Improve punctuation with this quiz.
Welcome to the Punctuation Quiz!
 Follow the prompts and answer the questions
provided.
 Keep track of your incorrect answers—at the end of
the quiz are links for your continued improvement.
 Good luck!
Punctuation Quiz
choose a question block
Semicolon
Comma
Quotation
Marks
Parentheses
Colon
Various
$100
$100
$100
$100
$100
$100
$200
$200
$200
$200
$200
$200
$300
$300
$300
$300
$300
$300
$400
$400
$400
$400
$400
$400
$500
$500
$500
$500
$500
$500
Click here to end the quiz
Semicolon for $100
 Which of the sentences is
correct?
A. The meeting ran long, so
I missed dinner; and the
movie.
B. The Skittles were
colorful; and yummy!
C. The snow accumulated
quickly; it won’t be fun
shoveling it all.
D. None of the above
Semicolon for $200
 Which of the sentences is
correct?
A. We visited San Diego,
CA; Boston, MA; and
Orlando, FL.
B. We traveled to Boston in
the fall; beautiful leaves!
C. Our next stop is Green
Bay, WI and; we hope
that it won’t be too cold.
D. All of the above
Semicolon for $300
 Which of the sentences is
not correct?
A. The science lab was
closed for cleaning; I
wonder when it will
reopen.
B. Julie is sick; will you visit
her?
C. Rob sent his grades to the
university; however, he
hasn’t heard back yet.
D. All are correct
Semicolon for $400
 Which of the sentences is
not correct?
A. Theo ran the party; his
sister was the guest of
honor.
B. Ginny burned dinner
however; everyone still
ate it.
C. Ben coached his team to
a victory; afterward, they
partied at Pizza Hut.
D. All are correct
Semicolon for $500
 Which of the sentences is
correct?
A. Our respective birth days
are June 20, 1993; August
25, 1995; and March 5,
1988.
B. Between the two of us, I
voted for Ruth; she didn’t
win, however.
C. Both A and B are correct
D. Neither are correct
Comma for $100
 Which of the following is
NOT a comma rule?
A. Use commas between
geographical names
(locations)
B. Use commas between
back-to-back adjectives
C. Use commas with direct
address
D. Use commas when
separating two complete
thoughts without using a
conjunction.
Comma for $200
 Which of the following
uses a comma properly?
A. Uncle Bill please pass,
the gravy.
B. On January 9, 2011 I
began a new semester.
C. The fragile red antique
Grecian urn caught my
attention.
D. It was raining, not
flurrying, last Thursday.
Comma for $300
 Which of the following is a
comma splice?
A. The new grocery store
sells pickled beets, and
pickled sausage.
B. I was astonished, but I
worked through the
amazement.
C. The next convention is in
New Orleans, Lousiana,
in April.
D. Shirley, Kara, and Mike
planned the vacation.
Comma for $400
 Which of the following is a
run-on sentence,
misusing the comma?
A. Monday and Tuesday are
my busiest days of the
week.
B. Prof. Banner taught
chemistry before his
physics class.
C. The friends decided on a
game, however, no one
was willing to go first.
D. None of the above
Comma for $500
 Which of the following is
NOT a comma rule?
A. Use a comma when
listing items of three or
more.
B. Use a comma when
directly contradicting or
contrasting something.
C. Use commas in place of
parenthesis sometimes.
D. None of the above
Quotation Marks for $100
 Which of the following is a
rule for proper quotation
mark usage?
A. Use quotation marks
when naming a short
story title.
B. Use quotation marks
when naming a novel
title.
C. Use quotation marks
when naming a drama
(play) title.
D. None of the above
Quotation Marks for $200
 Which of the following
uses quotation marks
correctly?
A. Dan sailed on “The
Dauntless” when he
visited England.
B. Our class read “The
Scarlet Letter” in a week.
C. “Khaki Dreams” is the
latest hit from the band
Unanimous.
D. None of the above
Quotation Marks for $300
 Which of the following
uses quotation marks
and punctuation
correctly?
A. Jefferson wrote that “all
men are created equal”.
B. “The war ended on
June 5, 1330”. (David 45)
C. “Reach for the stars,”
she said, “and don’t let
go when you get one.”
D. None of the above
Quotation Marks for $400
 Which of the following
uses quotation marks
correctly?
A. “The Cask of
Amontillado,” by Poe, is
one of my favorites.
B. William Blake’s “Tyger” is
quoted in CBS’s show
The Mentalist.
