All but one of the following sentences demonstrate incorrect use of ellipses according to The Chicago Manual of Style and most other style guides; revise the sentence as necessary: 1. But I thought… 2. The directions . . . are unnecessarily complicated. 3. I applied . . . but was not hired . . . … Read more
All but one of the following sentences incorrectly employs or omits a semicolon; revise sentences as necessary to demonstrate correct use of punctuation: 1. In 2000, the figure was 57 percent; in 2004, 63 percent. 2. We have come this far, we can’t give up now. 3. Sometimes she was willing to share these with … Read more
All but one of the following sentences incorrectly employs or omits one or more semicolons; revise sentences as necessary to demonstrate correct use of punctuation: 1. We just need to meet this recall movement head on; turn a bad thing into a good thing; and move toward reforming the city for everybody. 2. The possible … Read more
All but one of the following sentences incorrectly establishes a relationship between two things with a setup of “not only” followed by a faultily constructed counterpoint; revise sentences as necessary to achieve parallel construction: 1. Not only did she mimic his voice, but her descriptions were replete with meaning. 2. It became clear that he … Read more
All but one of the following sentences demonstrate incorrect style for numbers according to The Chicago Manual of Style; revise the style of the number as necessary: 1. Last year, 37 aircraft were retired from the fleet. 2. The first time the class was offered, 245 students registered for seven sections, and 38 were put … Read more
In this exercise you need to pick the sentence version that correctly uses parallel syntactical structure in providing a list: 1. a) The resulting story was creative, engaging, and used dialogue effectively. b) The resulting story was creative and engaging and used dialogue effectively. 2. a) He had droopy eyelids, watery, bloodshot eyes, and his … Read more
All but one of the following sentences demonstrate faulty sentence structure; revise the sentences as necessary: 1. He works well individually, with partners, or small groups. 2. She makes perceptive comments during class discussions, as well as asking good questions. 3. You see the same advertisers again and again: furniture makers, bathroom-fixtures manufacturers, and high-end … Read more
All but one of the following sentences require hyphenation between two or more consecutive words to indicate that the phrase is a phrasal adjective; revise the sentences as necessary: 1. It was in my post office box. 2. The project finances construction of energy efficient homes. 3. The figures above reflect cost of living adjustments. … Read more
All but one of the following sentences demonstrate incorrect style for treatment of possessives according to The Chicago Manual of Style; revise sentences as necessary: 1. I walked over to the Smith’s house. 2. Our hostess’ nerves are shot. 3. I went to my aunt’s and uncle’s anniversary celebration. 4. She made it onto the … Read more
All but one of the following sentences demonstrate incorrect style for abbreviations from Latin; revise the sentences as necessary: 1. Vehicles are classed in various categories (i.e., cars, trucks, and SUVs). 2. Sections of books classified as adventure, comedy, drama, etc. are organized alphabetically. 3. Various weather conditions produce different types of precipitation (e.g., rain, … Read more
All but one of the following sentences demonstrate incorrect style for treatment of terms pertaining to academic subjects, courses, and lectures according to The Chicago Manual of Style; revise emphasis as necessary: 1. He obtained a master’s degree in Economics. 2. I’m studying for my final for “Literature of the Victorian Era.” 3. She attended … Read more
All but one of the following sentences demonstrate incorrect style for partial quotations in American English; revise the sentences as necessary: 1. His comment left me wondering whether I’d be “invited to resign”, as he had put it. 2. Although Smith agreed with the assessment, he added, “We resent the tone.” 3. It’s difficult to … Read more