Punctuation Rules and Exercises GR 612

PUNCTUATION
RULES AND
EXERCISES
MARY ELLEN PAGE
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General Rules for Punctuation
Comma (,)
 use in a series of three or more entities (Some people prefer to eliminate the comma before and/or.)
Jim swims, golfs, and fishes in the summer. (Jim swims, golfs and fishes in the summer.)
 use to separate two independent clauses joined by and, but, for, nor, yet, or, so. If they are short
clauses, you may eliminate the comma
Harold took the day off, and he is planning on resting.
The phone rang but no one heard it.
 use between city and state and after state if in the middle of a sentence
Before moving to Denver, Colorado, the Chapmans lived in Buffalo, New York.
 use with dates between day and year and after year in the middle of a sentence
We will graduate on June 6, 1990.
It wasn't until March 15, 1987, that Harvey got his license.
 use after introductory expressions beginning with because, since, while, until, if, despite, in spite of
However, if these clauses come later in the sentence, no punctuation is used.
If it does not rain this weekend, we can go to the beach.
Because of the traffic jam, we arrived an hour late. (We arrived an hour late because of the ….)
 use before not and but to show contrast
I have come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
 use before or after a direct address (calling someone by name)
Nell, are you ready yet?
Have you finished your project, Sam?
I know, Jim, that you are planning your vacation for August.
 use with appositives [words or phrases that mean the same as the word(s) that come
before them]
George Washington, our first president, was unanimously elected in 1789.
 use to set off titles such as M.A., Ph.D., Sr., Jr., Inc.
Colin B. Thornton, Jr., not his father, is president of the bank.
Joyce Byrd, Ph.D., is Director of the English Language Institute
 use to set off participial phrases
Hurrying as fast as he could, Marcel caught the bus before it pulled away.
 use to set off direct quotations (using someone's exact words)
Pam said, "My cousin is studying engineering at MIT."
Peter shouted, “Sound the alarm and call the police!”
 use with addresses written in sentence format
Send all inquiries to National Business Computers,
1576 Magnolia Dr., East Lansing, Michigan 12450.
 use to set off yes and no in answering a question
No, we are not planning on going to the mountains this spring.
Yes, I received your request for the merchandise.
 use when two or more adjectives precede a noun
Mary thought of her native city as dull, dismal, and dreary Cleveland.
 use with introductory words to show consecutive events with words such as first, second, next,
then, later, etc.
First, you line up all your ingredients. Then, you measure them according to the recipe.
Exercise 1: Supply the commas wherever necessary. Some sentences may be correct. Write C if they
are.
1. You wouldn't make so many mistakes if you concentrated.
2. Guérnica one of Picasso's famous paintings is about the Spanish Civil War.
3. Herb will be gone May June July and August.
4. Janice what do you want for breakfast?
5. Bacon eggs toast and milk will be fine.
6. John said "I need two nails and a hammer."
7. Because Michael has a lot of money the girls are always chasing him.
8. Fill out the application enclose your resume and mail them to him tomorrow.
9. Stan Jones Jr. a lawyer and teacher comes highly recommended.
10. Disney World Arabian Knights and King Henry's Feast are three of Orlando's attractions.
11. April 30 1994 the day of my final exam is Saturday.
12. Playing as loud as they could the musicians on the Titanic went down with the sinking ship.
13. Cleveland Ohio the site of Severance Hall is my home town.
14. The blue taffeta dress with the high collar is on sale.
15. What do you think Harry will say when he sees my new car?
16. After taking such a long and complicated exam Jane was exhausted.
17. Louie as well as his sisters traveled abroad quite often.
18. Mitchell accompanied by his family and friends attended the reception.
19. No we're not spending another dime on repairing that old television.
20. Well I suppose I can meet you after lunch today.

are.
1. Well you have finally graduated!
2. Yes it took me six years to finish all my courses.
3. I left chemistry math sociology and geology for last.
4. When are you Tom and James graduating?
5. We're all attending the ceremonies on Saturday July 15th.
6. Ben, how would you describe your friend Tom?
7. He's short blond intelligent and caring.
8. He's very smart in math and science so he decided to major in engineering.
9. His grades of course are excellent.
10. Tom's parents gave him a bright red convertible for graduation.
11. After I have finished writing my thesis I will present it to the dean.
12. It has taken so long to write it because I've been working full time.
13. Do you know Dr. Brian Leslie M.D.?
14. No but I've heard the name.
15. Andy what are your favorite television programs?
16. I don't like most sitcoms but I certainly like good dramas.
17. Whenever Jennifer plans a summer outing it rains.
18. I think I'll buy those dishes although I really don't need them.
19. The instructor won't give you a better grade if you don't improve your writing.
20. Nancy Gates my sister's niece has just left for a research trip to Guatemala.
are.
1. August 24th the day after school begins will be hectic.
2. Running down the street Carl stumbled and fell.
3. Playing tennis every morning helps us stay in shape.
4. Not long after Ned had moved into the neighborhood he made many friends.
5. Following the directions carefully we finished the project.
6. Bill and Jane were married June 15 1982 in Atlanta Georgia.
7. Despite all the problems that Marie has had she still manages to smile.
8. Reading the bold print however can help you capture some of the meaning.
9. Ted was so hungry that he ate two hamburgers french fries apple pie and milk.
10. Inside that big brown cabinet you will find some very helpful materials.
11. Hurry and turn on the television Betty or we'll miss the program.
12. Not as many people as we had expected showed up for the play.
13. Cissy will graduate June 16 1996.
14. Tony loves banana splits yet he has no desire to eat one today.
15. The Davidsons found their dream house and paid cash for it.
16. Washington D.C. is the capital of the United States.
17. Invite Sally and Renee to my house but don't tell them about the party.
18. Don't buy that blanket unless you really need it.
19. Joel isn't tall dark and handsome but he's witty.
20. Nancy Adams my former neighbor lives in Denver Colorado.

