IEO Punctuation & Capitalization 3

Question 1

Choose the sentence with correct apostrophe usage:

Accepted Answer

The children's toys are scattered.

Answer

'Children' is already plural without an 's,' so possession is shown by adding apostrophe + s: children's.

Question 2

Which sentence uses parentheses correctly?

Accepted Answer

The capital of France (Paris) is a beautiful city.

Answer

Parentheses are used to add supplementary or clarifying information — 'Paris' clarifies 'the capital of France.'

Question 3

In which sentence are question marks used correctly?

Accepted Answer

Did you finish your homework?

Answer

A question mark is used after a direct question — 'Did you finish your homework?' is a direct question.

Question 4

Which of the following properly capitalizes a proper noun?

Accepted Answer

We visited a national park in Colorado.

Answer

'Colorado' is a proper noun (a state name) and must be capitalized; 'national park' is a common noun and is not capitalized.

Question 5

What is the correct punctuation for a compound sentence?

Accepted Answer

She loves music, and she plays the piano daily.

Answer

Two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (and) require a comma before the conjunction.

IEO - International English Olympiad Practice Test