amount of ____________ your heart is resting.

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank. -While shaving with his old-fashioned one-piece razor one __________ had an inspiration.

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank. -For years scientists wondered how seaweed began growing in open water. They now believe some seaweed once drifted from the West __________________ multiplied wildly.

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank. -Lacking land ______________ is marked only by a dark patch of rippling weeds.

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank. -When the United States entered ____________the government ordered 2.5 million razors and 36 million blades.

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank. -"As I stood there with the razor in my ________________ Gillette razor and disposable blade were born."

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank. -_ name comes from a ___ word for the kind of seaweed that floats in great quantities on its surface.

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank. -The ____________________ of the Canary Islands.

The following sentences form an essay. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank. -If you want to live a healthy, long _________ way to help yourself is to have your blood pressure checked.

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank. -The sailors ideas of course are not true.

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank. -For years, King Camp Gillette tried to make his fortune by inventing an item that could be ____________ easily replaced.

The following sentences form an essay. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank. -The first is called the systolic ___________ is how much force is in your arteries when your heart pumps.

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank. -In fact, the seaweed in the Sargasso Sea is merely the home of __________________ barnacles.

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank. -Consequently, a whole generation of __ men became everyday users of invention.

The following sentences form an essay. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank. -High blood pressure causes serious health problems by making your heart work harder than it should. When you have your blood pressure ____________ will measure two types of blood pressure.

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank. -The Sargasso __________________ to frighten sailors, who imagined monster-infested islands underneath the water.

The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word or phrase for each blank. -Unfortunately the reality was harder to produce than the idea. Only with the help of William Nickerson, a professor from the Massachusetts ______________ the safety razor finally hit the market in 1903.