SUPERFLUOUS COMMAS
Superfluous commas are extra, unnecessary punctuation marks in a sentence. It is just as wrong to use
too many marks as it is to use too few. When a subordinate (main, independent) clause comes at the
beginning of a sentence, it is usually set off by a comma. However, most clauses that come at the end of a
sentence are not preceded by punctuation marks.
Restrictive clauses, those that are definitely necessary to clarify the meaning of a sentence (who,
whom, and that clauses) are never set off by commas. To do so would indicate that the clause could be
eliminated, and the meaning would still be clear without the clause.
The girl who is wearing the red dress will play the guitar.
The underlined clause restricts and clarifies the whole sentence. Without this we would not know which
girl was going to perform. The following sentences contain clauses that restrict the meaning and must be
in the sentence to clarify it.
The dress that has the yellow bow is the one Olga plans to buy.
My cousin was speaking to the man who will give the speech.
In the following sentences, however, the clauses do not restrict the meaning, and they are set off by
commas.
Brazil, which is in South America, has a tropical climate.

Ted Brown, who is a painter, will be visiting us soon.
Saffron, which many cooks use, costs a lot of money.
When a sentence begins with a subordinate clause, that clause is usually followed by a comma. However,
if that clause comes in the middle of the sentence, there is NO comma before it.
Notice the placement of commas in these sentences.
Because of the heavy snow and slippery conditions, all highways east of the city were closed.
All highways east of the city were closed because of the heavy snow and slippery conditions.
Exercise 4: Eliminate the superfluous commas in these sentences. Add any necessary words to form
complete sentences. Some may be correct.
1. Keep on jogging, and soon you will notice the difference in your legs, and how you feel.
2. One that will perform for you, in whatever way you desire.
3. A good thing to remember is, that just about every child has a favorite book.
4. There a few types of activities and limits, such as, exercising, eating right, and limiting your social
life.
5. All people should do some type of physical activity, ranging from walking to running.
6. You may go about entertaining a five-year-old child, in many different ways.
7. You should have on hand, some coloring books, crayons, blocks, and some newspaper and play
dough.
8. You may need to guide a child through a few things, such as, making different designs.
9. In a short time you and she will be good friends, or closer than you have ever, been.
10. First, you place your index finger on the inside of the wrist, until you feel a pulse
11. I would go to the beach tomorrow afternoon, if I had the time.
12. That old, furniture from the attic, can be used in the basement.
13. Not wanting, to cross the rickety bridge, in the dead of night, we decided to camp on this side.
14. The questions, that you have on the test, will be long and detailed.
15. As we walked along the beach one night, we were nearly hit by a motorist, zigzagging along at high
speed.
16. The physics students had only 45 minutes, to find the solutions to the problems.
17. When Mark arrived, the Johnsons were having dinner, but they stopped in order to talk to him.
18. Martha was watching television, while Jason was reading a book.
19. They applied for the job, because they needed the money.
20. José was writing a letter to his family, when his pencil broke.
Superfluous Commas
Exercise 5: Eliminate the unnecessary commas in these sentences. Some may be correct. Write “C” for
the correct sentences.
1. It began to snow, as the football team was coming, into the playing area.
2. You may select, whichever music appeals to you.
3. No one had planned on attending the circus, in spite of the free tickets.
4. We may trim the Christmas tree tonight, if we can find all of the ornaments.
5. Sam requested his vacation in November, in order to get married.
6. The tourists cannot get their visas, until they apply for their passports.
7. Marcel will deliver the new furniture, whenever you decide.
8. Unless we get the dean's approval, we'll have to cancel the committee meeting.
9. I hope you read the directions, before assembling the clock.
10. Even though they had made their reservations early, they couldn't get seats on the morning flight.
11. Please have all of your documents ready, so that you won't waste other people's time.
12. Penny looked, as if she had seen a ghost, when I asked her about her friend.
13. As soon as the photographer had finished taking the pictures, he developed the roll of film.
14. The employee, with whom you spoke yesterday, is processing your request.
15. I have no idea, where you could have put the letters, that were to be mailed.
16. Janice, will you please get me the invoices from the desk?
17. The bass, that Lonnie caught, was the biggest on record.
18. A person, who gets angry easily, has few friends.
19. "Besides," Sue declared, "our presentation is sure to be a hit."
20. Having won the lottery, Henry decided to quit his job.
QUOTATION MARKS (" ")
 use when quoting someone's exact words. Periods and commas always come inside
the quote marks.
Phil said, "The American Revolution began in April, 1775."
"All of us will attend the banquet," said the chairperson.
 **Be careful where you place question marks and exclamation points in
quotations. If the punctuation is part of the quotation, it goes inside the quote
