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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.
I really enjoy eating out with most of my friends; but I don't enjoy spending time with Emmett. NO ERROR
It is possible to separate two independent clauses with a semi-colon. It is also possible to separate two independent clauses with a comma and a conjunction, but you can't mix and match the two methods. The sentence above should read, "I really enjoy eating out with most of my friends, but I don't enjoy spending time with Emmett."
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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.
Everyone on the team agreed that the best option was to forfeit the game; without their best player; the team didn't have a chance of winning. No error
A comma should be used instead of a semicolon to separate the introductory phrase "without their best player" from the rest of the second independent clause "the team didn't have a chance of winning."
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Fewer and fewer people signed up for the program each year, eventually it had to be cancelled.
The sentence is actually a run on sentence, with two complete sentences being jammed together to make a grammatically incorrect sentence. Such compound sentences need to be separated either by a comma and a conjunction, or a semicolon. This makes "Fewer and fewer people signed up for the program each year, and eventually it had to be cancelled," 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.
Knitting may appear complex, but even its most complicated patterns can be created from a combination of just two stitches; knit stitches and purl stitches. No error
This sentence's error lies in the incorrect way in which it uses a semicolon to introduce a list. "Knit stitches and purl stitches" are the "two stitches" that the sentence introduces earlier, so a colon is the most appropriate punctuation mark to use in this instance. The corrected sentence reads, "Knitting may appear complex, but even its most complicated patterns can be created from a combination of just two stitches: knit stitches and purl stitches."
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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.
That book over there belongs to Eileen; so we should return it to her before she needs to study for the massive English test next week. No error
A semicolon is meant to connect two thoughts that are both independent clauses. However, the second clause here is dependent and is connected by the word "so." In this situation, a comma would be appropriate to link that subordinate clause to the first independent clause. So, the corrected sentence would read, "That book over there belongs to Eileen**,** so we should help return it to her before she needs to study for the massive English test next week."
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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.
During Roman times, Julius Caesar was well known not only for his superior strategy on the battlefield; but also for his oratorical abilities. No error.
A semicolon is used to connect two independent clauses. In this case, the phrase that follows the semicolon is not an independent clause (a complete sentence that can stand on its own), so the use of a semicolon here is incorrect. Changing the semicolon to a comma would correct the sentence's error.
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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.
James's grocery list included the following items; broccoli, frozen yogurt, bread, pork chops, and eggs. No error
A colon, not a semicolon, should be used to introduce a list of things. Semicolons are only used to connect two independent clauses, or parts of a combined sentence that could each stand alone as an independent sentence. That isn't the case in this sentence; "broccoli, frozen yogurt, bread, pork chops, and eggs" is not a complete sentence.
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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 going to go for a run today, however, the stormy weather caused me to postpone my workout. No error
The sentence has two independent clauses. Each could be its own sentence: "I was going to go for a run today" and "the stormy weather caused me to postpone my workout." They are joined by a conjunctive adverb, "however." (Other conjunctive adverbs include "accordingly," "consequently," "hence," "moreover," "otherwise," "therefore," and "thus.") When two independent clauses are joined by a conjunctive adverb, they require a semicolon after the first clause, not a comma. The corrected sentence would read, "I was going to go for a run today; however, the stormy weather caused me to postpone my workout."
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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 martial art of karate is based around two main techniques; kicks and punches. No error.
The semicolon used after "techniques" is an inappropriate way to introduce a list. To correct this error, we should replace the semicolon with a 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 at all.
Jamie and Geanna could not agree on what day would be best to go to the music festival; Jamie wanted to go see a great DJ on Saturday; while Geanna wanted to see her favorite band on Sunday. No error.
The semicolon after "Saturday;" is the error in the sentence, and should be replaced with a comma to correctly separate the 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.
Nathan has never been known as a shy person; and he proved that again tonight by jumping on stage and singing with the band. No error.
The semicolon after "person" is incorrectly used in this sentence, and should be replaced with a comma.
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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 guests will have several desserts to choose from; chocolate cake, lemon sorbet, peach pie, and flan. No error
Here, we’re separating an independent clause (“The guests will have several desserts to choose from”) from a list (“chocolate cake, lemon sorbet, peach pie, and flan”), so the correct punctuation is a colon and not a semicolon. Semicolons are only used to separate two independent clauses, not an independent clause and a 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 carousel, originally introduced to Europe during the Crusades, was derived from a jousting game; and later became a staple at fairs and amusement parks. No error
A semicolon is used to connect two independent clauses. In this case, the phrase after the semicolon is not an independent clause but rather a compound predicate of the subject "The carousel." No punctuation is needed 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.
The ballerina's exceptional twirling and precise body control left the audience members in awe; her mastery, accomplished through years of intense training, was not lost on even the inexperienced spectators. No error
A semicolon is used to connect two independent clauses. The two clauses separated here by the semicolon are both independent, so the semicolon use is correct.
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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.
The old man was extremely tired; he had undergone one of the most arduous ordeals of his long life. NO ERROR
The sentence above consists of two independent clauses. One way to join two such clauses is to use a semi-colon. The sentence above is correct as it is written.
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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.
Fire-breathing seems quite foolish and dangerous to an uninformed observer; but any experienced fire-breather knows how to properly minimize the potential risks. No error
This is an incorrect use of a semicolon. A semicolon is used to separate two independent clauses, but the second clause starts with the conjunction "but." In this instance, either a comma should be used instead of a semicolon or the conjunction "but" should be deleted to make the semicolon appropriate.
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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.
Milwaukee was chosen as the host site for the conference not because of any bias the board members held; but rather because of its central location. No error
A semicolon is used to separate two independent clauses, but the second of the clauses here is dependent. The clause that follows the semicolon here could not stand alone as its own sentence, and thus is not an independent clause. The appropriate punctuation to use here would be a comma.
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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.
He ran to and from the store; several times. No error
Semicolons are predominantly used to separate two independent clauses. In the sentence above, the semicolon is incorrect because it is not separating two such clauses. The best way to correct this sentence would be to simply remove the semicolon.
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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.
My dad likes to tell a lot of bad jokes; it's quite intolerable. No error
Semicolons are predominantly used to separate two independent clauses. In the sentence above, the semicolon is used correctly. There are no other errors in the example sentence. The verb "tell" is in the correct tense; "it's" is the correct contraction.
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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.
I ran to the market; back again in a single afternoon. No error
Semicolons are predominantly used to separate two independent clauses. In the sentence above, the semicolon is incorrect because it is not separating two such clauses. The best way to fix this sentence would be to replace the semicolon with the word "and." The correct version of this sentence would read: "I ran to the market and back again in a single afternoon."
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