Week 8 (cont): Writing - Punctuations exercises

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 Punctuation excercises: Apostrophe Comma Colon Quotation mark Italic

My scores: 10/10  10/10  8.5/10  8/10  8/10  7/10  8/10 8/10  7.5/10  8/10 10/10                                                        

Apostrophe Use - Exercise 1
Change each underlined noun to the correct possessive form.  Type your answer in the text box.  When you have completed the exercise, click on the "Check My Answers" button to see the correct  answers.
1.  The girlfriend of her brother drives a trailer truck.
Her girlfriend drives a trailer truck.
   
2.  We heard the voices of the children clearly in the lounge.
We heard the voices clearly in the lounge.
  
3.  The husbands of the sisters have lunch together every Monday.
The husbands have lunch together every Monday.
  
4.  The report, supported by the accounts of two witnesses, proves he did not commit the crime.
The report, supported by two accounts, proves he did not commit the crime.
  
5.  The flavor of the bread was improved when he put butter on it.
The flavor was improved when he put butter on it.
   
6.  The guess of anybody is as good as mine.
  guess is as good as mine.
  
7.  I spent all my Thanksgivings at the house belonging to my grandmother.
I spent all my Thanksgivings at my house.
  
8.  The votes of four members changed the outcome of the election.
Four votes changed the outcome of the election.
  
9.  The wipers on your car need to be replaced.
Your wipers need to be replaced.
 
10.  The cat played with the toy belonging to it.
The cat played with toy.

Apostrophe Use - Exercise 2
Change each underlined noun to the correct possessive form.  Type your answer in the text box.  When you have completed the exercise, click on the "Check My Answers" button to see the correct answers.
1.  We listened to the sweet songs of the birds.
We listened to the sweet songs.
    
2.  The dream of a journalist is to cover a big story while it is happening.
A dream is to cover a big story while it is happening.
    
3.  The keys on the piano were sticky.
The keys were sticky.
    
4.  The squirrel carried acorns belonging to it up the tree.
The squirrel carried acorns up the tree.
    
5.  The antlers of the deer are large.
The antlers are large.
  
6.  The organization was happy to receive the donations from the three brothers.
The organization was happy to receive the three donations.
  
7.  The steeple on the church was designed by a famous artist.
The steeple was designed by a famous artist.
  
8.  The speeches of the women caused  the crowd to cheer loudly.
The speeches caused the crowd to cheer loudly.
  
9.  Many people speculate about the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Many people speculate about the extinction.
  
10.  The message left by Tracy explained why the others did not come.
message explained why the others did not come.

Comma Use - Exercise 1
Revise the following sentences by adding commas where they are needed.  If a sentence is correct, type "correct" in the textbox.  When you are finished, hit the "Check My Work" button at the bottom of the page.

1.  Richard caught the ball ran for five yards and scored a touchdown.

2.  Judy who works for the local school district is asking her boss for a raise.

3.  I didn't realize however that the main character was already dead.

4.  I want to buy a shirt and a pair of shoes.

5.  Because we have a test tomorrow I'm not going to the party.

6.  I want to become a doctor so I have to take a lot of science classes.

7.  The man who is running down the street usually wears an orange sweatshirt.

8.  Did you notice the smart attractive man sitting in the corner?

9.  Her father a pediatric surgeon has to work long hours.

10.   William Thomas Jr. is a good friend of mine.



Comma Use - Exercise 2
Revise the following sentences by adding commas where they are needed.  If a sentence is correct, type "correct" in the textbox.  When you are finished, click on the "Check My Work" button at the bottom of the page.
1.  The waiter ignored the rude obnoxious customer.

