EXERCISE ON LANGUAGE USE AND MECHANICS

1. Which is the correct form when introducing a quotation after the preposition "that"?
a. Bertram Wyatt-Brown argues that, "southern mothers played the dominant role in infant care."
b. Bertram Wyatt-Brown argues that "southern mothers played the dominant role in infant care."
2. Which is the correct placement of the period with quotation marks?
a. The author contends that the protesters demonstrated for social "respectability".
b. The author contends that the protesters demonstrated for social "respectability."
3. Which is the correct placement of the comma?
a. Roosevelt said that Americans had "nothing to fear but fear itself", while he himself harbored fears about the
future.
b. Roosevelt said that Americans had "nothing to fear but fear itself," while he himself harbored fears about the
future.
4. Which is the correct singular possessive form?
a. Professor Davis' class will meet in the lecture hall.
b. Professor Davises class will meet in the lecture hall.
c. Professor Davis's class will meet in the lecture hall.
5. Which is the correct possessive pronoun?
a. The local chapter of the Phi Alpha Theta International Honor Society was forced to cancel it's meeting for lack
of honorees.
b. The local chapter of the Phi Alpha Theta International Honor Society was forced to cancel its meeting for lack of
honorees.
6. To hyphenate or not to hyphenate, that is the question.
a. She owned a two-story house.
b. She owned a two story house.
c. Either of the above
7. Which is the correct pronoun case?
a. The NAACP learned that their efforts succeeded.
b. The NAACP learned that its efforts succeeded.
8. Which is the correct noun and verb agreement?
a. The group of students, loaded down with books and pencils, were mostly female.
b. The group of students, loaded down with books and pencils, was mostly female.
9. Which is correct?.
a. Defeated in their pursuit of the cat, the exhausted dogs were laying on the ground.
b. Defeated in their pursuit of the cat, the exhausted dogs were lying on the ground.
10. Choose the correct comma usage with the coordinating conjunction.
a. The man with the long nose and oblong head was short, and the woman with the short nose and square head
was tall.
b. The man with the long nose and oblong head was short and the woman with the short nose and square head
was tall.
11. Which is the correct comma usage in the series?
a. Grab your coat, gloves, and books.
b. Grab your coat, gloves and books.
12. Which is the correct form?
a. They were moving toward a solution..
b. He was moving towards a solution.
C. Both are correct.
13. Which is the correct punctuation with the parenthetical phrase?
a. The Florida Legislative Investigative Committee, popularly known as the Johns Committee was notorious for
accusing Miami Jews and supporters of desegregation of being communist subversives.
b. The Florida Legislative Investigative Committee, popularly known as the Johns Committee, was notorious for
accusing Miami Jews and supporters of desegregation of being communist subversives.
c. The Florida Legislative Investigative Committee popularly known as the Johns Committee was notorious for
accusing Miami Jews and supporters of desegregation of being communist subversives.
14. Which sentence has the properly placed subject?
a. While skiing down the slope, her nose turned cold.
b. The mother of five children, all of whom play sports, her mini van is constantly on the go.
c. Sleek and retro, the new Ford Mustang drew many looks.
15. To capitalize or not to capitalize, that is the question. Which is correct?
a. The Federal Government collects taxes.
b. The federal government collects taxes.
16. To capitalize or not to capitalize, that is the question. Which is correct?
a. The American South will rise again.
b. Had the American south ever languished?
 c. either of the above

17. Which is the correctly punctuated sentence?

a. The storm came upon us quickly. However, we were prepared.
b. The storm came upon us quickly, however, we were prepared.
18. Which sentence represents the correct usage of language?
a. The architecture of Florence pays tribute to both the engineering and artistic genius of mankind.
b. The architecture of Florence pays tribute to both the engineering and artistic genius of humankind.
19. Which of the following sentences is capitalized correctly?
a. I am an english major; of course I have read O'Connor's The Violent Bear It Away.
b. I am an English major; of course I have read O'Connor's The Violent Bear it Away.
c. I am an English major; of course I have read O'Connor's The Violent Bear It Away.
d. all of the above
e. none of the above
20. Which of the following sentences uses apostrophes correctly?
a. Bills' poem has too many p's in it.
b. Bill's poem has too many p's in it.
c. both of the above
d. neither of the above
21. Which of the following sentences is capitalized correctly?
a. An excellent new book on historical linguistics is Joan Bybee's The Evolution Of Grammar.
b. An excellent new book on historical linguistics is Joan Bybee's the Evolution of Grammar.
c. An excellent new book on historical linguistics is Joan Bybee's The evolution of grammar.
d. all of the above
e. none of the above
22. Which of the following sentences indicates that Mary and Bill are probably married (i.e., they possess children in
common)?
a. Bill and Mary's children are beautiful.
b. Bill's and Mary's children are beautiful.
c. both of the above
d. neither of the above
23. Which of the following sentences uses the hyphen correctly?
a. One-half of entering freshman students will not graduate with a college degree.
b. One-half of entering freshman students will not graduate with a college-degree.
c. both of the above
d. neither of the above
24. Which of the following sentences uses the apostrophe correctly?
a. The professor's dogs are barking at the window.
b. The professors' dogs are barking at the window.
c. both of the above
d. neither of the above
25. Which of the following sentences uses the hyphen correctly?
a. I have thirty three dalmations.
b. I have thirty-three dalmations.
c. both of the above
d. neither of the above
26. Which of the following sentences uses numbers correctly?
a. Four thousand and three angels can sit on the head of a pin.
b. I know as a certainty that 4,003 angels can sit on the head of a pin.
c. both of the above
d. neither of the above
27. Which of the following sentences uses italics correctly?
a. The word "dog" is a three-letter word.
b. The word dog is a three-letter word.
c. both of the above
d. neither of the above