PAPA Writing Conventions & Grammar 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence avoids a comma splice?
- The weather was beautiful, we decided to picnic.
- The weather was beautiful, so we decided to picnic. (Correct answer)
- The weather was beautiful, however we decided to picnic.
- The weather was beautiful, therefore we decided to picnic.
Correct answer: The weather was beautiful, so we decided to picnic.
Using a coordinating conjunction ('so') after a comma correctly joins two independent clauses; conjunctive adverbs like 'however' require a semicolon before them.
Question 2: Identify the sentence with correct subject-verb agreement.
- The bouquet of roses were delivered this morning.
- Each of the students were given an assignment.
- The number of errors in the essay is alarming. (Correct answer)
- A number of volunteers has arrived early.
Correct answer: The number of errors in the essay is alarming.
'The number' takes a singular verb, while 'a number' takes a plural verb; 'the number of errors is' is correct.
Question 3: Which sentence uses quotation marks correctly?
- She said, "I will be late", and left quickly.
- She said, "I will be late," and left quickly. (Correct answer)
- She said "I will be late," and left quickly.
- She said, "I will be late" and left quickly.
Correct answer: She said, "I will be late," and left quickly.
In American English, commas and periods always go inside closing quotation marks, and a comma is needed before the opening quote after 'said.'
Question 4: Which sentence correctly uses the past perfect tense?
- By the time we arrived, the show started.
- By the time we arrived, the show had started. (Correct answer)
- By the time we arrived, the show has started.
- By the time we arrived, the show was starting.
Correct answer: By the time we arrived, the show had started.
The past perfect ('had started') shows that one past action (the show starting) was completed before another past action (arriving).
Question 5: Which option shows the correct possessive form for a plural noun?
- The childrens' books were on the shelf.
- The children's books were on the shelf. (Correct answer)
- The childrens's books were on the shelf.
- The childrens books were on the shelf.
Correct answer: The children's books were on the shelf.
'Children' is an irregular plural not ending in -s, so the possessive is formed by adding apostrophe + s: children's.
Question 6: Which sentence correctly uses an em dash?
- She had one goal - to graduate with honors.
- She had one goal — to graduate with honors. (Correct answer)
- She had one goal, to graduate with honors.
- She had one goal: - to graduate with honors.
Correct answer: She had one goal — to graduate with honors.
An em dash (—) is used to set off a strong break or emphasis in a sentence, and it is not accompanied by spaces or hyphens.
Question 7: Which sentence contains a misplaced modifier?
- She nearly drove her children to school every day. (Correct answer)
- The dog only eats dry food in the morning.
- He almost broke every record in the tournament.
- She drives her children nearly to school every day.
Correct answer: She nearly drove her children to school every day.
'Nearly' should modify 'every day,' not 'drove'; the corrected version would be 'She drove her children to school nearly every day.'
PAPA Writing Conventions & Grammar 3
Which sentence avoids a comma splice?