Punctuation Errors Exercise (130)

The following sentences contain errors of punctuation. Revise them as necessary.

Answers and Explanations

1.
Original: That’s my dream car in the window I plan to buy it as soon as I have enough money.
Correct : That’s my dream car in the window. I plan to buy it as soon as I have enough money.

Error: run-on sentence. The new thought begins with "I." Another way to correct it would be to put a semi-colon instead of a period between "window" and "I."

2.
Original: The boss is really old. He still addresses women clients as Mrs So-and-So.
Correct : The boss is really old. He still addresses women clients as Mrs. So-and-So.

U.S. punctuation convention places a period after "Mrs." and "Ms."

3.
Original: I never expected to see so many glacier’s and pit’s on our trip.
Correct : I never expected to see so many glaciers and pits on our trip.

No apostrophes are needed; glaciers and pits are simply plural nouns.

4.
Original: Before we get to Phoenix let’s stop at an IHOP for breakfast.
Correct : Before we get to Phoenix, let’s stop at an IHOP for breakfast.

A subordinate clause that begins a sentence is set off with a comma.

5.
Original: All the "hardback books" on the stall are the same price.
Correct : All the hardback books on the stall are the same price.

Using quotations marks for emphasis is an error.

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