CCE Numbers, Abbreviations, and Special Characters

Question 1

According to most major style guides, a number that begins a sentence should always be:

Accepted Answer

Spelled out

Answer

All major style guides (Chicago, AP, APA) require numbers that open a sentence to be spelled out, never expressed as numerals.

Question 2

Under Chicago Manual of Style, which number should be expressed as a numeral in running text?

Accepted Answer

105 attendees

Answer

Chicago style spells out whole numbers from one through one hundred; 105 exceeds that threshold and takes a numeral.

Question 3

Which correctly uses an em dash in a sentence?

Accepted Answer

The cat—a tabby—sat on the mat.

Answer

Em dashes set off parenthetical or interruptive elements within a sentence; en dashes, not em dashes, are used for numerical ranges.

Question 4

Which is the Chicago Manual of Style–preferred way to express a decade?

Accepted Answer

the 1990s

Answer

Chicago uses a simple plural without an apostrophe for decades (1990s), since no letters have been omitted from the number itself.

Question 5

What does the abbreviation 'i.e.' mean?

Accepted Answer

That is

Answer

'I.e.' stands for the Latin 'id est,' meaning 'that is,' and introduces a restatement or clarification of what was just said.

CCE - Certified Copyeditor Practice Test