SAT Writing : Correcting Punctuation Errors: Other Punctuation
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Example Questions
Example Question #94 : Apostrophe Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.
The most horrifying element of the procedure has proved to be it's lengthy recovery time.
it's lengthy recovery time.
it's lengthy recovery times.
in lengthy recovery time.
that's lengthy recovery time.
its lengthy recovery time.
its lengthy recovery time.
The use of "it's" in the underlined sentence is incorrect. "It's" represents only "it is," while the use in the sentence is the possessive, which can only be "its;" therefore, the correct answer is "its lengthy recovery time."
Example Question #96 : Correcting Apostrophe Errors
The Moluccas is a chain, or archetype, of islands belonging to Indonesia. Historically, these islands were known as the Spice Islands for their abundance of nutmeg, cloves, mace, and pepper, this profundity of spices eventually drew colonial attention. Spices such as cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, anise, and pepper were particularly popular during the medieval times. In the 1600s, the Spice Wars arose as a result of competing Portuguese and Dutch interest’s in the Spice Islands. The bloody conflict ended in the deaths of many native Moluccans as well as European traders, wherefore both Portugal and the Netherlands gained and lost territories ranging from Africa and South America. For this day, strife occasionally breaks out on the islands although it is now motivated by religious and not colonial disagreements. It is located just west of New Guinea in the Pacific Ocean, and its more than 1,000 islands are home to more than 2 million people today.
Which of the following sentences needs an apostrophe added to or deleted from it?
Historically, these islands were known as the Spice Islands for their abundance of nutmeg, cloves, mace, and pepper, this profundity of spices eventually drew colonial attention.
The Moluccas is a chain, or archetype, of islands belonging to Indonesia.
In the 1600s, the Spice Wars arose as a result of competing Portuguese and Dutch interest’s in the Spice Islands.
Spices such as cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, anise, and pepper were particularly popular during the medieval times.
The bloody conflict ended in the deaths of many native Moluccans as well as European traders, wherefore both Portugal and the Netherlands gained and lost territories ranging from Africa and South America.
In the 1600s, the Spice Wars arose as a result of competing Portuguese and Dutch interest’s in the Spice Islands.
In the fourth sentence, "In the 1600s, the Spice Wars arose as a result of competing Portuguese and Dutch interest’s in the Spice Islands," the “interests” aren’t possessing anything, so there is no need for an apostrophe. Plurals never require an apostrophe, any noun that is said to possess something else will require an apostrophe.
None of the other sentences need possession to be denoted, and thus cannot take the addition of an apostrophe.
Example Question #94 : Correcting Apostrophe Errors
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Amys' favorite TV show is on Tuesday night but she doesn't have time to watch it until Wednesday. No error
Tuesday night
doesn't
Wednesday.
Amys'
No error
Amys'
"Amy" is a singular subject who possesses the favorite show, so the apostrophe should be before the "s," as in "Amy's." It would only make sense to have the apostrophe after the "s" if there were multiple Amys and they all had the same favorite show, which is not the case in this sentence.
Example Question #2 : Quotation Mark Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
“I can’t believe he ate the entire cake,” she said, “Can you?”
cake.” She said. “Can you?”
cake” she said, “Can you?”
cake” she said “Can you?”
cake,” she said. “Can you?”
cake,” she said, “Can you?”
cake,” she said. “Can you?”
Double quotation marks are conventionally used to indicate speech, and commas are conventionally used inside the quotation marks to separate a line of speech from its subsequent dialogue tag. Because “‘Can you?’” is a separate sentence from “‘I can’t believe he ate the entire cake,’ she said,’” there must be a period after “she said” to separate the two sentences.
Example Question #3 : Quotation Mark Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
“Why does your so-called ‘fact sheet’ list obvious fallacies,” she asked?
“Why does your so-called ‘fact sheet’ list obvious fallacies?” she asked.
“Why does your so-called ‘fact sheet’ list obvious fallacies”? she asked.
“Why does your so-called “fact sheet” list obvious fallacies?” she asked.
