Review exercise: Adding punctuation

Using a separate sheet of paper, punctuate each sentence, then compare your answer to the one provided.

1. Last Tuesday the committee agreed on its guest speakers for the coming year.

Answer

Question:
Last Tuesday the committee agreed on its guest speakers for the coming year.
Answer:
This sentence requires no punctuation.
Explanation:
You could place a comma after Tuesday, but omitting it is better because the introductory phrase is short and only slightly parenthetical.

2. I really enjoyed Lost Ground the new short story by William Trevor said Samuel.

Answer

Question:
I really enjoyed Lost Ground the new short story by William Trevor said Samuel.
Answer:
"I really enjoyed ‘Lost Ground,’ the new short story by William Trevor," said Samuel.
Explanation:
If you are following North American usage, you need double quotation marks around the words spoken by Samuel and single quotation marks around the title of the short story, because it is a minor title and is already inside double quotation marks (in British usage, you write the single quotation marks by default). The comma after Ground is necessary because the phrase that follows is non-restrictive, and the comma must fall inside the single quotation mark. The comma after Trevor is required to introduce said Samuel (this is a convention of dialogue), and the comma must fall inside the double quotation marks.

3. Guido who is my fathers cousin was born in Naples.

Answer

Question:
Guido who is my fathers cousin was born in Naples.
Answer:
Guido, who is my father’s cousin, was born in Naples.
Explanation:
Commas are required around the non-restrictive clause who is my father’s cousin. Also, the apostrophe in father’s is needed to indicate the possessive case.

4. His form was excellent his dive was superior to his other competitors attempts.

Answer

Question:
His form was excellent his dive was superior to his other competitors attempts.
Answer:
His form was excellent; his dive was superior to his other competitors’ attempts.
Explanation:
You need a semicolon to link the two independent clauses. Place an apostrophe after the s to show the possessive form of the plural noun competitors.

5. My daughters favourite foods are as follows pepperoni pizza applesauce and strawberries.

Answer

Question:
My daughters favourite foods are as follows pepperoni pizza applesauce and strawberries.
Answer:
My daughter’s favourite foods are as follows: pepperoni pizza, applesauce, and strawberries.
Explanation:
The apostrophe in daughter’s shows that the noun is possessive. The colon after follows is necessary because the clause preceding the colon is independent and introduces a list. There is a comma after pizza because it is an element in the list. The comma after applesauce is optional.

Copyright notice for HyperGrammar 2

© Department of English, Faculty of Arts, University of Ottawa
A tool made available online by the Translation Bureau, Public Services and Procurement Canada

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