C. Donald ran through the
“field and into the barn.”
D. All of the above
Quotation Marks for $500
 Which of the following is
not a rule for using
quotation marks?
A. Use quotation marks
when naming a poem.
B. Use quotation marks
when naming a boat.
C. Use quotation marks
when quoting, word for
word.
D. None of the above
Parentheses for $100
 Which of the following
uses parentheses
correctly?
A. Tonya (asked) Johnny
about the homework.
B. Ruth said (The longest
lab exam I’ve had took 3
hours!)
C. Edna tutored (and
taught) chemistry for a
few months.
D. All of the above
Parentheses for $200
 Which of the following
uses parentheses
correctly?
A. Grandma shared her
(experience) with the
group.
B. The football team
(known for hard tackles)
won the game.
C. Success is a journey,
(not) a destination.
D. None of the above
Parentheses for $300
 Which of the following
uses parentheses
incorrectly?
A. Suzy’s brother (Sean) is
mistaken for her twin.
B. After the fieldtrip (in May),
I realized my love for
Monticello.
C. Define the word first;
(then) you can understand
it.
D. All of the above
Parentheses for $400
 Which of the following
uses parentheses and
punctuation correctly in
the in-text citation?
A. “Live and let die”
(McCartney, 83).
B. Those who mind don’t
matter, and those who
matter don’t mind.
(Johnson 12)
C. Time stands still; I guess it
always will (Lewis 65).
D. All of the above
Parentheses for $500
 Which of the following
uses parentheses
incorrectly?
A. To Kill a Mockingbird was a
blockbuster release in
(1962).
B. It is better to give (or so
they say) than to receive.
C. My (lame) cell phone
drops service in the
parking lot.
D. All of the above
Colon for $100
 Which of the following
uses the colon correctly?
A. I enjoy only one type of
music: jazz.
B. For the trip, pack:
Gatorade, trail mix,
chocolate bars, water, and
a deck of cards.
C. Store employees could use
some advice: smile more!
D. All of the above
Colon for $200
 Which of the following
uses the colon correctly?
A. Polly always scores higher
than Janet: yet Janet
practices every day.
B. When the phone rang: the
tone almost lulled me to
sleep.
C. Technology should be
more efficient: my
computer crashes too
often.
D. None of the above
Colon for $300
 Which of the following uses A. The test was horrific: I
the colon incorrectly?
failed even though I
studied.
B. Jim’s computer froze: and
he was in the middle of an
assignment.
C. Malinda should bring:
tissues.
D. All of the above
Colon for $400
 Which of the following uses A. Here is the question: to be
the colon incorrectly?
or not to be?
B. Arthur’s discovery changed
aerodynamics: he is a
genius!
C. Zach has lived in:
Montreal, Canada; Dallas,
Texas; Baltimore,
Maryland; and Winchester,
Virginia.
D. None of the above
Colon for $500
 Which of the following uses A. Being humble does not
the colon correctly?
mean that you think less of
yourself: it means that you
think of yourself less.
B. Be who you are, because
those you mind don’t
matter: and those who
matter don’t mind.
C. Both of the above
D. Neither of the above
Various Punctuation for $100
 Which of the following
correctly uses a
question mark?
A. I wonder when the next
phone will be released?
B. I am thinking that the
trip might be cancelled
due to rain?
C. Duncan said what?
D. None of the above
Various Punctuation for $200
 Which of the following
correctly uses a dash?
A. Too much rain causes
floods—too little rain
causes drought.
B. Give this to the lady—at
the desk.
C. Hail forms in different
sizes—and shapes.
D. None of the above
Various Punctuation for $300
 Which of the following
correctly uses an
exclamation point?
A. Egyptians mummified
their deceased!
B. When will the deadline
be set!
C. I won the trophy!
D. None of the above
Various Punctuation for $400
 Which of the following
correctly uses italics?
A. We sailed the Sloop John
B.
B. Look to the left; that is
my mon amie.
C. Clancy’s novel, Patriot
Games, was turned into a
movie.
D. All of the above
Various Punctuation for $500
 Which of the following
correctly uses italics?
A. The poem Chicago, by Carl
Sandburg, is a classic.
B. He has a certain je ne sais
quoi about him.
C. The “Queen Mum,” a
British fleet ship, is
retiring in May.
D. None of the above
Correct!
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Results
 Count your errors; click on the area in which you made the
most mistakes?
 Semicolon
 Comma
 Quotation Marks
 Parentheses
 Colon
 Various Punctuation