Punctuation Quiz

Question 1

Which sentence uses the apostrophe correctly?

Accepted Answer

The dog wagged its tail.

Answer

The dog wagged it's tail.

Answer

The dogs' wagged its tail.

Answer

The dog wagged its' tail.

Question 2

Where should a comma go? 'After dinner we went for a walk'

Accepted Answer

After 'dinner'

Answer

After 'After'

Answer

After 'went'

Answer

No comma needed

Question 3

Which is the correct use of a semicolon?

Accepted Answer

I like tea; I enjoy coffee too.

Answer

I like tea; and coffee.

Answer

I like; tea and coffee.

Answer

I like tea and; coffee.

Question 4

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

Accepted Answer

She said, "I'm tired."

Answer

She said, 'I'm tired'.

Answer

She said 'I'm tired.'

Answer

She said 'I'm tired'.

Question 5

What does a colon (:) typically introduce?

Accepted Answer

A list or explanation

Answer

A pause between clauses

Answer

A question

Answer

A contradiction

Question 6

Which uses an Oxford comma?

Accepted Answer

I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.

Answer

I bought apples, oranges and bananas.

Answer

I bought apples oranges, and bananas.

Answer

I bought, apples, oranges, and bananas.

Question 7

Which sentence correctly uses a question mark?

Accepted Answer

Are you ready?

Answer

I wonder if she is coming?

Answer

She asked if I was ready?

Answer

I asked whether he knew the answer?

Question 8

What is the purpose of parentheses ()?

Accepted Answer

To add extra, non-essential information

Answer

To show strong emotion

Answer

To introduce a list

Answer

To connect two sentences

Question 9

Which apostrophe use shows possession for a plural noun?

Accepted Answer

The boys' jackets

Answer

The boys's jackets

Answer

The boy's jackets

Answer

The boys jackets'

Question 10

When is an exclamation mark appropriate?

Accepted Answer

To show strong emotion or a command

Answer

At the end of every sentence for emphasis

Answer

Whenever you want to be polite

Answer

In formal business writing

Question 11

Which sentence has a correctly placed hyphen?

Accepted Answer

A well-known author

Answer

A well known author

Answer

A well known-author

Answer

A-well known author

Question 12

What punctuation ends an imperative sentence like 'Close the door'?

Accepted Answer

Full stop or exclamation mark

Answer

Question mark

Answer

Exclamation mark only

Answer

Semicolon

Question 13

Which is the correct contraction for 'they are'?

Accepted Answer

They're

Answer

Their

Answer

There

Answer

Theyre

Question 14

How should a dash (—) be used?

Accepted Answer

To add emphasis or an aside — like this

Answer

To join compound words

Answer

To show a range of numbers

Answer

Between syllables of a word

Question 15

Which sentence uses ellipsis (...) correctly?

Accepted Answer

I was going to say... never mind.

Answer

I was... going... to... say... it.

Answer

...I was going to say it.

Answer

I was going to say it...

Question 16

In 'Let's eat, Grandma!' vs 'Let's eat Grandma!' — what difference does the comma make?

Accepted Answer

One addresses Grandma, one implies eating her

Answer

No real difference

Answer

One is polite, one is rude

Answer

One is correct, one is wrong

Question 17

Which sentence correctly uses 'who's' vs 'whose'?

Accepted Answer

Whose bag is this?

Answer

Who's bag is this?

Answer

Whose coming to the party?

Answer

Who's bag is on the table?

Question 18

What does '[sic]' mean when used in a quotation?

Accepted Answer

The error appeared in the original

Answer

The text continues

Answer

There is more text omitted

Answer

The author disagrees

Question 19

Which sentence needs no additional punctuation?

Accepted Answer

I disagree, however, with your view.

Answer

However I disagree with you.

Answer

I disagree however.

Answer

I disagree, however.

Question 20

A full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark are all examples of what?

Accepted Answer

Terminal punctuation

Answer

Internal punctuation

Answer

Linking punctuation

Answer

Separating punctuation