ANSWER KEY: HOMEWORK #1 PUNCTUATION AND TRANSITIONS
1) Insert commas as needed in the following sentences. Name the rule you applied to punctuate
the sentence correctly.
_7_1_4_ White glue is the most useful, all-purpose adhesive for light constructions, but it cannot
be used on projects that will be exposed to moisture, high temperature, or great stress.
__2____ The people, who were talking about space, are outside.
__2____ The manager, knowing that the workers weren’t fixed in old ways, took the opportunity
to make changes.
__3__2_ With MSS, even an Idaho lumberjack, who uses a cellular terminal, can receive and
transmit messages.
__1____ There is a new business trend, and it is called globalization.
__3____ Because of a radical shift in the balance of global economic power, companies all over
the world are playing.
__4____ The new products we were considering include calculators, scanners, and cameras.
_no fix__ Years ago fathers taught only their sons to shake hands because it was considered a
required masculine gesture.
__3__7_ Today, women frequently extend their hands first to eliminate any hesitation an unsure,
inexperienced man might have to shake hands.
2) Punctuate the following sentences correctly using semicolons, colons, and dashes, as
necessary. Name the rule you’ve applied to punctuate the sentence.
My favorite ice cream flavors are: rocky road, fudge ripple, and freezer scum.
REWRITE. You cannot put a colon between a verb and its object. Colons require a complete
sentence:
I have three favorite ice cream flavors: rocky road, fudge ripple, and freezer scum.
No one told me life would be hard – however – I soon found out.
FIX. Demonstrates improper use of dashes:
No one told me life would be hard; however, I soon found out.
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ANSWER KEY: HOMEWORK #1 PUNCTUATION AND TRANSITIONS
The traffic made us late for dinner: we'd lost our reserved table by the time we arrived.
FIX. The relationship between the two sentences is not introductory or emphasis (colon), but
strongly connected (semicolon); therefore use a semicolon not a colon.
The traffic made us late for dinner; we'd lost our reserved table by the time we arrived.
I hope they don't try to: beat him up, take his money, or steal his car.
FIX. You cannot put a colon between a preposition and its object. Colons require a complete
sentence:
They could do several things: beat him up, take his money, or steal his car.
The only thing my dog is truly passionate about is: chasing squirrels.
FIX. You cannot put a colon between a verb and its object. Colons require a complete sentence:
About only one thing is my dog truly passionate: chasing squirrels.
Conflicts arose in the meeting with devastating effects: half the staff walked off the job.
Perfect as is: no fix necessary. The colon emphasizes what follows.
Kindness costs nothing, even so, it comes back to you tenfold.
FIX. Demonstrates comma splice (improper comma use).
Kindness costs nothing; even so, it comes back to you tenfold.
Please bring the following containers and tools a one pint closeable dish such as a margarine tub, a
one quart container such as a Tupperware bowl, a five gallon container such as a bucket, and a
mixing tool such as a trowel.
FIX. Need colon to present the list. Then need to separate the list elements using semicolons. Need
to separate each list element from its parenthetical information that’s been included.
Please bring the following containers and tools: a one pint closeable dish, such as a margarine
tub; a one quart container, such as a Tupperware bowl; a five gallon container, such as a bucket;
and a mixing tool, such as a trowel.
3) Decide whether and where to place an apostrophe in the following sentences.
Where is Freddy’s dinner?
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ANSWER KEY: HOMEWORK #1 PUNCTUATION AND TRANSITIONS
The chair has lost one of its legs.
Is this fly swatter yours?
Give the tourists’ luggage back to them.
The program’s functionality is fairly narrow.
The windows all feature a similar look.
Gretta’s laptop gives her the hiccups.
It’s impossible to hear over all this racket.
The players’ helmets were lost on the bus.
The trees’ branches beat on the window in the rain. (plural trees possession)
or
The tree’s branches beat on the window in the rain. (singular trees possession)
Time to trim your hair.
Where is their bathroom?
It’s a nice day.
It’s important not to use expletives.
You’re late for the last time.
They’re made from giant carrots.
The companies’ product would be the best fit for your needs.
(plural companies possession. Note if singular, then it would be“company’s product”)
4) Why is the comma rule in a series not optional in technical writing?
____________________________________________________________________________
In technical writing, serial commas are most commonly used to avoid ambiguity that can result in
omitting the comma before the last item in a series.
Random House, Bantam, Doubleday and Dell were individual publishing companies.
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ANSWER KEY: HOMEWORK #1 PUNCTUATION AND TRANSITIONS
Does Doubleday and Dell refer to one company or two? So put in that serial comma.
Random House, Bantam, Doubleday, and Dell were individual publishing companies.
____________________________________________________________________________
5) When typing, how do you differentiate a hyphen from a dash?
______ A dash is typed using two hyphens _________________________________________
6) When do you place the period indicating the end of the sentence inside the closing
parenthesis? Seen as “.)” When do you place the period indicating the end of the sentence
outside the closing parenthesis? Seen as “).”
Inside:
You place a period INSIDE the parenthesis when a complete sentence is written within ( ).
(See Figure 1.)
(See Appendix A.)
(Refer to Chapter 10.)
Outside:
When what is written within the ( ) is parenthetical and part of a larger sentence, the period goes
OUTSIDE the closing ) to complete the sentence.
You often find parentheses at the end of a sentence (for list, examples, or ideas not germane to the
rest of the sentence).
7) Rework the following paragraph using transitions to build bridges between the sentences and
part of sentences. Use underlines to show where transitions have been added
Your response will undoubtedly vary, but one possible revision is provided here.
My father really needs help because he is a workaholic. He words nearly twelve hours a day.
Doctors have told him it is not only bad for his health, but it is affecting his family, and he has
worried my family to no end. My family has tried to help him, but he has not acknowledged the
problem. He has a tolerance that goes through the roof. He sneaks out of the house before anyone
is awake, and he gets home after most of us have finished dinner and are getting ready for bed. He
works at home as well: his computer is connected to the one at his office, and his work calls him at
home. He has a pager and a cell phone. Things may be getting worse since Dad accepted a
promotion to regional director.
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