Pop Quiz Time: How's Your Punctuation?

Annette

I want to work at Yahoo!.

You don't add a period when a sentence ends with an exclamation point or question mark. For example: I want to see "Hello Dolly!"

She spent over $1,0000!

This is incorrect. The comma should go after each pair of three digits. Therefore you get: $10,000.

I wonder what she's doing tonight?

This is not a direct question, but rather, an indirect question. That means that the question mark is not necessary.

I got a special price on the tickets (the expensive ones).

This is correct. Since the parenthetical isn't a full sentence, the period goes after the parenthetical.

Her term paper began with the word "imagine".

This is actually incorrect. The period should be placed inside the quotation marks.

F.B.I.

Some publications include periods in acronyms, but others don't. It's a style choice - just be consistent when you type USA or U.S.A.

Yes I do want to go to the party.

This is incorrect. It should be, "Yes, I do want to go to the party."

I put one sentence here. And the next sentence here.

There is too much space between these sentences. Technically, there should only be one space between one sentence and the next. The old rule of adding two spaces after each period went out with the typewriter.

Would she pass the exam? she wondered.

This is correct. There should be a question mark after the first part of the sentence. There would be none if you said: She wondered whether she would pass the exam.

Have you read "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

This is correct. There is no need to add another question mark, since there's one in the title.

Could you please stop doing that?

This is incorrect. Since it's a request, not really a question, there should not be a question mark at the end.

She was born in 1990 (1991?), and that's when the trouble began.

This is all right. You're allowed to express editorial uncertainty in a sentence in this manner.

She was feeling so happy!!!

You should never use an exclamation point so many times - except when texting with close friends. You need to use it sparingly, and never in multiples.

What on earth is happening?!

Again, this is no good. You do not want to follow up a question mark with any other punctuation. If this disappoints you, look up the word "interrobang."

"Stop that!", he yelled.

This is not correct. There's no need for the comma. It should read: "Stop that!" he yelled.

I saw the movie "mother!," and I didn't know what to think.

This is actually correct. If the exclamation point is part of a title, the comma after it is still retained. Also, the lower-case m is okay, because the movie title is stylized that way.

It took place on February 4, 1989.

This is correct. The comma occurs after the day and before the year.

She got a great job at Apple, Inc.

This would be incorrect. There is no comma after the Apple. It should read: Apple Inc. You must verify the preferred style for any company you mention.

Mark Read Esq., is part of the board of directors.

This is incorrect. There should be another comma before the Esq. Thus, it looks like this: Mark Read, Esq., is part of the board of directors.

What would I do without you, Mom?

This is correct. There is a comma before a person's name, or surrounding it, during direct address.

We will reopen on Thursday December 6, 2018.

This is incorrect. There should be a comma after the day of the week: Thursday, December 6, 2018.

On March 5, 2000, things began to change.

This is correct. There is a comma after the day and after the year.

Do you recall the history of May, 1969?

This is incorrect. There is no need for a comma after the month. When there is no day, there is no comma.

She arrived in London on 14 May 2000.

This is the correct way to write a date in British English. There is no need for a comma in this situation.

She traveled to Rome, Italy, and then went to Florence, Italy.

This is correct. It's necessary to put a comma between a city and a country. She went to Piermont, Rockland County, New York.

I would like chicken, salad, squash and rice.

This is a matter of style, involving what's known as the Oxford comma. The Oxford comma is the optional one in a list, coming just before the "and" or "or." Follow the rules of a particular publication, if necessary. Above all else, be consistent, careful, and competent - or consistent, careful and competent.

The soup was a salty tasteless mess.

This is incorrect. You need to have a comma between adjectives that describe the same thing. It is a salty, tasteless mess.

It was a horrible and disturbing and wretched movie.

This is correct. The "and" omits the needs for commas. You could also write: It was a horrible, disturbing, wretched movie.

This is a very, very, strange day.

This is incorrect. There is no need for that second comma. It should read, "This is a very, very strange day." However, you might want to consider broadening the vocabulary a bit.

Her first book called "Gone" was a success.

This sentence needs some commas. Write it this way: Her first book, called "Gone," was a success.

We will go tomorrow at 8 a.m.

There is no need to add an extra period if there's a period in the final word. For example: She got a job at Barnes & Noble, Inc.

Your punctuation, quite frankly, is dreadful.

This is absolutely correct. You add commas around any interrupting elements.

You were thinking the same thing, weren't you?

This is correct. You place a comma before any afterthought. Could you write that down, please?

I wanted to go to the store but I felt too tired.

This is incorrect. It should read, "I wanted to go to the store, but I felt too tired."

I want chicken but Bob wants fish.

Traditionally, a comma would be required here. However, when two independent clauses are short, the comma may be omitted.

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About This Quiz

Its important to understand punctuation because when there is no punctuation its hard to tell where one thought begins and the other ends and that's why in this quiz we're going to see if you know the basic rules of punctuation in the English language are you ready

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