NoRedInk Editing Skills 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence is punctuated correctly with a colon?
- She needed: milk, eggs, and bread.
- She needed the following: milk, eggs, and bread. (Correct answer)
- She needed milk: eggs: and bread.
- She: needed milk, eggs, and bread.
Correct answer: She needed the following: milk, eggs, and bread.
A colon introduces a list when preceded by a complete independent clause.
Question 2: Identify the error: 'Between you and I, this plan will fail.'
- 'Between' should be 'Among'
- 'I' should be 'me' because it follows a preposition (Correct answer)
- 'will fail' should be 'is failing'
- There is no error in this sentence.
Correct answer: 'I' should be 'me' because it follows a preposition
Prepositions require object pronouns; 'between you and me' is correct.
Question 3: Which choice corrects the run-on: 'The storm was intense we lost power for three days.'?
- The storm was intense, we lost power for three days.
- The storm was intense; we lost power for three days. (Correct answer)
- The storm was intense but, we lost power for three days.
- The storm was intense and we, lost power for three days.
Correct answer: The storm was intense; we lost power for three days.
A semicolon correctly separates two independent clauses that are closely related.
Question 4: Which sentence avoids misplaced modifier?
- Almost he finished all of his homework.
- He almost finished all of his homework.
- He finished almost all of his homework. (Correct answer)
- He finished all of almost his homework.
Correct answer: He finished almost all of his homework.
'Almost all' means he finished most of it, which is the intended meaning; placing 'almost' before 'he' or 'finished' changes the meaning.
Question 5: Which is the correct use of 'who' vs. 'whom'?
- Who did you send the letter to?
- To who should I address this?
- Whom should I contact about this? (Correct answer)
- Give it to who arrives first.
Correct answer: Whom should I contact about this?
'Whom' is used as the object of a verb or preposition; replacing with 'him' works here.
Question 6: Which sentence has an unnecessary comma?
- The book, which I borrowed, was overdue.
- The book that I borrowed was overdue.
- The book, that I borrowed, was overdue. (Correct answer)
- My favorite book, Hamlet, is a classic.
Correct answer: The book, that I borrowed, was overdue.
Restrictive clauses beginning with 'that' should not be set off with commas.
Question 7: What type of error appears in: 'The committee have reached their decision.'?
- Comma splice
- Subject-verb disagreement (in American English) (Correct answer)
- Dangling modifier
- Incorrect pronoun case
Correct answer: Subject-verb disagreement (in American English)
In American English, collective nouns like 'committee' take singular verbs: 'the committee has'.
NoRedInk Editing Skills 3
Which sentence is punctuated correctly with a colon?