punctuation workbook -...

PUNCTUATION WORKBOOK

In each sentence below, select the better choice for clarity, grammar, and style.

APOSTROPHES

QUIZ 1 1. “It’s not that I’m afraid to die. I just don’t want to be there when it happens.” Woody Allen, Without Feathers, “Death (A Play)” (1975)

a. It’s b. Its

2. “Do You Always Have to Give Two Weeks’ Notice?” Headline, usnews.com, Mar. 5, 2013

a. Weeks b. Weeks’

3. “In a few months’ time, an all-new Mustang will be revealed and signed off as a 2015 production.” Sunday Star-Times (Wellington, New Zealand), Sept. 8, 2013

a. months b. months’

4. The Hundred Years’ War lasted 116 years.

a. Years b. Years’

5. “Curb Your Enthusiasm became a milestone show because of its mostly improvised format.” mentalfloss.com, June 14, 2016

a. it’s

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b. its QUIZ 2 1. “Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?” Lyric from the 1933 Disney cartoon Three Little Pigs

a. Who’s b. Whose

2. “I’ve been in Who’s Who, and I know what’s what, but it’ll be the first time I ever made the dictionary.” Mae West, after being told that the term “Mae West,” referring to an inflatable life jacket, had been entered into a dictionary; correspondence, 1941

a. Who’s b. Whose

3. It’s the economy, stupid.”

James Carville, Bill Clinton campaign slogan, 1992

a. It’s b. Its

4. Amy Schumer, on her boyfriend: “Ben is the first guy who’s really been my boyfriend. There are guys who, if they heard me say that, would want to punch me in the face, but…it’s the truth.’” Quoted in marieclaire.com, July 11, 2016

a. who’s/ it’s b. whose/ its

5. About Ryan Reynolds: “He’s a movie star who’s aware how absurd it is that he’s a movie star.”

Anna Peele, gq.com, Nov. 14, 2016

a. who’s b. whose

QUIZ 3 1. “The greatest thing about being a comedian is knowing other comedians. And

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you get to talk to them. It’s the most fun.” Jerry Seinfeld, quoted in latimes.com, Nov. 30, 2008

a. It’s b. Its

2. Question: Are you and Garfield learning to kiss upside down? Emma Stone: “We have a very different kiss, but it’s a secret.” Emma Stone, on kissing Andrew Garfield, who played Spiderman in the 2012 film The Amazing Spider-Man; Vogue, Mar. 2011

a. it’s b. its

3. “Each year in the ruins of what was once North America, the Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl… to compete in the Hunger Games.”1 Synopsis quoted in collider.com, Mar. 12, 2012

a. its b. it’s

4. “I don’t feel old. I don’t feel anything till noon. That’s when it’s time for my nap.”

Bob Hope, quoted in Quotable Quotes: Wit and Wisdom from the Greatest Minds of Our Time (2012)

a. its b. it’s

5. “It’s a great honor, but it’s not worth getting hit by a bus.”

Larry David, worrying that bad luck would follow after he received a Writers Guild of America Award; in ft.com [Financial Times], Apr. 6, 2012

a. its b. it’s

BUT

1 The standard spelling for the chief city of a country is capital. Capitol is the spelling of the main city in the Hunger Games.

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QUIZ 1 1. “If man could be crossed with a cat, it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat.”

Mark Twain, Notebook, 1894 a. but b. , but

2. Mark Twain, on being bitten by a poisonous snake in India: “In the very jungle where I killed sixteen tigers and all those elephants, a cobra bit me, but it got well; everyone was surprised…. Usually death would result in fifteen minutes.” Following the Equator, vol. 2, Ch. 21 (1897)

a. but b. , but

3. “A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea (1952)

a. but b. , but

4. Laura Bush, on having an empty nest after the children leave: “Everyone deals with it in different ways. But I told George I thought running for president was a little extreme.”

Speech, August 2000

a. But b. , however

5. “When I was a kid my parents moved a lot, but I always found them.”

Rodney Dangerfield, quoted in Andrew Horton and Joanna E. Rapf, A Companion to Film Comedy (2012)

a. but b. , but

QUIZ 2 1. “Mr. C. had talent, but he couldn’t spel.”

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/e/ernesthemi152926.html

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Artemus Ward, speaking of Chaucer, “At the Tomb of Shakespeare,” in Artemus Ward in London, Ch. 4 (1867)

a. , but b. , however

2. “Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.” Mark Twain, Following the Equator, Ch. 48 (1897)

a. ; but b. , however

3. “I do not know how the Third World War will be fought, but I can tell you what they will use in the Fourth – rocks!”

