exercises for chapter 1punctuation.docx

1、exercises for chapter 1punctuationPUNCTUATION EXERCISES 1Now that you understand most of the rules of punctuation, you may like to test yourself by correcting the following sentences. The answers are given on the next page. 1. The new regulations will prove to be to everyones disadvantage. 2. All of

2、 these books are to be catalogued the ones on geology natural history philosophy and scientific method. 3. As well as being an excellent basketball player the girl was also a member of the winning squash team. 4. The point is according to my understanding that we should move quickly. 5. Instead Cham

3、bers 1988 suggests the importance of the genetic influence in determining the antecedents. 6. It was found however that most of the liquid could not be absorbed. 7. The miner his face covered in mud climbed slowly out. 8. The trend toward specialization is very clear particularly in the professions

4、see Table 2. 9. Once daylight came we thought we were safe however this was not to be. 10. Keats poem To Autumn is possibly the greatest evocation of that season ever written. 11. After their long walk the boys noses were red with cold. 12. Its not easy to isolate its cause but we think its due to t

5、he torrential rain we had recently. 13. The car left the road rolled down the bank turned over several times hit a free and then burst into flames. 14. Gourmets and arent we all gourmets will particularly enjoy the marinated quail. 15. It was a rather hit or miss affair we found to our horror that w

6、e were expected to provide the entertainment as well. SUGGESTED ANSWERS TO PUNCTUATION EXERCISES 11. The new regulations will prove to be to everyones disadvantage. 2. All of these books are to be catalogued: the ones on geology, natural history, philosophy and scientific method. 3. As well as being

7、 an excellent basketball player, the girl was also a member of the winning squash team. 4. The point is, according to my understanding, that we should move quickly. 5. Instead, Chambers (1988) suggests the importance of the genetic influence in determining the antecedents. 6. It was found, however,

8、that most of the liquid could not be absorbed. 7. The miner, his face covered in mud, climbed slowly out of the pit. 8. The trend toward specialization is very dear particularly in the professions (see Table 2). 9. Once daylight came we thought we were safe; however, this was not to be. 10. Keats po

9、em To Autumn is possibly the greatest evocation of that season ever written. 11. After their long walk the boys noses were red with cold. 12. Its not easy to isolate its cause, but we think its due to the torrential rain we had recently. 13. The car left the road, rolled down the bank, turned over s

10、everal times, hit a tree, and then burst into flames. 14. Gourmets (and arent we all gourmets?) will particularly enjoy the marinated quail. 15. It was a rather hit-or-miss affair; we found to our horror that we were expected to provide the entertainment as well! Punctuation Exercise 2 (Commas)In th

11、e following sentences, click on the places where the comma is undesired, is missing, or should be changed to another piece of punctuation. Note that each sentence has at most one punctuation error. If no error exists, click on No error. Corresponding information for this exercise can be found in The

12、 Craft of Editing (denoted CE) and The Craft of Scientific Writing (denoted CSW). Note: In the general preferences of your browser, please do not underline links and do not override this documents choice of font colors. 1.The new material, which will be available next week is composed of plastic and

13、 iodine. Revision: The new material, which will be available next week, is composed of plastic and iodine. Discussion: missing parenthetical comma for which clause. 2.As World War II escalated the United States became locked into a race with Germany to develop the first atomic bomb. Revision: As Wor

14、ld War II escalated, the United States became locked into a race with Germany to develop the first atomic bomb. Discussion: missing comma following introductory clause. Note that without the comma, the reader does not know where the introductory clause ends. 3. The three largest earthquakes occurred

15、 in San Francisco, Tokyo, and Lima. Discussion: While the comma following Tokyo is optional, it is certainly not incorrect. 4. On February 5, 1990 Mount St. Helens had another eruption, this one smaller than the eruption 10 years before. Revision: On February 5, 1990, Mount St. Helens had another er

16、uption, this one smaller than the eruption 10 years before. Discussion: missing parenthetical comma. The year 1990 is parenthetical information about the date February 5. Although some publications treat this comma as optional, many more (including the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times) do