marks.
The coach asked, "Has anyone seen the quarterback?"
Tim yelled, "The building is on fire! Get out!"
 Whereas, if the quote is not a question nor an exclamation, then the punctuation goes
outside the quotation marks.
Are you surprised that the director said, "Take the day off'”?
Stop playing "The Flight of the Bumble Bee"!
 use with names of short poems and magazine articles, essays
John Keats wrote "Ode on a Grecian Urn."
 use with foreign words as yet not accepted as regular usage words in English or use italics
Not all bullfighters perform on the ground. The "rejoneadores" (rejoneadores) fight on
horseback.
 Do not use quotation marks around titles of your own essays.
 Do not use quotation marks around indirect speech (paraphrasing what someone has said)
that is introduced by the word that.
Helen said that she would arrive at noon.
(These are not Helen's exact words.)
 **NOTE: When you use a quote within a quote, you need single quotes (') for the inside
quotation and double quotes (") for the outside quotation.
Mr. Markham said in his lecture, "Robert Burns was a great
Scottish poet who wrote, 'Never a lender nor a borrower be.'"
ITALICS (italics)
Although italics are not technically a form of punctuation, it is important to know when to use them.
Good writing depends on the ability to use all forms correctly.
 use with titles of books, magazines, newspapers, long poems, works of art, movies,
plays, operas, and names of sea and aircraft
Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare's most famous plays.
Hemingway's book, The Sun Also Rises, is about bull fighting.
The Titanic sank over sixty years ago.
The Pietà is one of Michelangelo's greatest sculptures.
 **NOTE: When writing the title of a newspaper that includes “the” in the title, do not
use italics with the word the.
the New York Times, the Orlando Sentinel
**Also note that Italics are used in printing. When you are hand writing any of the above, underline the
words that would have been italicized in printing.
Michelangelo’s David is a classic work of art.
Exercise 6: Decide whether to use quotation marks or italics (underlining). Be careful to put the
quotation marks in the proper place. In this exercise, use the underline since italics would be for printing.
1. Betty said, Leave the dishes on the table until we have finished eating.
2. Our teacher told us to read the plot for Bizet's opera Carmen.
3. Time, Life, and Newsweek are popular American magazines.
4. There was a news article in the Washington Post about gun control laws being debated in Congress.
5. Tom Cruise's movie, The Firm, was a box office success.
6. John F. Kennedy was seriously injured on his boat, PT 109, during World War II.
7. Have you read the poem, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas
8. One of Jonathan Swift's most satirical essays was called An Immodest Proposal.
9. I think that Gone with the Wind was one of the best movies ever made.
10. Air Force One is the President's private airplane.
11. My mother shouted, Get those snakes and frogs out of my kitchen!
12. Margot asked her friends, Do you want to go skiing in the mountains?
13. Les Desmoiselles d'Avignon was perhaps Picasso's most famous Cubist painting.
14. Djelaba is an Arabic word for a long tunic worn by men and women.
15. Federico García Lorca wrote a five-page poem, Lament for the Death of Ignacio Sánchez Mejías, a
bull fighter friend of his.
16. After the party the hostess said, Well, I'm glad that's over.
17. No one can forget Salvador Dalí's Surrealist painting, Persistence of Memory.
18. The angry coach shouted to the players, Get out there and play like professionals!
19. Mrs. Marshall asked the class, Where's Janet? She's never absent.
20. The librarian said that James Michener's best-seller, Mexico, is so popular that she can't keep it on the
shelf.
Exercise 7: Decide whether to use a comma, quotation marks, or underlining. Be careful to put the
quotation marks in the proper place.
1. Luke is studying math, physics chemistry and science this year.
2. No one knows who the new history teacher will be but rumor has it that it will be Mr. Dawson.
3. Jason Herbert Ph.D earned his sociology degree at Harvard University.
4. Ben Johnson the Director of Personnel will be here to talk with us this afternoon.
5. I do not know the answer but I’m sure Frank does.
6. Racing down the speedway Matt’s car arrived first at the finish line.
7. Their country’s independence was declared on August 18 1865.
8. Tom said I’m leaving on vacation and won’t return until May 8th.
9. Yes I want to enroll in this class.
10. The teacher asked Has anyone found the answer to question number 10
11. No one can have the day off. We have work to do said the manager.
12. The poet Longfellow wrote Paul Revere’s Ride.
13. An American patriot Patrick Henry said Give me liberty or give me death!
14. Our teacher told us to read for homework the poem Daffodils.
15. Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays.
16. The New York Times is a very popular newspaper.
17. The British ship RMS Lusitania was sunk by a German torpedo in 1915.
18. Terry received 5 As 2 Bs and 1 C on his report card this quarter.
19. The company’s address 567 West Main St Cleveland Ohio 44125.
20. Many financial investors read the Wall Street Journal faithfully.
Period (.) (For overseas teachers: Decide which of these you want to use since they vary with the
King’s English)
 use at the end of a declarative statement