Albert Einstein, interview, Liberal Judaism, April – May 1949


4. "Ask not what disease the person has, but rather what person the disease has."

Oliver Sacks, Epigraph, An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales (1995)

a. , but b. ; but

5. “I’d like to race against Usain Bolt…. But it’s possible that while I’m still running, he would be doing his post-race interview.”

Woody Allen, quoted in theguardian.com, Aug. 26, 2016

a. But it’s possible b. However it’s possible

QUIZ 3 1. “I would say to the House, as I have said to those who have joined this government: ‘I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.’” Winston Churchill, first speech as prime minister, referring to the war with Germany; May 13, 1940

a. but

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b. , but 2. “We campaign in poetry, but when we’re elected we’re forced to govern in prose.” Mario Cuomo, speech at Yale University, Feb. 15, 1985

a. but b. , but

3. “I’m very fond of women; I admire them. But, like all men, I don’t understand them.”

Frank Sinatra, quoted in Bill Zehme, The Way You Wear Your Hat: Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin’ (1997)

a. But, like all men b. However like all men

4. “I love Dolce & Gabbana. I love Versace. I love the crazy, more eccentric stuff…. I can’t pay my rent, but I’m [expletive] gorgeous.” Lady Gaga, quoted in wmagazine.com, Oct. 2007


5. “I really understand the chagrin that accompanies aging, especially for a woman, but I think that people look funny when they freeze their faces.” Meryl Streep, quoted in Aceshowbiz.com, Jan. 9, 2010

a. , but I think b. , but, I think

COMMAS, COLONS, OR SEMICOLONS

QUIZ 1

1. “Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterwards.” Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanack, June 1738

a. : half b. , half

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2. “A gifted person should learn English (barring spelling and pronunciation) in thirty hours, French in thirty days, and German in thirty years.” Mark Twain, “The Awful German Language,” A Tramp Abroad (1880)

a. hours: b. hours,

3. “If at first you don’t succeed try, try again. Then quit. There’s no use being a damn fool about it.” W. C. Fields, quoted in Reader’s Digest, Sept. 1949

a. try try b. try, try

4. About Stephen Curry’s 3-point record: “The record is an outlier that defies most comparisons, but here is one: It is the equivalent of hitting 103 home runs a Major League Baseball season.” nytimes.com, Apr. 16, 2016

a. one: b. one;

5. About Benedict Cumberbatch: “Sherlock made him a meme; The Imitation Game made him an A-lister; Doctor Strange may yet make him a mega-star.”

Michael Schulman, vanityfair.com, Nov. 2016

a. meme:/ A-lister: b. meme;/ A-lister;

QUIZ 2

1. “Whenever you find that you are on the side of the majority, it is time to reform.”

Mark Twain, Notebook (1905)

a. it b. , it

2. “When the solution is simple, God is answering.” Albert Einstein, quoted in John Brockman, My Einstein (2007)

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a. simple b. simple,

3. “For me, being a mum has been a really, really instinctive thing."

Rachel Weisz, on being a mother; quoted in “Guardian, Aug. 27, 2011

a. really really b. really, really

4. “Never, ever, ever again agree to do anything for any magazine, ever.”

Louis C. K., answering the question “What is your motto?” on a questionnaire, Vanity Fair, January 2013

a. Never ever ever b. Never, ever, ever

5. “I see this in patients all the time. Even though they’ve already tried a dozen diets, none resulting in lasting weight loss, they are still willing to severely restrict calories and cut out entire food groups if it will help them lose weight.” Carrie Dennett, washingtonpost.com, May 6, 2016

a. loss they b. loss, they

QUIZ 3 1. Benjamin Franklin said, “Work as if you were to live 100 years; pray as if you were to die tomorrow.”

Poor Richard’s Amanack, May 1757

a. years: b. years;

2. “Princeton is a wondrous little spot, a quaint and ceremonious village of puny demigods on stilts.” Albert Einstein, letter to Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, Nov. 20, 1933

a. spot. A b. spot, a

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3. Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal.” George F. Will, Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball (1990)

a. holes, or games are b. holes or games, are

4. “He was a tremendous bolt of lightning created by Mother Nature out of thin air, a fantastic combination of power and beauty.” Billy Crystal, describing Muhammad Ali, quoted in nytimes.com, June 10, 2016

a. air. A b. air, a

5. “They might be debt-ridden and living with their parents rather than their significant others, but at 92 million strong, millennials represent the largest portion of the US population.” theguardian.com, June 11, 2016

a. strong b. strong,

QUIZ 4 1. “Drunkenness is a flattering devil, a sweet poison, a pleasant sin.”

