Answer Key

Test

Choose the correct punctuation…
  1. The house was clean, the table set, and the porch light  [on; everything was ready for the guest arrival] .
  2. The computer could perform millions of operations in a split  [second; however, it] could not think spontaneously.
  3. Mr. Leyland played the viola professionally for many  [years, and he] now conducts a community orchestra.
  4. The crab grass was  [flourishing, but] the rest of the [lawn, unfortunately, was dying] .
  5. The artist preferred to paint in  [oils; he did not like watercolors] .
  6. The foundations of the house had been poured,  [but, to his disappointment,] nothing else had been  [done because] of the carpenter's strike.
  7. As I turned around, I heard a loud  [thump, for the cat had upset the goldfish bowl] .
  8. Many companies make sugar-free drinks, which are flavored by synthetic  [chemicals; the drinks] usually contain only one or two calories per serving.
  9. He looked carefully in the  [underbrush, but] he failed to notice the pair of green eyes staring at him.
  10. The hill was covered with  [wildflowers; it was beautiful sight] .