quiz

Question 1
    Select the answer in which each possessive is formed correctly.


    a)The awards’ popularity seems to have diminished over the years.
    b)The awards’s popularity seems to have diminished over the years.


Question 2


    Select the sentence that contains no errors in the use of semicolons. (Note that some of the sentences may not require a semicolon.)


    a)The ancient Greeks and Romans believed that Zeus, or Jupiter, was in charge of the sky, Poseidon, or Neptune, was god of the sea, and Hades, or Pluto, was god of the underworld.
    b)The ancient Greeks and Romans believed that Zeus, or Jupiter, was in charge of the sky; Poseidon, or Neptune, was god of the sea; and Hades, or Pluto, was god of the underworld.
    c)The ancient Greeks and Romans believed that Zeus, or Jupiter; was in charge of the sky; Poseidon, or Neptune; was god of the sea, and Hades, or Pluto; was god of the underworld.


Question 3


    The most important accomplishment in the development of railroads in the United States was the completion of the first transcontinental track. In May 1869, seven years after President Lincoln had signed the Pacific Railway Act, the final spike for it was hammered into place in Promontory Point, Oregon.


    a)Leave as is.
    b)Replace the comma after 1869 with a semicolon.
    c)Replace the comma after Act with a semicolon.


Question 4


    Through Dr. Murphys lecture, we discovered that the brain has four lobes’: frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal.

    a)Dr. Murphy’s; lobes
    b)Dr. Murphys’; lobe’s
    c)No change.

Question 5


    Beth’s rushing to get ready for the party, but shes not sure she’ll be ready on time.


    a)Beths’; shes’; she’ll
    b)Beth’s; she’s; she’ll
    c)No change


Question 6


    Among the top entrepreneurs in nineteenth-century America were the financier John Pierpont Morgan, the steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, and the industrialist John D. Rockefeller.


    a)Among the top entrepreneurs in nineteenth-century America were the financier John Pierpont Morgan; the steel magnate Andrew Carnegie; and the industrialist John D. Rockefeller.
    b)Among the top entrepreneurs in nineteenth-century America were; the financier John Pierpont Morgan; the steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, and the industrialist John D. Rockefeller.
    c)No change.


Question 7


    Your uncle’s lottery number had three 2’s, three 3’s, and three 1’s. What did ours have?


    a)Your uncle’s lottery number had three 2’s, three 3’s, and three 1’s. What did our’s have?
    b)Your uncle’s lottery number had three 2s, three 3s, and three 1s. What did ours have?
    c)No change


Question 8


    Following the lead of Thomas Edison’s company, several other American companies created their own research-and-development labs, including DuPont, the chemical company, Parke-Davis, the pharmaceutical company, and Eastman Kodak, the film and camera company.


    a)Following the lead of Thomas Edison’s company, several other American companies created their own research-and-development labs, including DuPont, the chemical company; Parke-Davis, the pharmaceutical company; and Eastman Kodak, the film and camera company.
    b)Following the lead of Thomas Edison’s company, several other American companies created their own research-and-development labs, including DuPont; the chemical company; Parke-Davis; the pharmaceutical company; and Eastman Kodak; the film and camera company.
    c)No change.


Question 9


    Gwen Verdon won a Tony Award for her work in the Broadway musical Damn Yankee’s; it’s singers and dancers were superb.

    a)Gwen Verdon won a Tony Award for her work in the Broadway musical Damn Yankees; its singers and dancers were superb.
    b)Gwen Verdon won a Tony Award for her work in the Broadway musical Damn Yankee’s; its singer’s and dancer’s were superb.
    c)No change


Question 10


    “Im trying to hurry,” Beth emphasized, “but my hairs not cooperating, and I cant find my purple earrings.”


    a)I’m; hairs’; ca’nt
    b)I’m; hair’s; can’t
    c)No change

Question 11


    Leah brought up her parents’s suggestion that we also watch the Department of Educations’s films.

    a)parent’s; Department’s of Education’s
    b)parents’; Department of Education’s
    c)No change.


Question 12


    Some teachers encouraged us to get MA’s or PhD’s, making us strive for high grade-point average’s.

    a)Some teacher’s encouraged us to get MAs or PhDs, making us strive for high grade-point average’s.
    b)Some teachers encouraged us to get MAs or PhDs, making us strive for high grade-point averages.
    c)No change

Question 13


    Inventors who were crucial to U.S. industrialization included Robert Fulton, who brought affordable steamboat travel to New York state, Eli Whitney, who still gets credit for inventing the cotton gin, and Cyrus Hall McCormick, who invented the indispensable reaper.


    a)Inventors who were crucial to U.S. industrialization included Robert Fulton, who brought affordable steamboat travel to New York state; Eli Whitney, who still gets credit for inventing the cotton gin, and Cyrus Hall McCormick, who invented the indispensable reaper.
    b)Inventors who were crucial to U.S. industrialization included Robert Fulton, who brought affordable steamboat travel to New York state; Eli Whitney, who still gets credit for inventing the cotton gin; and Cyrus Hall McCormick, who invented the indispensable reaper.
    c)No change.


Question 14


    a)When the boss asked if the employee’s would attend a weekly meeting after hours, the no’s outweighed the yes’s.
    b)When the boss asked if the employees would attend a weekly meeting after hours, the no’s outweighed the yes’s.
    c)When the boss asked if the employees would attend a weekly meeting after hours, the no’s outweighed the yes’s.
    d)No change


Question 15


    Select the answer in which each possessive is formed correctly.

    a)It’s anyone’s guess who will win Oscars in the coming year.
    b)It’s anyones guess who will win Oscars in the coming year.


Question 16


    “There’s no pizza tonight, Jose; the food’s catered in, and it’s going to be yummy,” Beth informed him.

    a)There’s; food’s; its
    b)Theres’; foods’; its’
    c)No change


Question 17


    Select the sentence that contains no errors in the use of semicolons. (Note that some of the sentences may not require a semicolon.)

    a)The in Norse theory of the universe included Asgard, the realm of the gods, Midgard, the realm of humans, Hel, the underworld, and Valhalla, where slain warriors go to live with the immortal gods.
    b)The Norse theory of the universe included Asgard, the realm of the gods; Midgard, the realm of humans; Hel, the underworld; and Valhalla, where slain warriors go to live with the immortal gods.
    c)The Norse theory of the universe included Asgard, the realm of the gods, Midgard, the realm of humans, Hel, the underworld; and Valhalla, where slain warriors go to live with the immortal gods.


Question 18

    “I suppose everybodys wearing fancy clothes—the women, anyway—and theyl’l all be checking out what each persons wearing,” Jose commented.

    a)everybody’s; they’ll; person’s
    b)everybodys’; they’ll; persons’
    c)No change

Question 19

    Select the answer in which each possessive is formed correctly.

    a)Richard Dreyfuss starred in The Goodbye Girl; Dreyfuss’s performance earned him an Oscar in 1977.
    b)Richard Dreyfuss starred in The Goodbye Girl; Dreyfuss’ performance earned him an Oscar in 1977.


Question 20

    Professor Saks emphasized that everybodys capable of achieving higher grades. Are you ready to improve yours?

    a)everybody’s; yours
    b)everybodys’; your’s
    c)No change.