St. Augustine; translation by Sir Walter Raleigh

a. devil: a sweet poison: a pleasant sin b. devil, a sweet poison, a pleasant sin

2. “If you are idle, be not solitary; if you are solitary, be not idle.”

Samuel Johnson, letter to James Boswell, Oct. 27, 1779; in James Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson, vol. 2 (1807)

a. idle be not solitary, b. idle, be not solitary;

3. “When angry, count four; when very angry, swear.” Mark Twain, Pudd’nhead Wilson, Ch. 10 (1894)

a. four, b. four;

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4. Man first set foot on the moon in July 1969.

a. July 1969 b. July, 1969

5. “My animals...fill me with awe. I’m in awe, for instance, when my dogs know exactly when it’s time to go and get in the car.”

Ellen DeGeneres, quoted in goodhousekeeping.com, Sept. 10, 2011

a. awe for instance, when b. awe, for instance, when

QUIZ 5 1. Mark Twain, on when not to invest in stocks or other ventures: “There are two times in a man’s life when he should not speculate: when he can’t afford to, and when he can.”

Following the Equator, Ch. 56 (1897)

a. speculate; when b. speculate: when

2. “He’s the best ballet dancer that every lived, and, if I get a good chance, I’ll kill him with my bare hands.”

W.C. Fields, expressing his jealousy of Charlie Chaplain: quoted in Kenneth Tynan, Profiles (1980)

a. lived and if I get a good chance I’ll b. lived, and, if I get a good chance, I’ll

3. "I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered together at the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone," declared President Kennedy.

John Kennedy, speech at a dinner for Nobel Prize winners, April 29, 1962

a. White House with b. White House, with

4. “I was called a terrorist yesterday. But when I came out of jail, many people embraced me, including my enemies.” Nelson Mandela, on “Larry King Live,” May 16, 2000

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a. jail many people embraced me including b. jail, many people embraced me, including

5. “Since the beginning of the great unfinished symphony that is our American experiment, time and time again, immigrants get the job done.” Lin-Manuel Miranda, commencement address at University of Pennsylvania, May 16, 2016

a. experiment time and time again, b. experiment, time and time again,

QUIZ 6 1. “This war, like the next war, is the war to end war.”

British Prime Minister David Lloyd George, speaking of World War I; quoted in Eric Patterson, Ethics Beyond War’s End (2012)

a. This war, like the next war is b. This war, like the next war, is

2. About Marilyn Monroe: “She went by many names. On her birth certificate she is Norma Jeane Mortenson; she was baptized Norma Jeane Baker.”

“50 Things You Didn’t Know about Marilyn,” businessinsider.com, July 31, 2012

a. Mortenson, she was baptized b. Mortenson; she was baptized

3. “In a profession that bristles with angry, bitter performers, Billy Crystal seems like the last happy man.” 60 Minutes, June 15, 2003

a. angry bitter performers b. angry, bitter performers

4. “I mean, I’d basically have trouble with any job that doesn't require me to wear silly clothes and talk in funny voices,” said Natalie Portman.

Interview Magazine, Aug. 27, 2009

a. voices,” b. voices”,

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5. “How did this become your passion, this desire to protect the Earth?” Nicole Kidman, interviewing Marion Cotillard in Interview Magazine, Aug. 2010

a. passion; b. passion,

QUIZ 7 1. “Work as if you were to live 100 years; pray as if you were to die tomorrow.” Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanack, May 1757

a. years: pray b. years; pray

2. “Every generalization is false, including this one.”

Attributed to Mark Twain

a. false; including b. false, including

3. “I think crime pays. The hours are good; you travel a lot.” Woody Allen, in the film Take the Money and Run (1969)

a. good: you b. good; you

4. About the fact that there are many superheroes in Marvel comics: “There are so many Marvel universes, indeed, that some superheroes do not even exist in one another’s worlds, preventing gridlock.” Roger Ebert, review of the 2012 film The Avengers, rogerebert.com, May 2, 2012

a. universes indeed that b. universes, indeed, that

5. “Comic books have always been something I have zero interest in, like making my own food or cleaning up after myself.” Chelsea Handler, in the Netflix series Chelsea, Series 1, Episode 3: “Dinner Party: Captain America & Friends” (2016)

a. in, like b. in; like

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QUIZ 8

1. “These days I settle for feeling only 85 percent sure about most things, most of the time. I believe this is keeping me sane…. In fact, I’m 85 percent sure of it.” Elizabeth Gilbert, O, The O Magazine, Nov. 2008

a. In fact I’m b. In fact, I’m

2. “Then I read something that one of my heroes, Edwin Land of Polaroid, said about the importance of people who could stand at the intersection of humanities and sciences, and I decided that’s what I wanted to do.” Steve Jobs, quoted in Walter Isaacson, The Innovators, introduction (2011)

a. one of my heroes, Edwin Land, of Polaroid b. one of my heroes, Edwin Land of Polaroid,