2.  Joey ate all of his peas but he refused to eat his lima beans.

3.  Edgar Allan Poe the father of the short story is buried in Baltimore.

4.  Since the expansion of the Internet research has become much less tedious.

5.  To maintain excellent grades in your classes is an accomplishment.

6.  Handguns knives and other weapons are turning up in locker checks.

7.  The golfer wearing the plaid pants desperately needs to improve his game.

8.  As cucumbers grow their vines need room to expand.

9.  That movie in my opinion was too scary for children.

10.  You will come to my dance recital won't you?

 Comma Use with Introductory Elements  
Revise the following sentences by adding commas where they are needed.  If a sentence is correct, type "correct" in the textbox.  When you are finished, click on the "Check My Work" button at the bottom of the page.

1.  Intimidated by the oncoming traffic little Joey refused to cross the street.
   
2.  Yes you may begin the test now.
  
3.  Before planting the seeds Harvey prepared the garden soil.
  
4.  Gemma worked hard on her assignment to get the grade she badly wanted.
  
5.  Whenever it rains in this part of the country the whole area floods.
  
6.  By the end of his senior year in high school Tim had earned a 3.50 GPA.
  
7. To earn that much money one must put in a lot of overtime at the factory.
  
8.  People hesitated to speak their minds while the dictator was in the room.
  
9.  Smiling broadly the two children counted their profits from the lemonade stand.
  
10.  Deftly moving his hands from the counter to the sink Monty plunged the dirty dishes into the soapy water.

Semicolon Use - Exercise 1
Revise the following sentences by adding semicolons where they are needed.  You may need to change a comma to a semicolon.
Type your answers in the test below each item.   If a sentence is correct, type "correct" in the textbox.  When you are finished, hit the "Check My Work" button at the bottom of the page.

1.  The score was tied the game went into overtime.
   
2.  Professor Brown has left the laboratory, however, you may still be able to reach her through email.

3. We didn't attend the play, besides, we had heard that all the good seats were taken.

4.  We stayed in Baltimore, Maryland, Omaha, Nebraska, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

5.  The keys to the lower door were not, however, in their usual place.

6.  The three performers included Jasper, a trained squirrel, Belzar,  a tightrope walker, and Petunia, a magician.

7.  Ingrid, a shortstop, made the team, but Joe, her cousin, did not make the cut.

8.  Read the article out loud, then answer all ten questions on the quiz.

9.  Martin had paid his dues; therefore, we allowed him to vote in the election.

10. The World Series had begun, however, we were still stuck in traffic.

 Semicolon Use - Exercise 2
Revise the following sentences by adding semicolons where they are needed.  You may need to change a comma to a semicolon.
Type your answers in the test below each item.   If a sentence is correct, type "correct" in the textbox.  When you are finished, hit the "Check My Work" button at the bottom of the page.

1.  Martin Luther King did not intend to become a preacher, originally he wanted to be a lawyer.
   
2.  Bill helped Susan with her homework, coached her in softball, and encouraged her to stay in school, but when her uncle died, she quit school and gave up.
   
3.  The parole hearing was attended by James Thomas, who was a federal prosecutor, Irene Milton, who supervised the state prison system, and Jeremy Ingram, a former legal aide for the city.
   
4.  If you want to lose weight and keep it off, try a good diet, if you are serious about your goal, you should be successful.
   
5.  The route suggested by Map Quest was not, however, open to traffic that day.
   
6.  Her hand, her neck, and her right leg, which was severely twisted, were all caught in the trap, yet she managed to extricate herself and crawl all the way back to the campsite.
   
7.  Many parents are in favor of school uniforms, they feel that the uniforms develop a sense of community among students.
   
8.  The rain was causing flooding in many areas, however, we still carried out our plans.
   
9.  My parents, who hadn't known anything about the party, Mrs. Schultz, who  trusted me implicitly, and Jim Bell, a police officer with the juvenile services division, were all waiting for me when I got home.
   
10. Throwing his arms into the air, Mike looked absolutely dumbfounded, so he stood up, knocking all of the materials on the floor, and left the building.