We have only one class tomorrow.
 use after abbreviations: Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., Mon., oz., a.m., st. (first), St. (street), etc.
Acronyms (abbreviations pronounced as words) are not punctuated. SEATO, NATO, UNESCO,
sonar
The cook needs one oz. of honey for the recipe.
 use to separate dollars and cents in prices
This coat costs $59.95.
 use with certain abbreviations such as B.C., A.D., D.C.
The Congress meets in Washington. D.C.
 use with decimals and per cents in the United States
Judy earned a 3.75 GPA last semester.
The interest rate on our mortgage is 7.825%.
 do not add a second period if you end a sentence with a title or abbreviation that
requires a period
My brother's new title is Dr. Joseph Laws, Ph.D.
 do not use a period with ordinal numbers or shortened forms such as 1st, 2nd, 3rd,
4th and words like math, photo, lab
We will be attending the wedding on May 1st in Ohio.
QUESTION MARK (?)

 use at the end of an interrogative statement
Do you know where the Metropolitan Art Museum is?
 use with dates when the exact year is not known
Attila (406? -453), King of the Huns, was called "the Scourge of God" because of
his cruelty.
Exclamation Point (!)

 use after a statement of surprise
Harry won the million-dollar lottery!
Colon (:)
 use between hours and minutes of time expressions
The train is due at 6:45.
 use after the salutation in a formal letter
Dear Sir: Gentlemen: Dear Mrs. Greene:
 use before mentioning a list of items or people if the word preceding the colon is not
a verb or preposition
Only five people attended the meeting: John, Paul, Sean, Nick, and Toby.
Semicolon (;)
 use when joining two complete, related sentences not connected by and, but, or,
nor, for, yet or so.
Phyllis received the highest grades; she got a scholarship to study at Harvard.
 use with the conjunctive adverbs consequently, however, otherwise,
nevertheless, and therefore when they connect two main clauses. The adverb is preceded by a
semicolon and followed by a comma.
Sid could not pay the light bill; therefore, the company shut off his electricity.
 use with parenthetical expressions (those which serve to qualify) in fact, on the
other hand, for example, etc.
Mario never eats spinach; in fact, he hates it.
 use to separate unlike entities in a list (combination of cities and their states)
The language schools can be found in the following locations: Kalamazoo, Michigan; Austin,
Texas; and Honolulu, Hawaii.
 Use to separate independent clauses in a series
Matt caught ten large trout; he cooked them on the grill; and he cleaned up the mess.
Exercise 8: Supply the correct punctuation for the following sentences
1. When you have finished please turn out the lights and lock the door
2. Do you understand the question
3. Can you help me solve these math problems
4. The Lighthouse at Alexandria was built in the third century BC
5. Dear Director of Purchasing
I would like to order the following items nuts bolts tools and drills.
6. The following employees were promoted last year James Dunn Nancy Davis and Anita Jones.
7. Tracy worked very hard in school he earned a scholarship to the university.
8. Sebastian never visits art galleries in fact he hates art.
9. Mario likes fast sport cars therefore he bought a Porsche last week
10. No one saw the accident consequently it was difficult to prove who was responsible.
11. Our company has offices in Paris France New Delhi India and London England.
12. Pay the taxes by April 15th otherwise you will have to pay a penalty
13. We are leaving for vacation however we plan to be here for Judy’s wedding.
14. What do you mean that you cannot attend the banquet
15. I’m so excited that I won the first prize
16. Don’t tell me that I can’t play the game well
17. Swim faster There are sharks in the water
18. When is your history exam
19. What times does the bus leave for Calcutta
20. Watch out for that car

Punctuation Review
Exercise 9: Supply the missing 70 punctuation marks. Some sentences may contain more than one.
1. The baseball players practice running hitting and catching before starting the game
2. Madame Butterfly is a colorful but sad opera.
3. The Zuñi dancers of Albuquerque New Mexico wore colorful costumes.
4. Arlene are you leaving early today
5. Dick asked How will we find the museum
6. Martha screamed Oh no and ran out of the building
7. How many pounds of coffee do you need for the reception
8. Mr Clark and his son are flying to Detroit
9. Annabelle Lee is a haunting poem by Edgar Alan Poe.
10. Are your relatives arriving on Monday Betty
11. Whose book is this
12. Please bring the following items marking pens paper notebooks erasers and chalk.
13. Philip said Dont be late for the play
14. The excited customer shouted There’s a fly in my soup Get it out
15. I need a larger apartment however I can’t afford one just yet.
16. What’s the fastest way to get to the university from here
17. The new movie The Last Emperor is quite long but it is very interesting.
18. Johns appointment is at 8 45 a m
19. Sonar is a device used to detect water depth
20. Thomas Adams Jr will be the new program director for the department.
Apostrophe (')
 use with nouns to show possession. Do not use with plurals or singular forms already ending in “S”
Bess’ dress the boys’ club three-weeks’ vacation
Pat's new girlfriend is majoring in chemistry. (singular)
The girls' mother brought them to school. (plural)
 Do not use the apostrophe with the possessive pronouns hers, yours,
ours, theirs, and its
Mandy has hers; you have yours; and they have theirs.
 use to indicate plurals of lower case letters
Make sure to dot your i's and cross your t's.
 with upper case letters, it is permissible to eliminate the apostrophe
Harry received 3A's (As) and 2 B's (Bs) this semester.
 either form may be used with numbers
Some think that the 80's (80s) were great and that the 90's (90s) are better.
In a poker game, four 7's (7s) beats a royal flush.
 use for certain plurals
Mel's list has more do's than don'ts on it.
 use with contractions and omissions (can't, won't, he's, hasn't, we'd, they'll, o'clock, 'til)
The employees arrived at eight o'clock and won't leave 'til five.
Contractions
Contractions are generally combinations of two or more words which are shortened by leaving out one or
several letters. These forms are usually used more in spoken English rather than in written English.
Common combinations are made with subjects and verbs such as
am has is
are have will
can had would
I'm, you're, we've, they'll
Other combinations can include not. Negatives using will change to the irregular form won’t for all
forms.
I won't go. They won't sing. He won't say.
With some negatives, the contracted part flows better when the negative form contains
the contraction. Am not does not contract. I'm not is the correct contracted form.
I'm not going shopping this afternoon.
When using the verb have, it is better to contract the negative part.
I haven't got time. = American English

I've not got time. = British English
The word o'clock was originally of the clock, and over the centuries it was shortened to the contracted
form.
Some words are not combinations, but rather just shortened forms of the original and are used mostly in
poetry to maintain a certain rhythm.
e'er = ever
ne'er = never
'til = until
Some Irish family names also have a contracted form.
O'Reilly O'Donald O'Malley
One last use of the contractions is for the command form.

let's = let us .
Let's drive to the country today.
Let's not eat at home tonight.
'S and 'D Contractions
‘S + past participle = has
‘S + [ verb + ing] = is
Jane’s playing tennis this afternoon with her friends. ‘S + [verb + ing]
Jane is playing tennis ………
Donna’s written many poems about her children. ‘S + past participle

Donna has written many poems ………
Exception:
used to
‘S + supposed to + [verb + ing] = IS
accustomed to
Tom’s used to living alone and being his own boss.

Tom is used to living ………
She’s accustomed to driving a fancy sport car.

