English: Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

• AThe children's coats were hanging by the door.✓
• BThe childrens' coats were hanging by the door.
• CThe children's coat's were hanging by the door.
• DThe childrens coats were hanging by the door.

Answer: 'Children' is already plural, so the possessive is formed by adding an apostrophe and s: children's. 'Coats' is a simple plural and needs no apostrophe.

Which sentence uses the correct form of the verb?

• AEach of the players has been given a new shirt.✓
• BEach of the players were given new shirts.
• CEach of the players have been given a new shirt.
• DEach of the player has been given a new shirt.

Answer: 'Each' is singular, so it takes the singular verb 'has' even though 'players' is plural. 'Each of the player' is wrong because 'of the' must be followed by a plural noun.

Which sentence uses a semicolon correctly?

• AThe train was late; and we missed the start of the film.
• BThe train was late; we missed the start of the film.✓
• CThe train was late; the start of the film.
• DBecause the train was late; we missed the start of the film.

Answer: A semicolon joins two complete, closely related sentences without a conjunction. Adding 'and' after it, putting it after a subordinate clause, or following it with a fragment all misuse it.

Choose the correctly spelled word to complete the sentence: 'The report was ____ well received.'

• Asurprisingly✓
• Bsurprisingley
• Csurprizingly
• Dsuprisingly

Answer: The adverb is spelled 'surprisingly': surprise + -ing + -ly. The common errors drop the first r, use a z, or add a stray e before -ly.

Which sentence uses 'its' and 'it's' correctly?

• AIts clear the dog has lost its collar.
• BIt's clear the dog has lost its collar.✓
• CIts clear the dog has lost it's collar.
• DIt's clear the dog has lost it's collar.

Answer: 'It's' is the contraction of 'it is' (It's clear) and 'its' is the possessive (its collar). The possessive never takes an apostrophe.

Which sentence uses commas correctly?

• AMy sister who, lives in Leeds, is visiting next week.
• BMy sister who lives in Leeds, is visiting next week.
• CMy sister, who lives in Leeds, is visiting next week.✓
• DMy sister, who lives in Leeds is visiting next week.

Answer: The clause 'who lives in Leeds' adds extra information about the sister, so it is set off with a pair of commas, one before and one after. A single comma or a comma inside the clause breaks the sentence.

Which sentence is written in the passive voice?

• AThe results were announced by the head teacher.✓
• BThe head teacher announced the results.
• CThe head teacher is announcing the results.
• DThe head teacher will announce the results.

Answer: In the passive the subject receives the action: 'the results were announced'. The other three sentences are active, with the head teacher doing the announcing in different tenses.

Choose the correct word: 'The manager ____ that the team had worked hard.'

• Aacknowledged✓
• Baknowledged
• Cacknowledgded
• Dacknowleged

Answer: The word is spelled acknowledged: ac-know-ledged. The errors drop the c or the d, or double the d.

Which sentence uses 'their', 'there' and 'they're' correctly?

• AThere waiting over there for their bus.
• BThey're waiting over their for there bus.
• CThey're waiting over there for their bus.✓
• DTheir waiting over there for they're bus.

Answer: 'They're' is the contraction of 'they are', 'there' indicates a place, and 'their' is possessive. Only one sentence puts each in its correct slot.

Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?

• AWalking to the station, I felt the rain start to fall heavily.
• BAs I walked to the station, the rain started to fall heavily.
• CThe rain started to fall heavily while I was walking to the station.
• DWalking to the station, the rain started to fall heavily.✓

Answer: In 'Walking to the station, the rain started to fall heavily' the opening phrase has nothing sensible to attach to — it reads as though the rain was walking. The other versions give the phrase a proper subject.

Which sentence is correctly punctuated with a colon?

• AShe packed three things a torch: a map and a flask.
• BShe packed: three things, a torch, a map and a flask.
• CShe packed three things: a torch, a map and a flask.✓
• DShe: packed three things, a torch, a map and a flask.

Answer: A colon introduces a list after a complete clause: 'She packed three things' stands alone, then the list follows. The other placements break the clause.

Which word should complete the sentence: 'The committee ____ its decision next week.'

• Aannouncing
• Bannounces will
• Cwill announce✓
• Dannounce

Answer: 'Committee' is treated as a singular noun here ('its decision'), and the future action needs 'will announce'. The bare verb 'announce' does not agree with a singular subject, and 'announcing' needs an auxiliary.