ATI TEAS Guide To English & Language Usage | Punctuation Question Review

Choice D is an example of direct dialogue with proper use of quotation marks. In choice C, the quotation marks are incorrectly omitted, and choice A incorrectly uses single quotation marks. Choice B, an example of an indirect quote, does not need quotation marks.

Choice A provides the only example of a sentence that is punctuated correctly. In this sentence, the direct quote from Jake Barnes is enclosed within double quotation marks, and the ending punctuation, a period, preceded the final quotation marks.

To punctuate this sentence properly, the conjunctive adverb therefore that connects the two independent clauses must be preceded by a semicolon and followed by a comma. Therefore, only choice B is correct.

The properly punctuated sentence, choice C, separates the dependent clause that begins the sentence from the independent clause in the latter part of the sentence with a comma. The other sentences are incorrect because choice A omits the comma, choice B creates a sentence fragment, and choice D uses a semicolon without two independent clauses.

Only choice B provides an example of an apostrophe used correctly, since season’s shows possession and requires this mark of punctuation. Choices A and C are examples of contractions requiring apostrophes, but they are incorrectly used in place of the pronouns its and their. Choice D contains an unnecessary apostrophe since the plural form Andersons is needed.

Choice A is an example of a correctly punctuated sentence in which the dependent clause is separated from the independent clause by a comma. Choice B creates a sentence fragment, and choice D incorrectly omits the comma. A semicolon is not necessary in choice C, as the two clauses are not both independent.

Choice A is the only correctly punctuated sentence because a comma is needed to separate the dependent and independent clauses. Choice B incorrectly features a period after the dependent clause and a capital D to begin a new sentence, while choice C incorrectly has no punctuation after the dependent clause, and choice D has a semicolon after the dependent clause.

Since a hyphen should be used following the prefixes all-, ex-, and self-, choice A is the correct answer. Choices B, C, and D incorrectly hyphenate compound nouns that should be written in closed form as one word.