SAT Writing : Correcting Punctuation Errors: Other Punctuation
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Writing
All SAT Writing Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #241 : Correcting Punctuation Errors: Other Punctuation
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 repreoduces the underlined portion as it is written in the sentence.
I yelled at the rude man, "Please leave the store immediately, or I will call security".
I yelled at the rude man, "Please leave the store immediately, or I will call security...
I yelled at the rude man Please leave the store immediately, or I will call security!"
I yelled at the rude man, "Please leave the store immediately, or I will call security".
I yelled at the rude man, "Please leave the store immediately, or I will call security.
I yelled at the rude man, "Please leave the store immediately, or I will call security!"
I yelled at the rude man, "Please leave the store immediately, or I will call security!"
Quotation marks should always precede the first word of the quote, and follow the final punctuation mark of the quote; therefore, the best way to write the sentence above is "I yelled at the rude man, 'Please leave the store immediately, or I will call security!'"
Example Question #11 : 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.
“Words like prejudice and bigotry are too negative for this publication,” she said.
“Words like ‘prejudice,’ and ‘bigotry,’ are too negative for this publication,”
“Words like "prejudice" and ‘bigotry’ are too negative for this publication,”
“Words like ‘prejudice’ and ‘bigotry’ are too negative for this publication,”
“Words like “prejudice” and “bigotry” are too negative for this publication,”
“Words like ‘prejudice’ and ‘bigotry’ are too negative for this publication”
“Words like ‘prejudice’ and ‘bigotry’ are too negative for this publication,”
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 dialogue tag. Double quotation marks (without commas) are also conventionally used around a word or term to indicate discussion of that word or term in speech. However, because “prejudice” and “bigotry” are already within a set of double quotation marks here, single quotation marks must be used.
Example Question #11 : 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.
Did Larry just say, "I'm going to go see the Queen?"
Did Larry just say, "I'm going to go see the Queen"?
Did Larry just say "I'm going to go see the Queen?"
Did Larry just say, "I'm going to go see the Queen?"
Did Larry just say, "I'm going to go see the Queen,"?
Did Larry just say: "I'm going to go see the Queen?"
Did Larry just say, "I'm going to go see the Queen"?
The error in the above sentence is in the placement of the question mark. Larry's statement is not the question—the question is if Larry said the statement. Therefore, we need to remove the question mark from "I'm going to see the Queen?" and place it outside the second quotation mark to properly denote the correct question (Did Larry just say, "I'm going to go see the Queen"?)
Example Question #104 : New Sat
There are two different ways to consider the so-called “Dark Ages.” On the one hand, you can think of the period directly after the fall of the Roman Empire, when civilization began to collapse throughout the Western Empire. On the other hand, you can consider the period that followed this initial collapse of society. It is a gross simplification to use the adjective dark to describe the civilization of either of these periods.
As regards the first period, it is quite a simplification to consider this period to be a single historical moment. It is not as though the civilization switched off like a lightbulb. At one moment light and then, at the next, dark. Instead, the decline of civilization occurred over a period of numerous decades and was, in fact, already occurring for many years before the so-called period of darkness. Thus, the decline of civilization was not a rapid collapse into barbarism, but instead, was a slow alteration of the cultural milieu of a partition of Europe. Indeed, the Eastern Roman Empire retained much of it’s cultural status during these years of decline!
More importantly, the period following the slow collapse of the Western Empire was much less “dark” than almost every popular telling states. Indeed, even during the period of decline, the seeds for cultural restoration was being sown. A key element of this cultural revival were the formation of monastic communities throughout the countryside of what we now know as Europe. Although these were not the only positive force during these centuries, the monasteries had played an important role in preserving and advancing the cause of culture through at least the thirteenth century and arguably until the Renaissance.
How should the underlined section be corrected?
use the adjective, dark, to describe the civilization of either of these periods.
use the adjective, "dark" to describe the civilization of either of these periods.
use the adjective "dark" to describe the civilization of either of these periods.
NO CHANGE
use the adjective, "dark," to describe the civilization of either of these periods.
use the adjective "dark" to describe the civilization of either of these periods.
Since the word "dark" is being referred to as an adjective, it is necessary to place quotation marks around it. This is the same as writing, "The word 'dark' has four letters," (or the previous sentence). When you do this, it is not necessary to add any commas or to alter the capitalization as you do in direct quotations; instead, you leave the word as is and merely "wrap" it in quotations marks.
Example Question #1 : Correcting Other Punctuation 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.
Who will take care of my dog, who needs a lot of care and attention, when I go on vacation next week
Who will take care of my dog, who needs a lot of care and attention, when I go on vacation next week;
Who will take care of my dog, who needs a lot of care and attention, when I go on vacation next week,
Who will take care of my dog, who needs a lot of care and attention, when I go on vacation next week?
Who will take care of my dog, who needs a lot of care and attention, when I go on vacation next week.
Who will take care of my dog, who needs a lot of care and attention, when I go on vacation next week!
Who will take care of my dog, who needs a lot of care and attention, when I go on vacation next week?
Because the sentence starts with the word "who," it should be obvious that it is a question and thus has to end with a question mark. Don't get confused by the extra phrase that describes the dog.
Example Question #244 : Correcting Punctuation 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.
Marcia was overjoyed that the dog, at long last, would have a house of it's own.
Marcia was overjoyed the dog, at long last, would have a house of it's own.
Marcia was overjoyed that the dog, at long last, would have a house of it's own to have.