3. About the dating site Tinder: “There are now about one million Tinder users in New York, the largest market in the country.” Alan Feuer, “On Tinder, Taking a Swipe at Love, or Sex, or Something, in New York,” nytimes.com, Feb. 13, 2015

a. New York; the largest b. New York, the largest

4. “Princess Charlotte, the newborn daughter of Britain’s Prince William and his wife, Kate, will be christened in a private ceremony next month.” AP, June 5, 2015

a. wife Kate b. wife, Kate,

5. “When you visualize something, you have to commit and put in the work.” Beyoncé, interviewed in elle.com, Apr. 5, 2016

a. something you b. something, you

COMMAS WITH WORDS THAT BEGIN WITH WH-

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QUIZ 1 1. “It is a pity that Chaucer, who had geneyus, was so unedicated. He’s the wuss speller I know of.” Artemus Ward, “At the Tomb of Shakespeare,” in Artemus Ward in London, Ch. 4 (1867)

a. Chaucer who b. Chaucer, who

2. “War talk by men who have been in a war is always interesting; whereas moon talk by a poet who has not been in the moon is likely to be dull.”

Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi, Ch. 45 (1883)

a. men who b. men, who

3. “Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.” Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See (1990)

a. human beings who b. human beings, who

4. About Jon Stewart’s announcement that he would leave The Daily Show: “He may be that odd celebrity who says he is taking time off to spend with his family and actually means it. ‘I’m going to have dinner on a school night with my family, who I have heard from multiple sources are lovely people,’ he said in his announcement.’” David Carr, “Kings of Their Crafts, but on Divergent Paths,” nytimes.com, Feb. 11, 2015

a. celebrity, who says/ my family who b. celebrity who says/ my family, who

5. About Rihanna and Drake: “After the concert the two went together to the West Hollywood lounge The Nice Guy, where they reportedly danced and seemed affectionate.” newsday.com, May 5, 2016

a. The Nice Guy where b. The Nice Guy, where

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QUIZ 2

1. “Fame….makes my life not boring, which is cool.” Leonardo DiCaprio, quoted in Rolling Stone interview, March 2, 2000

a. boring which b. , boring, which

2. “Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.” Steve Jobs, commencement address at Stanford University, June 12, 2005

a. dogma which b. dogma, which

3. “A great social success is a pretty girl who plays her cards as carefully as if she were plain.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald, letter to his daughter, Nov. 18, 1938

a. a pretty girl who b. a pretty girl, who

4. About Woody Allen on the red carpet at the Cannes Film festival: “Mr. Allen traded in his customary sneakers for dress shoes and a tuxedo for his latest tour on the carpet, where he was joined by his wife, Soon-Yi, and his stars, Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg.” Manohla Dargis in nytimes.com, May 12, 2016

a. carpet where b. carpet, where

5. About Emma Stone: She remains the sort of person who can get nervous about a formal gala, who finds the ritual of posing on the red carpet more than a little strange.”

vogue.com, Oct. 14, 2016 a. person who b. person, who

HOWEVER, MOREOVER

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QUIZ 1

1. “You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be.”

Winston Churchill, speech, House of Commons, May 13, 1940

a. however b. however,

2. “I had known for some time that I had shapely breasts and thought nothing of the fact. The math class, however, was more impressed.”

Marilyn Monroe, Marilyn Monroe and Ben Hecht, My Story, Ch. 3 (1974)

a. however, b. , however,

3. "Science is much more than a body of knowledge. It is a way of thinking. This is central to its success. Science…urges on us a fine balance between no-holds-barred openness to new ideas, however heretical, and the most rigorous skeptical scrutiny of everything.” Carl Sagan, “Why We Need to Understand Science,” in Parade Magazine. Sept. 10, 1989

a. ,however heretical, b. , however, heretical,

4. “However, this is You-Know-Who we're dealing with, so we can't just rely on him getting the date wrong."

J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007)

a. However b. However,

5. Beam me up, Scotty” was never spoken in the original Star Trek TV series. However, the 1968 “Gamesters of Triskelion” did include a line that was very similar to it.”

