Review of Mechanics [Logo]
Click within the small circle to the left of your choice for each answer. A javascript box will appear to tell you that your choice is correct or incorrect. After clicking "OK" within the javascript alert, you may try another answer or proceed to the next question if your first choice was correct. The phrase "prescriptively correct" means that other possibilities might be acceptable in informal writing or speech, but the prescriptively correct option would be most recommended for formal, academic writing.


1. Which of the following sentences is capitalized correctly?
a. I am an english major; of course I have read O'Connor's The Violent Bear It Away.
b. I am an English major; of course I have read O'Connor's The Violent Bear it Away.
c. I am an English major; of course I have read O'Connor's The Violent Bear It Away.
d. all of the above
e. none of the above


2. Which of the following sentences uses apostrophes correctly?
a. Bills' poem has too many p's in it.
b. Bill's poem has too many p's in it.
c. both of the above
d. neither of the above

3. Which of the following sentences is capitalized correctly?
a. An excellent new book on historical linguistics is Joan Bybee's The Evolution Of Grammar.
b. An excellent new book on historical linguistics is Joan Bybee's the Evolution of Grammar.
c. An excellent new book on historical linguistics is Joan Bybee's The evolution of grammar.
d. all of the above
e. none of the above

4. Which of the following sentences indicates that Mary and Bill are probably married (i.e., they possess children in common)?
a. Bill and Mary's children are beautiful.
b. Bill's and Mary's children are beautiful.
c. both of the above
d. neither of the above

5. Which of the following sentences uses the hyphen correctly?
a. One-half of entering freshman students will not graduate with a college degree.
b. One-half of entering freshman students will not graduate with a college-degree.
c. both of the above
d. neither of the above

6. Which of the following sentences uses the apostrophe correctly?
a. The professor's dogs are barking at the window.
b. The professors' dogs are barking at the window.
c. both of the above
d. neither of the above

7. Which of the following sentences uses the hyphen correctly?
a. I have thirty three dalmations.
b. I have thirty-three dalmations.
c. both of the above
d. neither of the above

8. Which of the following sentences uses numbers correctly?
a. Four thousand and three angels can sit on the head of a pin.
b. I know as a certainty that 4,003 angels can sit on the head of a pin.
c. both of the above
d. neither of the above

9. Which of the following sentences uses italics correctly?
a. The word "dog" is a three-letter word.
b. The word dog is a three-letter word.
c. both of the above
d. neither of the above

Quiz List

Guide to Grammar and Writing