Question 1

Instructions: Select the letter of the sentence that is correctly punctuated with commas. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

Accepted Answer

The sentence correctly uses commas to set apart the descriptive phrase "a cigar-chewing bully" from the rest of the sentence.

Question 2

Instructions: For each of the following sentences, select the list of words that should include apostrophes. If theres a logical explanation, hell find it.

Accepted Answer

"there's" is a contraction of "there is" and "he'll" is a contraction of "he will", both requiring apostrophes. The contraction "there's" (meaning "there is") requires an apostrophe between the "e" and the "s". The contraction "he'll" (meaning "he will") requires an apostrophe between the "h" and the "l". The sentence "If there's a logical explanation, he'll find it" requires both contractions and therefore both apostrophes.

Question 3

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. Before the Zamboni was invented, a tractor shaved the ice. Then ____ cleaned away the slush; sprayed water over the new, smooth ice; and waited for it to freeze, a process that took up to an hour.

Accepted Answer

The sentence is referring to a single worker who performed all the tasks mentioned, so the singular form "worker" is appropriate.

Question 4

Instructions: Select the letter of the sentence that is correctly punctuated with commas. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

Accepted Answer

Sentence A is correctly punctuated because it correctly identifies "Lucia" as an appositive without unnecessary commas. The other options incorrectly use commas either by placing them where they are not needed or by omitting necessary commas.

Question 5

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. The whole procedure takes about 15 to 20 ____ from beginning to end.

Accepted Answer

The word "minutes" is the correct choice because the sentence is referring to a range of time, which is more than one minute.

Question 6

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. Next, the ice is smoothed with conditioned water that ____ out of a container.

Accepted Answer

The sentence is referring to conditioned water coming out of a container, which indicates that the water is being sprayed out, rather than a continuous stream, making "squirts" the more appropriate choice.

Question 7

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. For ____, hockey and figure skating fans have looked forward to the appearance of the Zamboni machine.

Accepted Answer

The sentence refers to a continuous period of time, so the plural form "years" is the correct choice.

Question 8

Instructions: Select the letter of the sentence that is correctly punctuated with commas. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

Accepted Answer

The correct sentence places a comma after "Inside" to set off the subordinate clause "which is one of the biggest hits in years."

Question 9

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. First, ____ 77-inch-long blade scrapes the rough ice surface.

Accepted Answer

"Its" is possessive, meaning it shows that the blade belongs to something. "It s" is a contraction, meaning it combines "it" and "is" or "it" and "has." Neither of these meanings make sense in this context.

Question 10

Instructions: Select the letter of the sentence that is correctly punctuated with commas. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

Accepted Answer

The sentence correctly uses commas to set off the appositive phrase "a dedicated maintenance man" and to separate the prepositional phrase "to the Bugle Box Company" from the rest of the sentence.

Question 11

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. In the early 1940 s, Frank ____ invention changed all that.

Accepted Answer

The sentence is referring to the invention of Frank Zamboni, so the correct choice is "Zamboni's" with the possessive apostrophe.

Question 12

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. Thanks to the Zamboni s efficiency, ____ alike can enjoy clean ice and a great performance.

Accepted Answer

There is no need for an apostrophe to indicate possession with the word "fans" because we are referring to more than one fan, not one fan possessing something. Therefore, "fans and skaters" is the correct choice.

Question 13

Instructions: Select the letter of the sentence that is correctly punctuated with commas. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

Accepted Answer

Commas are correctly used to separate each item in the list. The comma after "cheese" is not necessary because it is the last item in the list and there is no need for a comma before "in the salad."

Question 14

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. The Zamboni vacuums the dirty water and replaces it with clean, hot water, which comes out of a hot towel in the ____ rear.

Accepted Answer

The apostrophe in "Zamboni's" indicates possession, so this is the correct choice to show that the hot towel belongs to the Zamboni. "Zambonis" is the plural form of Zamboni, but in this context we are only referring to one specific Zamboni.

Question 15

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. The Zamboni is not easy to maneuver the driver has to steer with one hand and adjust the ____ controls with the other.

Accepted Answer

The Zamboni is one machine, so the singular form "machine" should be used.

Question 16

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. Zamboni invented a machine that would scrape the ice, collect the old ____, and add water to the new surface, all at the same time.

Accepted Answer

"Shavings" is the correct choice as it refers to the collected ice shavings resulting from the scraping process. "Shaving s" is incorrect as it is a verb indicating the act of cutting or trimming hair.

Question 17

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. Then a snow tank ____ dirty shavings.

Accepted Answer

The sentence is in present tense, so the correct verb should be "collects" (present tense third person singular form).

Question 18

Instructions: Select the letter of the sentence that is correctly punctuated with commas. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

Accepted Answer

The sentence A is correctly punctuated because "who works the late shift" is a restrictive clause (essential to the meaning of the sentence) and does not require commas.

Question 19

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. The Zamboni is a massive machine that resurfaces scraped ice after figure skaters and hockey players scuff the ____ surface during practices, competitions, and games.

Accepted Answer

In this context, "ice" is a singular noun and therefore requires the singular form of the verb ("scraped ice"). Therefore, the correct choice is A, "ice."

Question 20

Instructions: Select the letter of the sentence that is correctly punctuated with commas. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

Accepted Answer

"Bismarck, North Dakota" is a non-restrictive appositive phrase, which adds extra information about the location of the postmark. It needs to be set off by commas, as in option B. Option A lacks a necessary comma, while option C incorrectly places the first comma after "North Dakota".

Quiz 1: Writing Effective Paragraphs

Instructions: Select the letter of the sentence that is correctly punctuated with commas. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

Instructions: For each of the following sentences, select the list of words that should include apostrophes. If theres a logical explanation, hell find it.

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. Before the Zamboni was invented, a tractor shaved the ice. Then ____ cleaned away the slush; sprayed water over the new, smooth ice; and waited for it to freeze, a process that took up to an hour.

Instructions: Select the letter of the sentence that is correctly punctuated with commas. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. The whole procedure takes about 15 to 20 ____ from beginning to end.

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. Next, the ice is smoothed with conditioned water that ____ out of a container.

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. For ____, hockey and figure skating fans have looked forward to the appearance of the Zamboni machine.

Instructions: Select the letter of the sentence that is correctly punctuated with commas. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. First, ____ 77-inch-long blade scrapes the rough ice surface.

Instructions: Select the letter of the sentence that is correctly punctuated with commas. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. In the early 1940 s, Frank ____ invention changed all that.

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. Thanks to the Zamboni s efficiency, ____ alike can enjoy clean ice and a great performance.

Instructions: Select the letter of the sentence that is correctly punctuated with commas. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. The Zamboni vacuums the dirty water and replaces it with clean, hot water, which comes out of a hot towel in the ____ rear.

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. The Zamboni is not easy to maneuver the driver has to steer with one hand and adjust the ____ controls with the other.

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. Zamboni invented a machine that would scrape the ice, collect the old ____, and add water to the new surface, all at the same time.

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. Then a snow tank ____ dirty shavings.

Instructions: Select the letter of the sentence that is correctly punctuated with commas. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

Instructions: The following sentences form a paragraph. Select the correct word for each blank. The Zamboni is a massive machine that resurfaces scraped ice after figure skaters and hockey players scuff the ____ surface during practices, competitions, and games.

Instructions: Select the letter of the sentence that is correctly punctuated with commas. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?