Maria Konnikova, theatlantic.com, Aug. 2012


QUIZ 2

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1. “It is “It is awfully hard work doing nothing. However, I don’t mind hard work.” Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, Act 1 (1895)


2. “My disabilities have not been a significant handicap in my field, which is theoretical physics… I have managed, however, only because of the large amount of help I’ve received from my wife, children, colleagues and students.” Stephen Hawking, who suffers from ALS; quoted in “Handicapped People and Science,” Science Digest 92, Sept. 1984

a. however b. , however,

3. "Before Dumbledore could speak another word, however, the door of the office flew open with an almighty bang and Hagrid burst in a wild look in his eyes his balaclava perched on top of his shaggy black head and the dead rooster still swinging from his hand.” J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Ch. 12 (1998)


4. “I think perfect objectivity is an unrealistic goal; fairness, however, is not.” Michael Pollan, interviewed in michaelpollan.com, Jan. 4, 2004


5. “Evolution has ensured that our brains just aren’t equipped to visualize 11 dimensions directly. However, from a purely mathematical point of view, it’s just as easy to think in 11 dimensions as it is to think in three or four.”

Stephen Hawking, quoted in theguardian.com, Sept. 27, 2005


QUIZ 3 1. “Toto played all day long, and Dorothy played with him, and loved him dearly. Today, however, they were not playing… Suddenly Uncle Henry stood up. ‘There’s a cyclone coming, Em,’ he called to his wife.”

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L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Ch. 1 (1900)


2. “You must walk. It is a long journey through a country that is sometimes pleasant and sometimes dark and terrible. However, I will use all the magic arts I know of to keep you from harm.” The Good Witch of the North speaking with Dorothy, Ch. 2, Ibid.


3. What Harry found most unusual about life at Ron's, however, wasn't the talking mirror or the clanking ghoul: It was the fact that everybody there seemed to like him.”

J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998)


4. “However, the fact that you are graduating from Harvard suggests that you are not very well acquainted with failure.”

J.K. Rowling, Commencement Address at Harvard, June 5, 2008


5. How Gwyneth Paltrow felt when Chris Martin dated Jennifer Lawrence? “Gwyneth is very happy for Chris…. Moreover, Gwyneth ‘can see why Jennifer is a good match for Chris.”

eonline.com, Aug. 22, 2014

a. Moreover b. Moreover,

HYPHENS QUIZ 1 1. Mark Twain, describing a lady he sat next to on a train: “She was old enough to be a great-grandmother to Mary that had the little lamb.”

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“Mark Twain in a Railroad Car,” Amador Dispatch (Jackson, California), Dec. 30, 1871

a. great grandmother b. great-grandmother

2. About Bill and Melinda Gates: “Melinda worried about marrying Bill…. Both Melinda and Bill, in fact, questioned whether his conquer-the-world capitalist nature could coexist with a family.”

Fortune magazine, Jan. 7, 2008

a. conquer-the-world capitalist b. conquer-the-world-capitalist

3. About the frigid winter of 2015 in much of the United States: “We have reached the 69th day of winter. It seems like the 6,669th day. Pretty much the same nonsense is reprised day after day: miserable, punishing, obnoxious, teeth-rattling, bone-numbing weather; unmitigated, merciless, are- you-kidding-me cold.”2 N. R. Kleinfield, nytimes.com, Feb. 27, 2015

a. teeth-rattling, bone-numbing weather/ are-you-kidding-me cold b. teeth-rattling, bone-numbing-weather/ are-you-kidding-me-cold

4. “Max Scherzer’s amazing outings in his last two starts prompted much speculation that they were the best consecutive starts ever. A 16-strikeout, complete-game one-hitter, followed by a near-perfect game…is as dazzling a pair of starts as you will find in baseball.” Victor Mather, nytimes.com, June 25, 2105

a. complete-game one-hitter/ near-perfect game b. complete-game-one-hitter/ near-perfect-game

5. A question for George Takei, who played Sulu on the original Star Trek: “You’ve had a not-so-private feud with your Star Trek costar William Shatner for years now. Last year…you called him ‘self-centered.’ What is behind this tension?” Taffy Brodesser-Akner, “George Takei is Out for Justice,” nytimes.com, June 16, 2015

a. self centered b. self-centered

2 Punctuation has been edited.

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QUIZ 2 1. When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant, I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.” Attributed to Twain, though Twain was eleven when his father died.

a. twenty one b. twenty-one

2. The nineteenth–century song “The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze” celebrated the circus performer Jules Leotard, after whom the leotard was named.

a. nineteenth–century song b. nineteenth–century song,

3. “Reality has a well-known liberal bias.” Stephen Colbert, White House Correspondents’ Assoc. Dinner, Apr. 29, 2006

a. well known b. well-known

4. a great band is more than just some people working together. It’s like a highly specialized Army unit, or a winning sports team.” Stephen Van Zandt, quoted in nj.com, June 26, 2011

a. highly specialized Army unit. b. highly-specialized Army unit

5. About the breakup between Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy: “One of the great cross-species power couples of show biz will no longer be an item when ABC’s new prime-time revival of The Muppets premieres on Sept. 22.”

