Punctuation Rules Flashcards
7 cards from real English Grammar Test practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Punctuation Rules flashcards as text
Which sentence correctly uses a semicolon?
Answer: The store was closed; we had to leave.
A semicolon joins two independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction.
Where should an apostrophe be placed in the word 'its' to show possession?
Answer: its
The possessive 'its' never takes an apostrophe; 'it's' is only a contraction of 'it is.'
Which sentence uses the colon correctly?
Answer: The meeting covered three topics: budget, staffing, and timelines.
A colon should follow a complete independent clause before introducing a list.
How should a direct quotation be punctuated at the end when followed by a dialogue tag?
Answer: "Come here," she said.
A comma (not a period) separates a direct quotation from its dialogue tag when the tag follows.
Which option correctly punctuates a list of three or more items using the Oxford comma?
Answer: I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.
The Oxford comma is placed before the final 'and' in a series of three or more items.
When using parentheses, where does the period go if the parenthetical is at the end of a sentence?
Answer: After the closing parenthesis (like this).
The period follows the closing parenthesis when the parenthetical phrase is part of a larger sentence.
Which sentence incorrectly uses a hyphen?
Answer: She felt happy-today.
Hyphens connect compound modifiers before nouns, not predicative adjectives or unrelated words.