BSEP Grammar and Writing Mechanics 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence uses the apostrophe correctly?
- The dog wagged it's tail.
- The childrens' toys were scattered.
- The women's restroom is down the hall. (Correct answer)
- The book's were on the shelf.
Correct answer: The women's restroom is down the hall.
Women's is correct because the apostrophe + s shows possession for the irregular plural 'women'.
Question 2: Identify the dangling modifier: 'Running to catch the bus, my backpack fell off.'
- Running to catch the bus (Correct answer)
- my backpack fell off
- catch the bus
- There is no dangling modifier.
Correct answer: Running to catch the bus
The phrase 'Running to catch the bus' dangles because the backpack cannot run — it must modify the subject performing the action.
Question 3: Which word correctly completes the sentence? 'She has ___ money than she expected.'
- less (Correct answer)
- fewer
- little
- least
Correct answer: less
Use 'less' with uncountable nouns like 'money'; use 'fewer' with countable nouns.
Question 4: Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
- He said, "I'll be there soon".
- She asked, "Are you coming?" (Correct answer)
- They shouted "Watch out!"
- He whispered, 'be quiet'.
Correct answer: She asked, "Are you coming?"
In American English, the question mark inside the closing quotation mark is correct when the quoted material is a question.
Question 5: Which sentence demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement with a collective noun?
- The team are arguing among themselves.
- The team is ready to play. (Correct answer)
- The team were winning the game.
- The team have decided their strategy.
Correct answer: The team is ready to play.
In American English, collective nouns like 'team' are treated as singular and take a singular verb.
Question 6: Choose the sentence that avoids a comma splice.
- I wanted to go, however it rained.
- The store was closed, so we went home. (Correct answer)
- She studied hard, she passed the test.
- He was tired, he went to bed early.
Correct answer: The store was closed, so we went home.
Using a coordinating conjunction (so) after the comma correctly joins two independent clauses.
Question 7: Which option correctly uses a semicolon?
- I like coffee; and tea.
- She is smart; but lazy.
- The flight was delayed; we missed our connection. (Correct answer)
- He studied hard; to pass the exam.
Correct answer: The flight was delayed; we missed our connection.
A semicolon correctly joins two closely related independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction.
BSEP Grammar and Writing Mechanics 4
Which sentence uses the apostrophe correctly?