Peter Sblendorio and David Hinckley, “Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy End Their Relationship,” nydailynews.com, Aug. 4, 2015

a. cross species power couples b. cross-species power couples

QUOTATION MARKS QUIZ 1

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1. “When shall we three meet again?

In thunder lightning or in rain?” Macbeth, Act I, Scene 1 (1606)

a. rain?” b. rain”?

2. “Edison wrote: ‘The average American loves his family. If he has any love left over for some other person, he generally selects Mark Twain.’” Mark Twain, “Compliments and Degrees,” speech in New York, Jan. 11, 1908

a. Twain.’” b. Twain‘.”

3. “Moral courage…is the one essential, vital quality of those who seek to change a world which yields most painfully to change.”

Robert Kennedy. speech in Cape Town, South Africa, June 6, 1966

a. change.” b. change”.

4. On the first broadcast of the Colbert Report Stephen Colbert invented the word “truthiness” to describe the natural human desire to ignore facts and believe whatever your gut tells you.

a. truthiness b. “truthiness”

5. “I’m dating a homeless woman…. It was easier talking her into staying over.” Gary Shandling, quoted in nytimes.com, Mar. 25, 2016

a. over.” b. over”.

QUIZ 2 1. The first known protest on an American college campus occurred at Harvard in 1766, when students complained that “the butter stinketh.” Corydon Ireland, “Harvard’s Long-ago Student Risings,” Harvard Gazette, April 19, 2012

a. complained that “the butter stinketh.”

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b. complained, that “the butter stinketh”. 2. The Lord God is subtle,” said Einstein, “but malicious He is not.”

Remark made in May 1921, quoted in Philipp Frank, Einstein: His Life and Times (1947)

a. subtle”, b. subtle,”

3. “I do not care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members,” wrote Groucho Marx in his letter of resignation from the Friar’s Club. Quoted in Look Magazine, March 28, 1950 y

a. members”, wrote Groucho Marx b. members,” wrote Groucho Marx

4. “I will take the Ring,” he said, “though I do not know the way.”

Frodo, in J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, (1954) bk. 2, Ch. 2

a. Ring”, he said, b. Ring,” he said,

5. After watching Yankees Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris repeatedly hit back to-back home runs, Yogi Berra remarked, “It’s déjà vu all over again.”

Quoted in Forbes, July 15, 1985

a. remarked “It’s déjà vu all over again”. b. remarked, “It’s déjà vu all over again.”

QUIZ 3 1. “We are all beggars, each in his own way.” Mark Twain: The Autobiography of Mark Twain, vol. 3. page 1584. Gabriel Wells (1923)

a. way”. b. way.”

2. “I have always been fond of the West African proverb ‘Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.’”3

Theodore Roosevelt, correspondence, Jan. 26, 1900

3 Roosevelt placed a colon after proverb.

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a. you will go far’.” b. you will go far.’”

3. “The realm of Sauron is ended!" said Gandolf. “The Ring-bearer has fulfilled his Quest."

J. R. R. Tolkien, The Return of the King (1955), Bk. 6, Ch. 4

a. is ended!" said Gandolf. b. is ended!", said Gandolf.

4. “We have to believe in free will. We’ve got no other choice.” Isaac Bashevis Singer, Times (London), June 21, 1982

a. choice”! b. choice.”

5. On Seinfeld, who said, “No soup for you”?

a. “No soup for you”? b. “No soup for you?”

QUIZ 4 1. "For years I have let dentists ride roughshod over my teeth: I have been sawed, hacked, chopped, whittled, bewitched, bewildered, tattooed, and signed on again; but this is cuspid’s last stand.”

S. J. Perelman, “Nothing but the Tooth,” Crazy Like a Fox (1944)

a. stand”. b. stand.”