She is accustomed to driving …..
‘D + simple form of verb = WOULD

‘D + past participle = HAD
We’d like to visit the museum tomorrow afternoon. (We + simple form of verb)
We would like to visit …….
They’d already seen the movie before we invited them. (They + past participle)
They had already seen ……
 Focus on the forms in this explanation, and have students recognize the subject + verb contractions.
Emphasize the difference between the possessives and the subject + verb contractions.
 Find a newspaper or magazine article, or create your own story. Make copies or a transparency and
ask students to find the 'S and 'D contractions and explain how they are used in the sentences.
 Have students write their own sentences or a short paragraph, exchange with other students, circle and
explain the forms. Return them to the owners for correction.
'S and 'D Contractions
Exercise 10: Rewrite the following sentences replacing the contractions with the correct verb forms.
Example: He's already read that novel by Graham Greene.

He has already read that novel by Graham Greene.
1. An Eskimo's used to living in a cold climate.

2. We'd play tennis this afternoon if it weren't so hot.
3. In a few short months Ari's already become accustomed to the American education system.
4. Carlo said he'd already purchased the fan before they went on sale.
5. Rolf and I'd like to invite them to dinner before they move.
6. Cindy's supposed to mail me her resume before Friday.
7. Nobody'd believe that you'd had such a dreadful experience.
8. It'd seem logical that the picnic would be canceled if it rained.
9. Sheila's inviting several of her sorority sisters to the party.
10. They'd rather be skiing this weekend than stay home and work.
11. Al's supposed to get us some discount tickets for the football game.
12. Mickey's been looking for a new car and I think he's found what he wants. (two verbs)
13. Kelly's used to helping her little brother with his homework.
14. The director's supposed to introduce the new district manager at the board meeting.
15. Yolanda's going to type out all the forms and mail them to the candidates as soon as possible.
16. Sally'd buy a new typewriter if she had the money.
17. Tammy's counting on an increase in salary so that she can buy a new house.
18. We'd attend the grand opening celebration if it weren't so late in the evening.
19. Doug and Hal said that they'd negotiated the deal.
20. No one's paying any attention to the water contamination problem.
Apostrophes
Exercise 11: Write the correct form using the apostrophe in each of the following
1. My daughters car is red with a black top.
2. The boys bats and gloves were kept in their lockers.
3. The new apartment lease included all the dos and donts of the complex.
4. Televisions shows of the 70s were less violent than they are today.
5. The plumbers fee seemed rather high for such a small job.
6. My cousins house is in the suburbs. (plural)
7. Well arrive early to help with the setup.
8. My son cant find a job in his field of work.
9. The universitys attendance policy is very strict.
10. Wed better hurry before we miss the plane.
11. Shes the most interesting person Ive ever met.
12. Theyre in line for a promotion next year.
13. Its important to sign all the papers before you leave town.
14. The class meets at eight oclock every Tuesday and Thursday.
15. The bank teller counted ten 20s, four 10s, and eight 5s for the customer.
16. Tom OReilly, James ONeil, and Jim OMalley will serve on the new committee.
17. Lets drive to the country for a quiet afternoon.
18. Havent you finished your term paper yet?
19. Harry hasn’t seen his sister in six months.
20. Wont you please reconsider my offer?
Apostrophes
Exercise 12: Write the correct form of the contractions for ALL of the following. Some sentences may
have two contractions.
1. We would like to meet your friends.

2. She is running in the marathon next week.
3. They have not arrived yet, but are due here shortly.
4. They will not receive a bonus until they have finished the project.
5. We are running out of time. Please hurry.
6. I am interested in Renaissance art.
7. Who is taking us to the airport this afternoon?
8. Let us talk with your uncle before we buy a car.
9. Sally cannot understand physics, so I am tutoring her.
10. They would like to see that new movie on Saturday.
11. Saturday is my day off. Please do not call me early in the morning.
12. Who has finished all the assignments?
13. What is wrong with that faucet? It is still leaking.
14. When is a good time to contact you?
15. Is this not a good deal?
16. Will you not be attending the graduation ceremonies?
17. What is so important about that piece of property?
18. Let us visit the new exhibit at the museum.
19. I am learning a great deal about your culture.
20. They will notify you after they have finished the investigation.
Apostrophes
Exercise 13: Rewrite the following sentences, replacing the contracted form with the long form
1. Let’s take a vacation abroad this year.
2. I wasn’t expecting them to arrive so soon.
3. They aren’t ready to buy a new house yet.
4. We hadn’t called him before he arrived.
5. Martha can’t afford that elegant dress.
6. She’s already seen the movie.
7. They’ve won all their games this season.
8. Who’s responsible for publishing the notice?
9. He’d already programmed the new computer before his friend bought it.
10. The washer’s running well again.
11. Victor’s working extra hours to pay off some of his bills.
12. Billy’s gone fishing with his dad.
13. Who’s going to teach that new anthropology class?
14. There’s a good change that it will rain today.
15. No one’s seen the missing documents.
16. It’s raining very hard, and we may see some flooding today.
17. The meeting’s been rescheduled for 3:00 on Monday.
18. He won’t sign the papers until he’s read them.
19. Let’s have spaghetti for supper tonight.
20. Someone’s singing my favorite song.

‘S and ‘D Contractions
Exercise14: Write the correct form of the contractions
1. John has not left yet.
2. No one is going to the movies tonight.
3. We will meet for lunch at two o'clock.
4. Mary Ann would like to dance.
5. The boys cannot find their equipment.
6. You are invited to the party on Saturday.
7. I have already seen that play.
8. Nothing is more important than your health and your reputation.
9. There is a good movie on television this evening.
10. I am interested in your plans for the house.
11. You had better finish quickly before they close the library.
12. The store will be open until nine P.M.
13. We have not visited my cousins in two years.
14. The college will not be open during the holidays.
15. They are looking for their tools.
16. It is raining very hard right now.
17. You have won the grand prize in the raffle.
18. It would be fun to ride through the country.
19. How is the weather up there?
20. Let us rejoin the group before they miss us.