Marcia was overjoyed that the dog, at long last, would have a house of it's own.
Marcia was overjoyed that the dog, at long last, would have a house of its own.
Marcia was overjoyed that the dog, at long last, to have a house of its own.
Marcia was overjoyed that the dog, at long last, would have a house of its own.
"It's" is a contraction of "it is," while "its" is the possessive form of "it." We can see now how the in the first sentence, the contraction does not make sense, and should be replaced with the possessive.
Example Question #245 : Correcting Punctuation Errors
Replace the underlined section with the answer that best results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.
The rare fourteenth century text was hermetically sealed and locked in a vault in order to protect against moisture and thieves alike.
The rare fourteenth century text was hermetically sealed and locked in a vault in order to protect against moisture and thieves alike.
The rare, fourteenth century text was hermetically sealed and locked in a vault in order to protect against moisture and thieves alike.
The rare fourteenth-century text was hermetically sealed and locked in a vault in order to protect against moisture and thieves alike.
The rare fourteenth century text was hermetically-sealed and locked in a vault in order to protect against moisture and thieves alike.
The rare fourteenth-century text was hermetically-sealed and locked in a vault in order to protect against moisture and thieves alike.
The rare fourteenth-century text was hermetically sealed and locked in a vault in order to protect against moisture and thieves alike.
“Fourteenth century” is another instance of a compound adjective that appears immediately before a noun. Like all other compound adjectives in front of a noun, this one must be hyphenated. “Fourteenth-century text” is the correct form. Because “hermetically” is an adverb preceding an adjective, it does not require a hyphen.
Example Question #246 : Correcting Punctuation Errors
Replace the underlined section with the answer that best results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.
It was a dark, eldritch Halloween, and the eight-year-olds shrieked in terror at the sound of a branch rasping against the window.
It was a dark, eldritch Halloween, and the eight year olds shrieked in terror at the sound of a branch rasping against the window.
It was a dark, eldritch Halloween and the eight-year-olds shrieked in terror at the sound of a branch rasping against the window.
It was a dark, eldritch Halloween; and the eight-year-olds shrieked in terror at the sound of a branch rasping against the window.
It was a dark, eldritch Halloween and the eight year olds shrieked in terror at the sound of a branch rasping against the window.
It was a dark, eldritch Halloween, and the eight-year-olds shrieked in terror at the sound of a branch rasping against the window.
It was a dark, eldritch Halloween, and the eight year olds shrieked in terror at the sound of a branch rasping against the window.
In this sentence, “eight-year-olds” is used as a noun and not an adjective, so it should not be hyphenated. We have two independent clauses separated by a conjunction (“It was a dark, eldritch Halloween” and “the eight-year-olds shrieked in terror at the sound of a branch rasping against the window”), so the conjunction must be preceded by a comma.
Example Question #247 : Correcting Punctuation Errors
Replace the underlined section with the answer that best results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.
Joe and Jenna were wondering if Sheila could bring a light snack – a fruit or cheese platter, for example – to the faculty meeting?
Joe and Jenna were wondering if Sheila could bring a light snack – a fruit or cheese platter, for example – to the faculty meeting.
Joe and Jenna were wondering if Sheila could bring a light snack, a fruit or cheese platter, for example, to the faculty meeting?
Joe and Jenna were wondering if Sheila could bring a light snack, a fruit or cheese platter, for example, to the faculty meeting.
Joe and Jenna were wondering if Sheila could bring a light snack: a fruit or cheese platter, for example, to the faculty meeting?
Joe and Jenna were wondering if Sheila could bring a light snack – a fruit or cheese platter, for example – to the faculty meeting?
Joe and Jenna were wondering if Sheila could bring a light snack – a fruit or cheese platter, for example – to the faculty meeting.
This sentence is declaratory, not interrogative. In other words, the writer is describing a situation (Joe and Jenna are wondering something) and not asking a question (such as “were Joe and Jenna wondering?”). Even though the sentence is expressing uncertainty, it is not an interrogative sentence and therefore should not have a question mark. A period is the correct punctuation to end this sentence. The em dashes are correctly used to set off the example; commas would be incorrect.
Example Question #1591 : Sat Writing
Replace the underlined section with the answer that best results in a sentence that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English.
The chamber of commerce will be running a special promotion for family owned businesses in the fall; it hopes to encourage tourists to purchase from local entrepreneurs rather than large companies.
The chamber of commerce will be running a special promotion for family-owned businesses in the fall; it hopes to encourage tourists to purchase from local entrepreneurs rather than large companies.
The chamber of commerce will be running a special promotion for family owned businesses in the fall; it hopes to encourage tourists to purchase from local entrepreneurs rather than large companies.
The chamber of commerce will be running a special promotion for family-owned businesses in the fall, and they hope to encourage tourists to purchase from local entrepreneurs rather than large companies.
The chamber of commerce will be running a special promotion for family-owned businesses in the fall, it hopes to encourage tourists to purchase from local entrepreneurs rather than large companies.
The chamber of commerce will be running a special promotion for family owned businesses in the fall, it hopes to encourage tourists to purchase from local entrepreneurs rather than large companies.
The chamber of commerce will be running a special promotion for family-owned businesses in the fall; it hopes to encourage tourists to purchase from local entrepreneurs rather than large companies.
Because “family owned” is a compound adjective that appears immediately before a noun, it must be be hyphenated. A semicolon is the correct punctuation to separate the two independent clauses.
All SAT Writing Resources