17、not. Note that if the date had been written as 5 February 1990, then a simple comma following 1990 would have been appropriate. Also note that the comma following eruption is correct because what follows is a phrase. 5.Every year, an earthquake of magnitude between 8.0 and 8.9 on the Richter scale,

18、will be experienced somewhere in the world Haughton, 1989. Revision: Every year, an earthquake of magnitude between 8.0 and 8.9 on the Richter scale will be experienced somewhere in the world Haughton, 1989. Discussion: undesired comma. Note that while the comma following year is optional, it is cer

19、tainly not incorrect. Also note that the punctuation for the reference listing at the end of the sentence depends upon the format. 6. As the flame front propagates hot combustion products expand, resulting in a rapid pressure increase. Revision: As the flame front propagates, hot combustion products

20、 expand, resulting in a rapid pressure increase. Discussion: missing comma following the introductory clause. Without the comma, the audience does not know when the clause ends. 7.The concentrations of these gases, which are called greenhouse gases control how much infrared radiation escapes. Revisi

21、on: The concentrations of these gases, which are called greenhouse gases, control how much infrared radiation escapes. Discussion: missing parenthetical comma for the which clause. 8.After 1987 parachuting accidents decreased significantly because instructors started teaching novices with tandem jum

22、ps rather than static lines. Revision: After 1987, parachuting accidents decreased significantly because instructors started teaching novices with tandem jumps rather than static lines. Discussion: missing comma following the introductory phrase. Without the comma, the audience trips. 9.On May 18, 1

23、980, a cloud of hot rock and gas surged northward from Mount St. Helens. Revision: On May 18, 1980, a cloud of hot rock and gas surged northward from Mount St. Helens. Revision: This sentence is punctuated correctly. 10.The synergistic reactor contains a chamber in which the exhaust from the burning

24、 coal mixes with limestone, see Appendix A. Revision: The synergistic reactor contains a chamber in which the exhaust from the burning coal mixes with limestone, as discussed in Appendix A. Discussion: The original is a run-on. One solution (given here) is to make the reference to Appendix A a verb

25、phrase. Another solution is to create a separate sentence. Still a third is to use parentheses to refer to Appendix A. 11.The local economy should benefit from the operation. Local property taxes would decrease for area residents and the Nicolet Minerals Company, formerly the Crandon Mining Company,

26、 is expected to spend more than $40 million on local goods and services. Revision: The local economy should benefit from the operation. Local property taxes would decrease for area residents, and the Nicolet Minerals Company, formerly the Crandon Mining Company, is expected to spend more than $40 mi

27、llion on local goods and services. Discussion: Without the comma before and, the audience doesnt know where the first independent clause ends and the second one begins. Punctuation exercises 3Practice sentencesPunctuate, or repunctuate, the following sentences correctly (then go to answers):1. She h

28、ad only one purpose in life she wanted to teach them to punctuate correctly.2. Much of what comedy proposes to teach us, is already part of our lives.3. Surrey emerges as a pioneer of the sonnet form, which later became known as the Shakespearian sonnet.4. The wallet, lost on a Corporation bus by a

29、Southampton widow, has been returned with all its cash and contents intact. Mrs. Kathleen Giffard of Millbrook Towers thought she would never see the wallet containing 117 again. (Southampton Evening Echo news item)5. Astrophil is however a highly-developed character.6. Jonsons style is neoclassical

30、, however, Shakespeares plays show little regard for rules.7. He as the eagle a symbol of power and his mistress as the dove a symbol of peace and gentleness will come together.8. The Christian ethic states that extra marital sex is sinful.9. I look after two year old children two possibilities; wha

31、t is the difference in meaning? while studying twelfth century literature.10. The Sheikh offered me two mens jackets three of his fathers camels and twenty of his followers concubines.11. This poems style is really difficult, its impossible to say what its meaning is.Punctuation gamesFrom the late M

32、iddle Ages onwards, English poets have used punctuation to play games with the language. Two examples follow, both from dramatists using the comic potential of a not-very-educated reader who cant handle the conventions of punctuation and completely misrepresents the intended meaning of the text; see if you can repunctuate to make better sense of the text than they can, then go to answers.1. An unsuccessful proposal of marriageSweete mistresse where as I loue you nothing not