TSI - Texas Success Initiative Sentence Revision and Editing Questions and Answers 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence uses a colon correctly?
- She packed three items: sunscreen, a hat, and water. (Correct answer)
- She packed: sunscreen, a hat, and water.
- She packed three items; sunscreen, a hat, and water.
- She packed three items, sunscreen: a hat and water.
Correct answer: She packed three items: sunscreen, a hat, and water.
A colon follows a complete independent clause and introduces a list or elaboration. "She packed three items" is a complete clause, so the colon in option A is correct.
Question 2: What is wrong with this sentence: "Running to catch the bus, his backpack fell off."?
- Dangling modifier — the backpack was not running (Correct answer)
- Comma splice — two independent clauses are joined incorrectly
- Subject-verb agreement error
- Incorrect tense usage
Correct answer: Dangling modifier — the backpack was not running
The participial phrase "Running to catch the bus" should modify the subject of the main clause, but "his backpack" cannot run. This is a dangling modifier.
Question 3: Which sentence correctly uses "its" versus "it's"?
- It's time to update its software. (Correct answer)
- Its time to update it's software.
- It's time to update it's software.
- Its time to update its software.
Correct answer: It's time to update its software.
"It's" is a contraction for "it is." "Its" is the possessive pronoun. "It's time" = "It is time" (correct), and "its software" = software belonging to it (correct).
Question 4: Identify the sentence with correct pronoun case.
- Between you and me, the project needs more work. (Correct answer)
- Between you and I, the project needs more work.
- Between you and myself, the project needs more work.
- Between I and you, the project needs more work.
Correct answer: Between you and me, the project needs more work.
After a preposition ("between"), object pronouns are required. "Me" is the correct object pronoun form; "I" and "myself" are not appropriate here.
Question 5: Choose the revision that eliminates the run-on sentence: "The professor was late class started without her students were confused."
- The professor was late, so class started without her, and students were confused. (Correct answer)
- The professor was late class started without her, students were confused.
- The professor was late; class started without her students were confused.
- The professor was late class started, without her students were confused.
Correct answer: The professor was late, so class started without her, and students were confused.
The run-on contains three independent clauses fused without proper punctuation. Adding "so" and "and" with commas correctly joins them into a clear compound sentence.
Question 6: Which correctly punctuates this sentence with a nonrestrictive clause: "My sister who lives in Austin is visiting next week."
- My sister, who lives in Austin, is visiting next week. (Correct answer)
- My sister who lives in Austin, is visiting next week.
- My sister who, lives in Austin is visiting next week.
- My sister, who lives in Austin is visiting next week.
Correct answer: My sister, who lives in Austin, is visiting next week.
A nonrestrictive (parenthetical) clause adds extra information and must be set off by commas on both sides. "who lives in Austin" is extra information, so it needs commas before and after.
TSI - Texas Success Initiative Sentence Revision and Editing Questions and Answers 3
Which sentence uses a colon correctly?