Punctuation
Exercise 15: Provide the proper punctuation for these sentences.
1. Louie loves to play baseball basketball and tennis.
2. Isn’t Disneyland located in Orlando Florida No it’s in California.
3. After watching the Civil War movie we decided to do some more research on the subject.
4. How long will you be on vacation Jim
5. Is the Boston flight arriving at 9 45 No it’s been delayed.
6. After Jason had won the tennis match he was awarded the trophy.
7. J.C. Penney Co. has many branch stores in the following states Ohio Florida Georgia and
Connecticut
8. Indianapolis Clem’s hometown is rather cold in the winter.
9. After his team had won the tournament the coach said The drinks are on me
10. Do you know where Sumatra is asked our geography teacher
11. The rock is falling Get out of the way
12. Ramona's dress has white pink yellow and blue flowers on it.
13. Mrs. Simone bought the leg of lamb not the roast beef.
14. Dr Weiner our family physician works in the Millis Health Center.
15. Becky are you having your speech class on Monday night
16. The following people attended the rezoning meeting Marge Daphne Dora Stu Simon and Ted.
17. My architect friend is from Manizales Colombia
18. Jeanne has graduated from high school but she still hasnt decided on a university to attend in the fall.
19. Germany’s army attacked Normandy Beach on June 6 1944.
20. Topaz is a suspense filled book by Leon Uris

Exercise 16: Read the following story and provide all necessary punctuation and capitalization. Insert the
changes wherever necessary. Do not rewrite the whole story.
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette was born November 2 1755 in Austria Her father Francis I and her mother
Maria Theresa were loving parents When she was only fifteen years of age she married a young noble
Louis who later became King Louis XVI of France Between 1779 and 1786 she and Louis had four
children but two of them died At first she was very popular with the French but her extravagance caused
them to hate her She squandered money foolishly on elegant clothing bought expensive jewelry and had
several ornately decorated houses All of these luxuries created an increasing drain on the treasury Life in
France became very difficult as the peasants were forced to pay high taxes to support the royal family to
go hungry because of little available food and to suffer in the Bastille the prison in Paris The royal
family was also imprisoned and not long after their capture Louis was killed and the children were taken
from the queen Finally on October 16 1793 at 12 15 p m Marie Antoinette marched with dignity to the
guillotine Although she was only thirty- eight years old her beautiful red hair had turned white as a result
of the hardships she had to endure in the last seven years of her life Why didnt she try to be thriftier She
probably never really understood the French way of life and thought only of the beautiful things that
money could buy
Exercise 17: Read the following paragraphs and indicate any changes in punctuation. capitalization, and
grammar that should be made in the reading.
(1) When the Olympic Games began in Greece in 776 B.C., women were complete barred as spectators
and participants. (2) In 1896 Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics, barred women
again from the games because he felt that they were much too strenuous for them. (3) Four years later,
women finally got a shot at the gold by participating in ballooning, croquet, equestrian, golf, tennis, and
yachting events. (4) Charlotte Cooper of Great Britain (tennis) and Helen de Pourtales of Switzerland
(mixed yachting) were the first gold medalists in there events. (5) An american, Margaret Abbott, won the
golf tournament. (6) Swimming and diving attracted more participation by 1912 as did running, high
jump, and discus by 1928.
(7) After participating in three different Olympiads, Larissa Latynina, a Russian gymnast, won
more medals than any woman. (8) Winning nine gold, five silver, and four bronze, she became the all-
time champion. (9) In fewer than 100 years, women who have won multiple events have brought home 87
gold medals from summer games. (10) Things have changed dramatically for female athletes since 1900
and women now participate in more than 76 events. (11) Determination and hard work have maid all of
this possible today.
1. Sentence 1: When the Olympic Games began in Greece in 776 B.C., women were complete
barred as spectators and participants.
What correction should be made to this sentence?
1. change Games to games
2. insert a comma after Greece
3. change complete to completely
4. omit the comma after B.C.
5. no correction is necessary
2. Sentence 2: In 1896 Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics, barred women
again from the games because he felt that they were much too strenuous for them.
1. omit the comma after Coubertin
2. insert a comma after games
3. change they to the games
4. change Baron to baron
3. Sentence 3: Four years later, women finally got a shot at the gold by participating in ballooning,
croquet, equestrian, golf, tennis, and yachting events.
If you rewrote sentence 3, beginning with Women finally got a shot at the gold, the next words should be
1. four years later
2. four years later,
3. participating in
4. ballooning
5. in ballooning
4. Sentence 4: Charlotte Cooper of Great Britain (tennis) and Helen de Pourtales of Switzerland
(mixed yachting) were the first gold medalists in there events.
1. insert a comma after (tennis)
2. change were to was
3. change there to their
4. insert a comma after were
5. Sentence 5: An american, Margaret Abbott, won the golf tournament.

