Card 0 of 99
Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Carlos, Jim, and their sister, decided not to visit the old shack by the beach; instead, they stayed home and shared ghost stories in the dark. No error
A comma should never end a list: "Carlos, Jim, and their sister decided . . ."
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Few people have the skills to play professional sports, being deficient in jumping running, or leaping ability.
The only problem with the underlined portion of the sentence is that the list mentioned has a poorly punctuated series, or list of items. All such lists need to be separated out in some fashion, usually by commas. Thus, "in jumping, running, or leaping ability" is the correct answer choice.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Sarah wanted to arrive at the store in time to buy the fresh bread cereal, and chocolate sauce. No error
Without a comma to make the "fresh bread" an item on the list, the item is unclear: is "fresh bread cereal" an item, or "fresh bread?" We need a comma to clarify.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
The adviser's job is to apprise the president of developing conflicts in the countries of Kenya Somalia and Tanzania. No error.
The list "Kenya Somalia and Tanzania" contains this sentence's error because it does not use commas to separate its items. It should read "Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania."
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
The Día de los Muertos event at school featured a dinner consisting of a burrito bar a taco station, and three varieties of flan. No error
The list of features of the event is missing a comma between "bar" and "a" that would correctly distinguish all three features.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
There’s so much I want to do today: go to the beach, mow the lawn, bake a cake; and play chess. No error
Because the part of the sentence before the list is an independent clause, a colon is the correct punctuation mark to use to introduce the list. Because the items in the list are “simple” (in other words, they don’t contain multiple phrases and commas), commas, not semicolons, are the correct punctuation mark to use between each item. Also, since the non-underlined portion of the list already uses commas, the semicolon needs to be changed to a comma to match.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Tripping on the sidewalk, breaking down in a public place, spilling a drink on oneself, having something caught between one's teeth—all are humiliating moments for a person. No error
The items in this list should each be separated by a comma. (An "and" could appear between the last two items in the list, but it's not strictly necessary.) The list itself is correctly separated from the second part of the sentence by an em-dash, although a colon would also be acceptable. Therefore, the sentence is correct without any changes.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
You have: a stunning smile, a charming laugh, and a great personality; what’s not to like? No error
Because the part of the sentence before the list (“You have”) is not an independent clause (a complete sentence that could stand on its own), a colon should not be used to introduce the list in this sentence. Colons are only used to introduce lists that come after independent clauses.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Sam, Quinn, and their sister, Leah, decided to start their own garden in the vacant lot next to their house. No error
Here, the list is punctuated correctly. There should be a comma between each item in the list and an additional comma on either side of “Leah,” which modifies “their sister.” (If “their sister, Leah,” was the first or second item in the list, a semicolon would be needed to separate the items for clarity’s sake, but in this version of the sentence it’s not necessary; the relationship of the three people is perfectly clear in this order.)
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
I was hoping we wouldn’t have to go over the preliminary sketches blueprints, or plans. No error
A comma is needed to separate each item in the list: “preliminary sketches,” “blueprints,” and “plans.”
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Which do you think is best: coffee, tea, or juice? No error
This sentence is properly punctuated, since a comma is required between each item in a list and the colon is properly used to introduce the list.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
The large fish, the turtles, and the small fish, all got along well in the same tank; there were no attacks of any sort by one species against another. No error
A comma should never end a list. The corrected first clause of the sentence would read: "The large fish, the turtles, and the small fish all got along well." A semicolon is appropriate in this sentence to separate the two independent clauses.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
I really hate three chores in particular: cleaning, doing laundry and mowing the lawn. No error
Whenever you have a list of more than two items in a sentence each item in that list needs to be separated by commas. The best way to correct the sentence above is, "I really hate three chores in particular: cleaning, doing laundry, and mowing the lawn." Note that "doing laundry" and "mowing the lawn" constitute single items in the list. Also note that parallel structure must be maintained within the list.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
Math, physics, and biology are Marco's three favorite subjects in school. No error
Whenever you have a list of more than two items in a sentence, each item in the list needs to be separated by commas. An apostrophe is correctly used to indicate that the preferences are "Marco's." "In" is the correct preposition in this context. This sentence is correct as it is written.
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Select the underlined portion of the sentence below that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
There are three qualities that make a truly great tennis player: coordination athleticism, and discipline. NO ERROR
Whenever you have a list of three or more things in a sentence, each item of the list should be separated by a comma. As such, there should be a comma between "coordination" and "athleticism" in the sentence above.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
The restaurant's ice cream selection was quite unconventional; the only three flavors they offered were, peanut butter, blackberry, and grass. No error
There should be no comma directly after "were." Commas are used to separate items in a list but not to introduce the list. No punctuation is necessary here.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
On her summer road trip, Kayli visited Boston, and New York for a week each, and she stayed in Baltimore for three days. No error
This question tests knowledge of commas in lists. In Standard American English, it is convention to not put commas in lists if there are only two items and to put them in if there are three or more items. Since there are only two cities in the first part of the sentence (Boston and New York), there is no need for a comma. A corrected sentence would be "On her summer road trip, Kayli visited Boston and New York for a week each, and she stayed in Baltimore for three days."
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error at all.
There are several ways to solve your rat problem: you can call an exterminator you can ask your friends for help, or you can move. No error
Every time there is a list of three or more things in a sentence, the items in the list must be separated by commas. In the provided sentence, there is a comma missing between the first two items of the list that follows the colon.
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences contain no error.
For the Fourth of July picnic on the White House lawn, Luke's father packed salads, sandwiches with peanut butter and pickles for the children, but unfortunately, he forgot to pack water. No error
This sentence is testing knowledge of the use of commas in lists. The standard practice is to use commas after the first and second items in a third (or more) item list. Sometimes the comma is omitted after the second item, but this omission can be confusing because it can suggest a unintended connection between the second and third items, as it does in this sentence. Presumably the father is not packing sandwiches with peanut butter as well as pickles on them, and instead he is packing sandwiches with peanut butter as well as pickles seperately. Therefore, the sentence should read: "For the Fourth of July picnic on the White House lawn, Luke's father packed salads, sandwiches with peanut butter, and pickles for the children, but unfortunately, he forgot to pack water."
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Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct. Some sentences may contain no error at all.
Max took his dog out to play walk, and ride the bike. No error
Since there is a list in the sentence, there needs to be a comma after "play." Without a comma, the reader would read "play walk" as one activity.
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