   






Quotation Marks  - Exercise 1
Revise the following sentences by adding quotation marks and / or other punctuation, including end punctuation,   where  needed.  When you are finished, click the "Check My Work" button at the bottom of the page.
1. Did you see that new movie asked my friend
  
2.  When she saw his new Mercedes, she exclaimed What a beautiful car

3.  I just finished reading Shirley Jackson's short story The Lottery

4.  Did Jack really say It's not my responsibility

5.  The  composer asked if the orchestra would play this Thursday

6.  I'm going to the newsstand he said for a copy of the newspaper

7.  You're out of your mind exclaimed Tony, slamming the door

8.  The professor asked When was the treaty signed

9.  The mayor promised that the project would be completed in two months

10. The Wasteland is a poem by T.S. Eliot








Quotation Marks  - Advanced Exercise 
Revise the following sentences by adding quotation marks and / or other punctuation, including end punctuation,   where  needed.  When you are finished, click the "Check My Work" button at the bottom of the page.
1.  Paul asked Did you read Keat's poem Endymion

2.  Do you remember Joe asking Is anybody here she asked

3.  Shall I read aloud Milton's poem On His Blindness she asked

4.  Weren't my exact words We all heard Harry yell Help

5.  I enjoyed the poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock said Harold

6.  What did Joe mean Mary asked when he exclaimed She's gone

7.  Do you think that The Star Spangled Banner is hard to sing he asked

8.  The conductor said I want you to sing Schubert's Ave Maria

9.  I asked Did Professor Bruin say These papers are due in one week

10. We all heard Alfred say Bill asked Who is the new president of the organization


Italics and Quotations with Titles - 


Each sentence below contains one or more titles.  Indicate whether each title should be written in italics or put inside quotation marks by clicking the appropriate button after each phrase.
When you are finished, click on the "Check My Work" button at the bottom of the page.
1. James Cameron wrote the script for the movie Avatar (italics quotation marks).
2.  The article, Stocks Hit a New Milestone, (italics quotation marks) appeared in yesterday's New York Times (italics quotation marks).
3.  The USS Arizona (italics quotation marks), was sunk in the attack on Pearl Harbor.
4.  The TV series, Family Guy, (italics quotation marks) once aired an episode titled Home Again (italics quotation marks).
5.  Chapter one, Marvin Wipes Out, (italics quotation marks) begins the adventure novel Suicide Surfers (italics quotation marks).
6.  The article, Oriole Bats Quiet Again,(italics quotation marks) told the story all too clearly in The Baltimore Sun (italics quotation marks) newspaper.
7.  National Geographic(italics quotation marks), is one of my favorite magazines.
8.  The cockpit and nose of the B-29 bomber, Enola Gay, (italics quotation marks) were once on display at the Smithsonian Institute.
9.  Some people would prefer to have America the Beautiful (italics quotation marks) as the national anthem instead of The Star Spangled Banner (italics quotation marks).
10.  The Necklace  (italics quotation marks) is one of Guy de Maupassant's most famous short stories.

Italics and Quotations with Special Words-  Exercise 1
After each special word or phrase, select the button indicating whether the word or phrase should be in italics or quotation marks.
When finished, select Check My Work to see the correct answers.
1.  Why do men think that commitment (italics quotation marks) is a scary word?
2.  I often heard the greeting bonjour (italics quotation marks) while walking down the streets of Paris.
3.  My two-year-old just learned how to drive (italics quotation marks) his miniature plastic truck.
4.  In mathematics, the Pythagorean theorem (italics quotation marks) is a relation in  geometry among the three sides of a right triangle.
5.  The word rock (italics quotation marks) has more than one meaning.
6.  His modus operandi (italics quotation marks) is chronic lateness to every appointment.
7.  Current rap artists are often known by the amount of bling (italics quotation marks) they flash in their pictures.
8.  Black mayonnaise (italics quotation marks) is now the accepted term for sludge covering the bottom of a harbor.
9.  Uncle Jack's profession (italics quotation marks) of laziness has steadily grown since he was laid off at the plant.
10.  Interferential Stimulation(italics quotation marks), used for pain management in physical therapy sessions, has a 90% success rate.