2. Ben “Bugsy” Siegel, a charismatic and feared mobster, played a major part in developing Las Vegas.

a. Ben Bugsy Siegel b. Ben “Bugsy” Siegel

3. Martin Luther King Jr., wrote, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

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Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength to Love (1977), Ch. 5

a. wrote b. wrote,

4. “I’ve learned as much from Cézanne as I have from Woody Guthrie.” Bob Dylan, quoted in Clinton Heylin, Bob Dylan: Behind the Shades (1991)

a. Guthrie”. b. Guthrie.”

5. Beyoncé has insisted that girls “run the world” and declared, “I’m not bossy; I’m the boss.”

Sheryl Sandberg, Time, May 5-12, 2014

a. declared “I’m not bossy

declared, “I’m not bossy

VARIOUS PUNCTUATION MARKS QUIZ 1 1. “A home without a cat – and a well-fed, well-petted, and properly revered cat – may be a perfect home, perhaps, but how can it prove title?”

Mark Twain, Pudd’nhead Wilson, Ch. 1 (1894)

a. a well-fed, well-petted, and properly revered cat b. a well-fed, well-petted, and properly-revered cat

2. “Be careful about reading health books; you may U.” Attributed to Mark Twain in Alex Ayres, Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain (2010), “Health”

a. books, you may b. books; you may

3. “Do not tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly don't tell them where they know the fish.”

Mark Twain, ibid.

a. where the people know you: but particularly

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b. where the people know you; but particularly 4. Seinfeld had a motto: “No learning, no hugging.” Larry David, quoted in Bruce Handy, “Television: It’s All About Timing,” Time, Jan. 12, 1998

a. Seinfeld had a motto: b. Seinfeld had a motto;

5. “U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team Applauded by Broadway’s Hamilton”

Headline, hollywoodreporter.com, Aug. 24, 2016

a. Women’s b. Womens’

QUIZ 2 1. “Adam was not alone in the Garden of Eden, however, and does not deserve all the credit; much is due to Eve, the first woman, and Satan, the first consultant.”

Mark Twain, Notebook (1867)

a. , however/ all the credit, much is due to Eve b. , however,/ all the credit; much is due to Eve

2. “Edna Mae Taylor, now 22 months pregnant, will be resigning as choir director next month.”

Jim Kraus, Bloopers, Blunders, Jokes, Quips & Quotes (2005)

a. 22 months pregnant b. 22 months’ pregnant

3. “I wanted to go [to Iran] – just for research – very badly. I really wanted to be accurate. The studio, however, said, ‘This is a bad idea.’” Ben Affleck, on wanting to research his 2012 film Argo; quoted in interviewmagazine.com, Oct. 2012

a. said, “This is a bad idea.” b. said, ‘This is a bad idea.’”

4. “Why do they call it rush hour when nothing moves?”

Robin Williams, quoted in nypost.com. Aug. 12, 2014

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a. moves”? b. moves?”

5. “Someone asked Michelle Williams what the difference was between celebrity in Marilyn Monroe’s time and now. And she said, ‘One word: Internet.’”

Eddie Redmayne, quoted in nytimes.com, Jan. 23, 2015

a. And she said, ‘One word: Internet.’” b. And she said, One word: Internet.”

QUIZ 3 1. "I have, all my life long, been lying till noon; yet I tell all young men, and tell them with great sincerity, that nobody who does not rise early will ever do any good.” Samuel Johnson, Sept. 14, 1773; quoted in James Boswell, Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides (1785)

a. I tell all young men and tell them with great sincerity, b. I tell all young men, and tell them with great sincerity,

2. “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” Mark Twain attributed this to British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli; “Chapters from My Autobiography,” North American Review, July 5, 1907

a. three kinds of lies: b. three kinds of lies,

3. “Everything is changing: people are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke.”4 Will Rogers, quoted in The Will Rogers Scrapbook, ed. Bryan B. Sterling (1988)

a. Everything is changing: b. Everything is changing;

4. “It is hard, if not impossible, to snub a beautiful woman; they remain beautiful and the rebuke recoils.”

Winston Churchill, Savrola (1900; 1956 ed.)

a. to snub a beautiful woman; they remain beautiful b. to snub a beautiful woman, they remain beautiful

4 The original quote has a period, not a semicolon.

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5. “Liberty without learning is always in peril; and learning without liberty is always in vain.” John F. Kennedy, speech at Vanderbilt University, May 1963

a. is always in peril: and b. is always in peril; and

QUIZ 3 1. “Work as if you were to live 100 years; pray as if you were to die tomorrow.” Ben Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanack, May 1757

a. 100 years: pray as if b. 100 years; pray as if

2. “I will be conquered; I will not capitulate.” Samuel Johnson, speaking of his illness in Nov. 1784; quoted in James Boswell, Life of Samuel Johnson (1791)

a. I will be conquered; b. I will be conquered,

3. “With educated people, I suppose, punctuation is a matter of rule; with me it is a matter of feeling.” President Abraham Lincoln, winter 1864-65; quoted in Noah Brooks, “Personal Reminiscences of Lincoln,” Scribner’s Monthly, Feb. 1878

a. a matter of rule: with me b. a matter of rule; with me

4. “I must say that I have a great respect for the semicolon; it’s a useful little chap.”

