Grammar and Proofreading Flashcards

Which of the following sentences contains a grammatical error known as a comma splice?

Answer: The new software was installed yesterday, however, employees will need training to use it effectively.

A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses (clauses that could be their own sentences) are joined only by a comma. In the correct answer, 'The new software was installed yesterday' and 'however, employees will need training to use it effectively' are both independent clauses incorrectly joined by a comma. This can be fixed with a semicolon, a period, or by adding a coordinating conjunction.

A clerk is drafting an email about company policy. Which sentence correctly uses the words 'principal' or 'principle'?

Answer: Our company follows a strict principle of customer confidentiality.

'Principle' is a noun meaning a fundamental truth, rule, or belief. 'Principal' is an adjective meaning main or most important, or a noun meaning the head of an organization (like a school). In the correct sentence, 'principle' correctly refers to a fundamental rule of the company.

Read the following sentence and identify the grammatical error: 'The file cabinet, along with the boxes of old records, need to be moved to the storage room.'

Answer: The verb 'need' should be 'needs'.

The subject of the sentence is 'file cabinet,' which is singular. The phrase 'along with the boxes of old records' is an intervening phrase that does not change the subject. Therefore, the verb must be singular ('needs') to agree with the singular subject.

Which of the following sentences uses apostrophes correctly in all instances?

Answer: It's the clerk's responsibility to manage the department's incoming mail.

This sentence correctly uses 'It's' as a contraction for 'It is,' 'clerk's' as a singular possessive, and 'department's' as a singular possessive. The other options contain errors such as using 'Its' (possessive) instead of 'It's' (contraction), incorrect plural possessives like 'managers'' or 'departments'', and the non-existent word 'Its'.

A clerk is proofreading a memo and finds the following sentence. Which choice best corrects the misplaced modifier? 'The clerk filed the report in the cabinet that was completed yesterday.'

Answer: The clerk filed the report that was completed yesterday in the cabinet.

As originally written, the modifying phrase 'that was completed yesterday' is placed next to 'cabinet,' illogically suggesting the cabinet was completed yesterday. The report was completed yesterday. The corrected sentence places the modifier 'that was completed yesterday' directly after the word it describes ('report'), clarifying the meaning.

An office manager is creating a list of duties for a new administrative assistant. Which list demonstrates correct parallel structure?

Answer: Your responsibilities include filing documents, managing schedules, and greeting clients.

Parallel structure requires that items in a list or series have the same grammatical form. In the correct answer, all three items are gerunds (verbs ending in -ing used as nouns): 'filing,' 'managing,' and 'greeting.' The other options mix different forms, such as gerunds, nouns, and infinitives.