“Why does your so-called “fact sheet” list obvious fallacies,” she asked?
“Why does your so-called ‘fact sheet’ list obvious fallacies,” she asked?
“Why does your so-called ‘fact sheet’ list obvious fallacies?” she asked.
Double quotation marks are conventionally used to indicate speech, and question marks are conventionally used inside the quotation marks to indicate the end of an interrogative sentence. Double quotation marks (without commas) are also conventionally used to indicate skepticism about a word or term, as with “fact sheet” here. However, because “fact sheet” is already within a set of double quotation marks, single quotation marks must be used.
Example Question #4 : Quotation Mark Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
Did she say, "I'll take the car?"
Did she say, "I'll take the car?"
Did she say, "I'll take the car."?
Did she say, "I'll take the car."
Did she say "I'll take the car"?
Did she say, "I'll take the car"?
Did she say, "I'll take the car"?
This question is asking whether or not a phrase was said, and that phrase itself is not a question. If a question ends with a quoted statement that is not a question, the question mark will go outside the closing quotation mark.
Example Question #2 : Quotation Mark Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the underlined choices repeats the answer as it is written.
"What if the lost puppy really does belong to Jane," we thought as we drove to the veterinarian.
"What if the lost puppy really does belong to Jane",
"What if the lost puppy really does belong to Jane,"
"What if the lost puppy really does belong to Jane"?
"What if the lost puppy really does belong to Jane"
"What if the lost puppy really does belong to Jane?"
"What if the lost puppy really does belong to Jane?"
The error in this sentence comes from the fact that the underlined phrase is a question and therefore should end with a question mark, even when it is inside double quotation marks; therefore, the correct answer is "What if the lost puppy really does below to Jane?"
Example Question #2 : Quotation Mark Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the underlined choices repeats the answer as it is written.
"I don't believe you really wanted to drop the cake," Elena said, "In fact, I think it was totally an accident."
said? "In fact, I think it was totally an accident."
said. "In fact, I think it was totally an accident."
said - "In fact, I think it was totally an accident."
said, "In fact, I think it was totally an accident."
said; "In fact, I think it was totally an accident."
said. "In fact, I think it was totally an accident."
The error in this sentence is the incorrect punctuation used to separate Elena's first sentence from her second sentence. Since both sentences are complete thoughts, we should change the comma after "said" to a period ("said. 'In fact, I think it was totally an accident.'")
Example Question #1 : Correcting Quotation Mark Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
"The phrase is actually count your lucky stars, not count your lucky star," Allan said.
"The phrase is actually count your lucky stars, not 'count your lucky star,'" Allan said.
"The phrase is actually 'count your lucky stars,' not 'count your lucky star,'" Allan said.
"The phrase is actually "count your lucky stars," not "count your lucky star,"" Allan said.
"The phrase is actually 'count your lucky stars,' not count your lucky star," Allan said.
"The phrase is actually count your lucky stars, not count your lucky star," Allan said.
"The phrase is actually 'count your lucky stars,' not 'count your lucky star,'" Allan said.
Double quotation marks are normally used around a word or phrase to discuss that word or phrase in speech; however, when such a word or phrase appears in a sentence that is already within double quotation marks (e.g. direct quotes), we offset that word or phrase from the rest of the sentence with single quotation marks. Therefore, both "count your lucky stars" and "count your lucky star" should appear within single quotation marks in the above sentence ('count your lucky stars' and 'count your lucky star').
Example Question #2 : Correcting Quotation Mark Errors
Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English. One of the answer choices reproduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
Kenny told us all that "he was sick and couldn't hang out today," but we saw him just a couple of hours later at the movies with Jane.
he was sick and couldn't hang out today,
"he was sick and couldn't hang out today,"
'he was sick and couldn't hang out today,'
he was sick and couldn't hang out today;
"he was sick and couldn't hang out today"
he was sick and couldn't hang out today,
In the sentence above, what Kenny said is an indirect quotation and therefore does not require any quotation marks, double or single.
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