Ibid. a. the semicolon; it’s b. the semicolon, it’s

5. “A single Beyoncé video is capable of staggering the senses; the simultaneous release of 17 of them…was a lot to process.” Jody Rosen, tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com, June 3, 2014

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a. staggering the senses; the simultaneous release b. staggering the senses, the simultaneous release

QUIZ 4 1. “The man who is a pessimist before 48 knows too much; if he is an optimist after it, he knows too little.” Mark Twain, Notebook, Dec. 1902

a. 48 knows too much:/ after it he b. 48 knows too much;/ after it, he

2. “We've never been cool; we’re hot. Irish people are Italians who can't dress, Jamaicans who can't dance.”

Bono, quoted in Independent, Feb. 26, 2001

a. cool, we’re hot b. cool; we’re hot

3. “I’m the classic absent-minded professor: I’m very focused on something, and meanwhile, I’ve left the refrigerator door open for hours.” Jewel, in Darla Atlas, “Hearts of Texas,” People, Sept. 3, 2007

a. professor;/ meanwhile I’ve b. professor:/ meanwhile, I’ve

4. Jennifer Lawrence, on feminism: "I don't know why that word is so scary to people; it shouldn't be, because it just means equality.” harpersbazaar.com, Apr. 7, 2016

a. scary to people, it b. scary to people; it

5. “Compatibility is an achievement of love; it must not be its precondition.”

Alain de Botton, nytimes.com, May 28, 2016

a. love: it b. love; it

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QUIZ 5 1. “I don’t have to be who you want me to be; I’m free to be who I want.” Muhammad Ali, after he won his first heavyweight boxing title, quoted in nytimes.com, June 4, 2016

a. to be, I’m free b. to be; I’m free

2. “Every writing teacher gives the subliminal message, every time they teach: ‘Your life counts for something.’ In no other subject that I know of is that message given.” Roger Rosenblatt, quoted in csmonitor.com, Feb. 3, 2011

a. ‘Your life counts for something.’ b. “Your life counts for something.”

3. “As you navigate through the rest of your life, be open to collaboration. Other people and other people’s ideas are often better than your own.”

Amy Poehler, commencement address at Harvard, May 25, 2011

a. life be open b. life, be open

4. About Emmy Rossum: “At eighteen, she starred in the movie version of The Phantom of the Opera. She recorded albums. And then she got a big show: Shameless, the raucous Showtime dramedy.” Ryan D’Agostino, esquire.com, Dec. 9, 2013

a. a big show: Shameless b. a big show. Shameless

5. On computer programming: “Programming is a little bit like [writing] poetry: you’re trying to express as much as possible in as little space and as efficiently as you can.” Paul Ford, writer and programmer, on Charlie Rose, PBS, June 11, 2015

a. poetry: you’re trying b. poetry, you’re trying

QUIZ 6

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1. “Husbands should be like Kleenex: soft, strong, and disposable.” Mrs. White in the 1985 film Clue (imdb.com)

a. like Kleenex: b. like Kleenex;

2. 4. “An unemployed graphic designer named Charlie Schmidt recorded his cat Fatso playing a keyboard in 1986. It wasn't until 2009, however, that Fatso–by then deceased –gained fame on YouTube as ‘Keyboard Cat.’”

nytimes.com, June 8, 2013

a. 2009, however b. 2009, however,

3. “In her first book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou, who died May 28 at 86, tells the story of her life up to the age of 17.”

Time, June 9, 2014

a. her first book b. her first book,

4. “Allure Cover Girl Rachel McAdams’s Beauty Secrets”

Headline, allure,com, July 22, 2014

a. McAdams b. McAdams’s

5. “The premise is simple: Smell dating sends you a white cotton tee, which participants are required to wear for three days…. If two people connect via scent and like the smell of each other’s shirt, contact information can be exchanged.” On a smell-dating service, nydailynews.com, Mar. 30, 2016

a. The premise is simple: b. The premise is simple;

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