1. change american to American
2. change An to A
3. omit the comma after Abbott
4. change golf to Golf
6. Sentence 6: Swimming and diving attracted more participation by 1912 as did running, high
jump, and discus by 1928.
Which of the following is the best way to write the underlined portion of the sentence? If you think the
original is the correct way, choose option (1).
1. by 1912. As
2. by 1912, as
3. by 1912; as
4. by 1912: As
7. Sentence 7: After participating in three different Olympiads, Larissa Latynina, a Russian
gymnast, won more medals than any woman.
1. change any to any other
2. change after participating to after she participated
3. omit the comma after gymnast
4. omit the comma after Olympiads
8. Sentence 8: Winning nine gold, five silver, and four bronze, she became the all-time champion.
1. omit hyphen in all-time
2. insert her before nine
3. omit the comma after gold
4. change became to will become
9. Sentence 9: In fewer than 100 years, women who have won multiple events have brought home
87 gold medals from summer games.
1. change fewer to less
2. omit the comma after years
3. change summer games to Summer Games
4. change have brought to had brought
10. Sentence 10: Things have changed dramatically for female athletes since 1900 and women now
participate in more than 76 events.
1. change have to has
2. change female athletes to Female Athletes
3. insert a comma after 1900
4. insert a comma after participate
11. Sentence 11: Determination and hard work have maid all of this possible today.
1. change have to has
2. omit the word all
3. change maid to made
4. change possible to possibly
ANSWER KEYS
Exercise 1:
1. C 11. April 30, 1994, exam,
2. Guérnica, paintings, 12. could,
3. May, June, July, 13. Cleveland, Ohio, Hall,
4. Janice, 14. C
5. Bacon, eggs, toast, 15. C
6. said, 16. exam,
7. money, 17. Louie, sisters,
8. application, resume, 18. Mitchell, friends,
9. Jones, Jr., teacher, 19. No,
10. Disney World, Arabian Knights, 20. Well,
Exercise 2:
1. Well, 11. thesis,
2. Yes, 12. C
3. chemistry, math, sociology, 13. Leslie,
4. you, Tom, 14. No,
5. Saturday, 15. Andy,
6. friend, 16. sitcoms,
7. short, blond, intelligent 17. outing, (or C)
8. science, 18. C
9. grades, course, 19. C
10. C 20. gates, niece,
Exercise 3:
1. 24th, begins 11. television, Betty,
2. street, 12. C
3. C 13. June 16,
4. neighborhood, 14. splits, yet
5. carefully, 15. C
6. 15, 1982, Atlanta, 16. Washington, D.C.,
7. had, 17. house,
8. print, however, 18. C
9. hamburgers, fries, pie, 19. tall, dark, handsome,
10. cabinet, 20. Adams, neighbor, Denver,
Exercise 4:
1. delete after legs 11. delete comma
2. Buy a car (any clause) that – no commas 12. delete both commas
3. no comma 13. delete after wanting and after bridge
4. delete before such 14. delete both commas
5. delete comma 15. C
6. delete comma 16. delete commas
7. delete after hand 17. C
8. delete before such 18. delete comma
9. delete both commas 19. delete comma
10. delete after wrist 20. delete comma
Exercise 5: 11. C
1. delete both commas 12. delete both commas
3. delete comma 14. delete both commas
8. C 19. C
10. C
Exercise 6:
1. “Leave …evening.” 12. “Do …mountains?”

2. Carmen 13. Les Desmoiselles d’Avignon
3. Time, Life, Newsweek 14. “Djelaba”
4. Washington Post 15. Lament for the Death of Ignacio Sánchez
5. The Firm Mejías
6. PT 109 16. “Well …over.”
7. “’Twas …Christmas”? 17. Persistence of Memory
8. “An …Proposal.” 18. “Get … professionals!”
9. Gone with the Wind 19. “Where’s …absent.”
10. Air Force One 20. Mexico
11. “Get …kitchen!”
Exercise 7:
1. physics, chemistry, 11. “No do,”
2. be, 12. Paul Revere’s Ride
3. Herbert, Ph. D., 13. patriot, Henry said, “Give death!”
4. Johnson, Personnel, 14. poem, “Daffodils.”
5. answer, 15. Hamlet
6. speedway, 16. New York Times
7. August 18, 17. ship, RMS Lousitania,
8. said, “I’m, 8th.” 18. A’s (As), B’s (Bs),
9. Yes, 19. St., Cleveland,
10. asked, “Has 10?” 20. Wall Street Journal
Exercise 8:
1. finished, door. 11. Paris, France; New Delhi, India; London,
2. question? England
3. problems? 12. 15th; otherwise,
4. B.C. 13. vacation; however,
5. Purchasing: items: nuts, bolts, tools, 14. banquet? (or !)
6. year: Dunn, Davis, 15. prize!
7. school; 16. well!
8. galleries; fact, 17. faster! water!
9. cars; therefore, 18. exam?
10. accident; consequently, 19. Calcutta?
20. car!
Exercise 9:
1. running, hitting 11. this?
2. Madame Butterfly 12. items: pens, paper, notebooks, erasers,
3. Albuquerque, New Mexico, 13. said, “Don’t play.”
4. Arlene, today? 14. shouted, “There’s soup! out!”
5. asked, “How museum?” 15. apartment; however,
6. screamed, “Oh, no!” building. 16. here?
7. reception? 17. movie, The Last Emperor, long, but
8. Mr. Detroit. 18. 8:45 a.m.
9. Anabell Lee 19. depth.
10. Monday, Betty? 20. Adams, Jr.,
Exercise 10:
1. Eskimo's = Eskimo is 13. Kelly's = Kelly is
2. We'd = we would 14. director's = director is
3. Ari's = Ari has 15. Yolanda's = Yolanda is
4. he'd = he had 16. Sally'd = Sally would
5. I'd = I would 17. Tammy's = Tammy is
6. Cindy's = Cindy is 18. We'd = We would
7. Nobody'd = Nobody would 19. they'd = they had
you'd = you had 20. No one's = No one is
8. It'd = It would
9. Sheila's = Sheila is
10. They'd = they would
11. Al's = Al is
12. Mickey's = Mickey has
Exercise 11: 11. She’s I’ve

