SAT Writing : Identifying Punctuation Errors: Other Punctuation

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Writing

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Example Questions

Example Question #131 : Identifying Punctuation Errors

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.

Larry told his brother that “he’d never been so impressed with a company, not in all his years in the industry. No error

Possible Answers:

No error

"he'd

that

industry.

company,

Correct answer:

"he'd

Explanation:

In this sentence, the quotation mark before “he’d” is unnecessary. The entire sentence is indirect speech; that is, it isn’t a direct quote from Larry, but rather an approximation of what he said. Quotation marks are never used for indirect speech, only direct speech.

Example Question #11 : Identifying Quotation Mark Errors

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.

“I hate Tyrannosaurus rex!”, the toddler shrieked, beginning the day’s first of many tantrums at the Natural History Museum. No error

Possible Answers:

the day's first

"I

rex!",

shrieked,

No error

Correct answer:

rex!",

Explanation:

Because the sentence inside the quotation already contains an exclamation mark, the comma immediately after the quotation marks is redundant. Only the exclamation mark (properly placed inside the quotation marks) is necessary.

Example Question #132 : Identifying Punctuation Errors

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.

"Wow", exclaimed Annie, "I am having the time of my life!" No error

Possible Answers:

life!"

Annie,

"Wow",

"I am

No error

Correct answer:

"Wow",

Explanation:

Quotation marks, used to indicate the reproduction of direct speech, should always precede the first letter of the quotation, and follow the final punctuation mark of the quotation. If there is an intervening part of the sentence in the middle of a quotation, then it should be separated from the quotation marks by punctuation. The sentence above places the comma outside of the quotation marks after "wow," and thus commits a quotation mark error. Note that the comma after Annie is correctly placed outside of the second set of quotation marks, and the exclamation mark at the end of the sentence is correctly placed within quotation marks.

Example Question #133 : Identifying Punctuation Errors

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.

"I hate playing this game with you, said Donna. No error

Possible Answers:

Donna.

No error

"I

playing

you,

Correct answer:

you,

Explanation:

Quotation marks, used to indicate direct quotation, should always precede the first letter of the quotation and follow the final punctuation mark of the quotation. If there is an intervening part of the sentence in the middle of a quotation, then it should be separated from the quotation marks by punctuation. The sentence above is missing quotation marks after the comma after the word "you." "Said" or the name of the person who is speaking is a good indicator that the clause prior should be closed off with a quotation mark.

Example Question #134 : Identifying Punctuation Errors

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.

Paul cried out, This is a really bad time for me, please have some pity!" No error

Possible Answers:

a really bad

No error

pity!"

me, please

out, This

Correct answer:

out, This

Explanation:

When directly reproducing speech or writing verbatim, one must use quotation marks. If there is an intervening part of the sentence in the middle of a quotation, then it should be separated from the quotation marks by punctuation. The sentence above is missing quotation marks between the comma and the "This." When a sentence has a quotation mark at the end, there will always be a quotation mark at the beginning of the quotation.

Example Question #135 : Identifying Punctuation Errors

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.

"I cannot tolerate any further failure on your part," said the Senator. "You must succeed going forward." No error

Possible Answers:

," said

forward."

No error

"I cannot 

Senator

Correct answer:

No error

Explanation:

Quotation marks, used to convey that someone is speaking, should always precede the first letter of the quotation, and follow the final punctuation mark of the quotation. If there is an intervening part of the sentence in the middle of a quotation, then it should be separated from the quotation marks by punctuation. The example sentence correctly uses quotation marks, and uses the correct punctuation both inside and outside the quotation marks; thus the sentence is correct as written.

Example Question #136 : Identifying Punctuation Errors

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.

This may be the most important day of your lives," the King said to his men. No error

Possible Answers:

lives," 

men.

King

No error

This 

Correct answer:

This 

Explanation:

The example sentence fails to correctly place a quotation mark before the first letter of the quoted material. The rest of the sentence is correctly punctuated and capitalized.

Example Question #138 : Identifying Punctuation Errors

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.

Before the subsitutute teacher left the room because she had too few books, she said, Keep working on the worksheet I handed out. No error

Possible Answers:

because

books

no error

too few

said, Keep working on the worksheet I handed out.

Correct answer:

said, Keep working on the worksheet I handed out.

Explanation:

This question is testing correct use of quotation marks. The error is that there are no quotation marks around "Keep working on the worksheet I handed out" because it is something the substitute teacher said directly. A corrected sentence would look like this: Before the subsitutute teacher left the room because she had too few books, she said, "Keep working on the worksheet I handed out." Or, if the substitute teacher said it indirectly, a corrected sentence could be this: Before the subsitutute teacher left the room because she had too few books, she said to keep working on the worksheet she handed out.

Example Question #131 : Identifying Punctuation Errors: Other Punctuation

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.

"First, we need to pick up the cake, and then we will go to the party store." said Emily. No error

Possible Answers:

No error

go

"First

." said

, and

Correct answer:

." said

Explanation:

When a quotation is followed by a description of who said it, such as "said Emily," the sentence within the quotation must end with a comma before the final quotation mark. 

Example Question #132 : Identifying Punctuation Errors

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all. 

"If that clock is wrong, then what time is it?" asked Miranda. No error 

Possible Answers:

asked

No error

"If

it?"

wrong,

Correct answer:

No error

Explanation:

When the sentence within the quotation marks is a question, it must end with a question mark that lies before the second quotation mark. Then, the phrase describing who asked the question follows and ends with a period. 

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