Writing Conventions Flashcards
7 cards from real CAHSEE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Writing Conventions flashcards as text
Which sentence uses commas correctly with a nonrestrictive clause?
Answer: My sister, who lives in Seattle, moved here last year.
A nonrestrictive clause (extra information not essential to identify the noun) must be set off by commas on both sides.
Which sentence uses an apostrophe correctly?
Answer: The dog's bowl is empty.
Singular possession is shown by adding 's, making 'dog's' the correct form for one dog's bowl.
Which sentence is punctuated correctly when writing dialogue?
Answer: She asked, "Where are you going?"
A comma follows the attribution before a quote, the first word of the quote is capitalized, and the question mark goes inside the closing quotation mark.
Which pair of words should be capitalized in this sentence? 'We traveled to the grand canyon last summer.'
Answer: grand and canyon
'Grand Canyon' is a proper noun (a specific named place) and both words must be capitalized.
Which sentence uses a semicolon correctly?
Answer: She loves reading; her favorite genre is mystery.
A semicolon correctly joins two closely related independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction.
Which sentence uses a colon correctly?
Answer: I need to buy the following items: milk, eggs, and bread.
A colon should follow a complete independent clause before introducing a list; it cannot interrupt a verb or preposition.
Which sentence correctly uses quotation marks and capitalization in dialogue?
Answer: The teacher said, "Please open your books."
A comma follows the dialogue tag, the first word of the quoted speech is capitalized, and the period goes inside the closing quotation mark.