1. daughter’s 12. They’re
2. boys’ 13. It’s
3. do’s don’ts 14. o’clock
4. 70’s (70s) 15. 20’s, 10’s, 5’s
5. plumber’s 16. O’Reilly O’Neil O’Malley
6 . cousins’ 17. Let’s
7. We’ll 18. Haven’t
8. can’t 19. hasn’t
9. university’s 20. Won’t
10. We’d
Exercise 12:
1. We’d 11. Saturday’s don’t
2. She’s 12. Who’s
3. They haven’t 13. What’s It’s
4. won’t 14. When’s
5. We’re 15. Isn’t this
6. I’m 16. Won’t you
7. Who’s 17. What’s
8. Let’s 18. Let’s
9. can’t I’m 19. I’m
10. They’d 20. They’ll they’ve
Exercise 13:
1. Let us 11. Victor is
2. was not 12. Billy has
3. are not 13. Who is
4. had not 14. There is
5. cannot 15. No one has
6. She has 16. It is
7. They have 17. meeting has
8. Who is 18. will not he has
9. He had 19. Let us
10. washer is 20. Someone is
Exercise 14:
1. hasn't 8. Nothing's 15. They're
2. No one's 9. There's 16. It's
3. We'll 10. I'm 17. You've
4. Mary Ann'd 11. You'd 18. It'd
5. can't 12. The store'll 19. How's
6. You’re 13. haven’t 20. Let’s
7. I’ve 14. won’t
Exercise 15:
1. baseball, basketball 11. falling! Way!
2. Isn’t Orlando, Florida? No, it’s 12. white, pink, yellow,
3. movie, 13. lamb,
4. vacation, Jim? 14. Dr. Weiner, physician,
5. 9:45? No, 15. Becky, night?
6. match, 16. meeting: Marge, Daphne, Dora, Stu, Simon,
7. states: Ohio, Florida, Georgia, 17. Manizales, Colombia.
8. Indianapolis, Clem’s hometown, 18. school, hasn’t
9. tournament, said, “The me!” 19. Germany’s June 6,
10. “Do is?” teacher. 20. Topaz Uris.
Exercise 16:
Marie Antoinette was born November 2, 1755, in Austria. Her father Francis I and her mother
Maria Theresa were loving parents. When she was only fifteen years of age, she married a young noble,
Louis, who later became King Louis XVI of France. Between 1779 and 1786, she and Louis had four
children, but two of them died.
At first, she was very popular with the French, but her extravagance caused them to hate her. She
squandered money foolishly on elegant clothing, bought expensive jewelry, and had several ornately
decorated houses. All of these luxuries created an increasing drain on the treasury. Life in France
became very difficult as the peasants were forced to pay high taxes to support the royal family, to go
hungry because of little available food, and to suffer in the Bastille, the prison in Paris. The royal family
was also imprisoned, and not long after their capture, Louis was killed and the children were taken from
the queen. Finally, on October 16, 1793, at 12:15 p. m., Marie Antoinette marched with dignity to the
guillotine. Although she was only thirty-eight years old, her beautiful red hair had turned white as a result
of the hardships she had to endure in the last seven years of her life. Why didn't she try to be thriftier?
She probably never really understood the French way of life and thought only of the beautiful things that
money could buy.
Exercise 17:
1). 3 2). 3 3). 2 4). 3 5). 1 6). 5 7). 1 8). 5 9). 5 10). 3 11). 3

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PUNCTUATION

MARY ELLEN PAGE

Under the following conditions:

© Mary Ellen Page 2014

1. You wouldn't make so many mistakes if you concentrated.

3. Herb will be gone May June July and August.

4. Janice what do you want for breakfast?

5. Bacon eggs toast and milk will be fine.

6. John said "I need two nails and a hammer."

9. Stan Jones Jr. a lawyer and teacher comes highly recommended.

11. April 30 1994 the day of my final exam is Saturday.

13. Cleveland Ohio the site of Severance Hall is my home town.

17. Louie as well as his sisters traveled abroad quite often.

20. Well I suppose I can meet you after lunch today.

1. Well you have finally graduated!

2. Yes it took me six years to finish all my courses.

3. I left chemistry math sociology and geology for last.

4. When are you Tom and James graduating?

5. We're all attending the ceremonies on Saturday July 15th.

6. Ben, how would you describe your friend Tom?

7. He's short blond intelligent and caring.

8. He's very smart in math and science so he decided to major in engineering.

9. His grades of course are excellent.

13. Do you know Dr. Brian Leslie M.D.?

14. No but I've heard the name.

15. Andy what are your favorite television programs?

17. Whenever Jennifer plans a summer outing it rains.

1. August 24th the day after school begins will be hectic.

2. Running down the street Carl stumbled and fell.

3. Playing tennis every morning helps us stay in shape.

5. Following the directions carefully we finished the project.

6. Bill and Jane were married June 15 1982 in Atlanta Georgia.

13. Cissy will graduate June 16 1996.

16. Washington D.C. is the capital of the United States.

20. Nancy Adams my former neighbor lives in Denver Colorado.

Brazil, which is in South America, has a tropical climate.

Notice the placement of commas in these sentences.

6. You may go about entertaining a five-year-old child, in many different ways.

11. I would go to the beach tomorrow afternoon, if I had the time.

2. You may select, whichever music appeals to you.

5. Sam requested his vacation in November, in order to get married.

7. Marcel will deliver the new furniture, whenever you decide.

9. I hope you read the directions, before assembling the clock.

18. A person, who gets angry easily, has few friends.

19. "Besides," Sue declared, "our presentation is sure to be a hit."

3. Time, Life, and Newsweek are popular American magazines.

5. Tom Cruise's movie, The Firm, was a box office success.

10. Air Force One is the President's private airplane.

bull fighter friend of his.

1. Luke is studying math, physics chemistry and science this year.

3. Jason Herbert Ph.D earned his sociology degree at Harvard University.

5. I do not know the answer but I’m sure Frank does.

7. Their country’s independence was declared on August 18 1865.

9. Yes I want to enroll in this class.

12. The poet Longfellow wrote Paul Revere’s Ride.

15. Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays.

16. The New York Times is a very popular newspaper.

18. Terry received 5 As 2 Bs and 1 C on his report card this quarter.

 use at the end of a declarative statement

QUESTION MARK (?)

Exclamation Point (!)

2. Do you understand the question

3. Can you help me solve these math problems