Punctuation

Lesson 8

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Punctuation
Sign Usage Example
Comma (,) ✓ To separates lists • I love apples, bananas, AND pears.
• I love apples, BUT she hates them.
✓ To connect two main clauses • WRONG: I love apples, she hates them.
• She is a smart, beautiful woman.
✓ To separate two adjectives
Semicolon (;) ✓ To connect two main clauses. • I love apples; she loves bananas.
• He enjoys citric fruits such as oranges,
✓ To separate lists with commas. apricots, and mandarines; sour ones such
as pineapples and golden berries; and
sweet ones such as bananas.
Colon (:) ✓ To connect a main clause with a • I love different fruits: apples, pears, and
list bananas.
• John did not understand English grammar:
✓ To connect a main clause with an he had difficulties identifying verbs.
explanation
Dash (—) ✓ As an emphatic comma • Beethoven—a great musician—was deaf.
• Although I studied for the GMAT – this
✓ As a parenthesis exam is difficult– I decided to postpone my
exam date.
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Question 1

In 1973 mortgage payments represented twenty-one

percent of an average thirty-year-old male's income;
and forty-four percent in 1984.

A. income; and forty-four percent in 1984

B. income; in 1984 the figure was forty-four percent
C. income, and in 1984 forty-four percent
D. income, forty-four percent in 1984 was the figure
E. income that rose to forty-four percent in 1984

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Question 2

Tropical bats play important roles in the rain forest ecosystem,

aiding in the dispersal of cashew, date, and fig seeds;
pollinating banana, breadfruit, and mango trees; and indirectly
help produce tequila by pollinating agave plants.
A. pollinating banana, breadfruit, and mango trees; and
indirectly help produce
B. pollinating banana, breadfruit, and mango trees; and
indirectly helping to produce
C. pollinating banana, breadfruit, and mango trees; and they
indirectly help to produce
D. they pollinate banana, breadfruit, and mango trees; and
indirectly help producing
E. they pollinate banana, breadfruit, and mango trees;
indirectly helping the producing of

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Question 3

Part of the proposed increase in state education spending is due to higher

enrollment, since the number of students in public schools have grown
steadily since the mid-1980's and, at nearly 47 million, are at a record high.

A. enrollment, since the number of students in public schools have grown

steadily since the mid-1980's and, at nearly 47 million, are at
B. enrollment, with a number of students in public schools growing steadily
since the mid-1980's and, at nearly 47 million, reaching
C. enrollment: since students in public schools have grown steadily in
number since the mid-1980's and, at nearly 47 million, have reached
D. enrollment: the number of students in public schools has grown steadily
since the mid-1980's and, at nearly 47 million, has reached
E. enrollment: students in public schools have grown steadily in number
since the mid-1980's and, at nearly 47 million, are at

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Question 4

Although appearing less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket
cousins, heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds saved during the previous year — they
are often green and striped, or have plenty of bumps and bruises — heirlooms are
more flavorful and thus in increasing demand.

A. Although appearing less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket
cousins, heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds saved during the previous year

B. Although heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds saved during the previous year,
appear less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins

C. Although they appear less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket
cousins, heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds saved during the previous year

D. Grown from seeds saved during the previous year, heirloom tomatoes appear less
appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins

E. Heirloom tomatoes, grown from seeds saved during the previous year, although
they appear less appetizing than most of their round and red supermarket cousins

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Answer Key
1. A
2. B
3. D
4. B

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