Instructions: Add correct advanced punctuation marks. Click "Show Answer" to check your answer.
Section A: Semicolon & Colon (10 Questions)
1. Punctuate: I have three favorite colors red blue and green.
Answer: I have three favorite colors: red, blue, and green. - Colon introduces a list.
2. Punctuate: She was late for class she missed the bus.
Answer: She was late for class; she missed the bus. - Semicolon connects related independent clauses.
3. Punctuate: Remember this rule always be kind to others.
Answer: Remember this rule: always be kind to others. - Colon introduces explanation or rule.
4. Punctuate: The meeting starts at 300 PM please be on time.
Answer: The meeting starts at 3:00 PM; please be on time. - Semicolon separates related clauses.
5. Punctuate: He brought everything we needed tents food and water.
Answer: He brought everything we needed: tents, food, and water. - Colon introduces list after complete clause.
6. Punctuate: I love reading novels my favorite is Pride and Prejudice.
Answer: I love reading novels; my favorite is Pride and Prejudice. - Semicolon connects related ideas.
7. Punctuate: Please bring the following items a notebook a pen and a calculator.
Answer: Please bring the following items: a notebook, a pen, and a calculator. - Colon after "the following".
8. Punctuate: It was raining heavily we decided to stay indoors.
Answer: It was raining heavily; we decided to stay indoors. - Semicolon shows cause-effect relationship.
9. Punctuate: My advice is simple practice regularly.
Answer: My advice is simple: practice regularly. - Colon introduces clarification.
10. Punctuate: She excels in science subjects physics chemistry and biology.
Answer: She excels in science subjects: physics, chemistry, and biology. - Colon introduces specific examples.
Section B: Dash & Hyphen (10 Questions)
11. Punctuate: My sister in law is coming to visit.
Answer: My sister-in-law is coming to visit. - Hyphen connects compound nouns.
12. Punctuate: The results were surprising no one expected them.
Answer: The results were surprising — no one expected them. - Dash adds emphasis or dramatic pause.
13. Punctuate: She is a well known author.
Answer: She is a well-known author. - Hyphen connects compound adjective before noun.
14. Punctuate: All my friends except Rohan attended the party.
Answer: All my friends — except Rohan — attended the party. - Dashes set off parenthetical information.
15. Punctuate: This is a twenty five year old building.
Answer: This is a twenty-five-year-old building. - Hyphens connect multi-word numbers and ages.
16. Punctuate: There is only one thing to do run.
Answer: There is only one thing to do — run! - Dash introduces dramatic conclusion.
17. Punctuate: The ex president gave a speech.
Answer: The ex-president gave a speech. - Hyphen with prefixes like "ex-" when part of title.
18. Punctuate: The weather cold windy and unpleasant kept us indoors.
Answer: The weather — cold, windy, and unpleasant — kept us indoors. - Dashes set off descriptive phrases.
19. Punctuate: Its a state of the art facility.
Answer: It's a state-of-the-art facility. - Hyphen for idiomatic compound adjectives.
20. Punctuate: Three fourths of the students passed the exam.
Answer: Three-fourths of the students passed the exam. - Hyphen in fractions.
Section C: Apostrophe & Quotation Marks (10 Questions)
21. Punctuate: Dont touch that its hot said mother.
Answer: "Don't touch that; it's hot," said Mother. - Quotation marks for direct speech, apostrophe for contractions.
22. Punctuate: The childrens toys were scattered everywhere.
Answer: The children's toys were scattered everywhere. - Apostrophe for plural possessive.
23. Punctuate: She asked Are you coming with us
Answer: She asked, "Are you coming with us?" - Comma before quote, question mark inside quotes.
24. Punctuate: James book is on the table.
Answer: James's book is on the table. - Apostrophe for singular possessive (add 's even for names ending in s).
25. Punctuate: The teacher said Practice makes perfect
Answer: The teacher said, "Practice makes perfect." - Comma before quote, period inside quotes.
26. Punctuate: The girls uniforms were neatly arranged.
Answer: The girls' uniforms were neatly arranged. - Apostrophe after plural noun ending in s.
27. Punctuate: Wow exclaimed John This is amazing
Answer: "Wow!" exclaimed John. "This is amazing!" - Exclamation inside quotes, separate sentences in dialogue.
28. Punctuate: Its time to go to your grandparents house.
Answer: It's time to go to your grandparents' house. - "It's" contraction, plural possessive for "grandparents'".
29. Punctuate: She whispered Ill see you tomorrow
Answer: She whispered, "I'll see you tomorrow." - Comma before quote, contraction apostrophe, period inside.
30. Punctuate: The mens department is on the second floor.
Answer: The men's department is on the second floor. - Apostrophe for irregular plural possessive ("men" is plural of "man").
