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List of Questions & Answers
Question
1. Which sentence is written correctly in American English?
a) The field name was "Employee".
Your
Correct
Answer Answer
a
b
b) The field name was "Employee."
c) Don't Know
Commas and periods always go inside quotation marks in American English usage. In
British English, the period may go after the quotation marks.
2. Which sentence is written correctly?
a) We will meet with all Associates and their Managers on Monday to
discuss the Year-End Report and Company Budget.
b) We will meet with all associates and their managers on Monday to
discuss the Year-End Report and Company Budget.
c) We will meet with all associates and their managers on Monday to
discuss the year-end report and company budget.
d) Don't Know
c
c
Do not capitalize the names of positions within the company unless they precede the
person's name ("President Jacobs") or follow the name in the address or closing of a letter.
Do not capitalize words that are not names of one specific thing, as in "Washington" or
"2004 Berringer Year-End Report."
3. Which sentence is written correctly?
a) Their software turned out to be the best; by far.
b) Their software turned out to be the best; I recommend it.
c) Both are correct.
d) Don't Know
c
b
Use a semicolon only when there is a complete sentence before the semicolon and a
complete sentence after it.
4. Which sentence is written correctly?
a) Give us the following data; employee addresses, employment history,
and current salaries.
b) Give us the following data: employee addresses, employment history,
and current salaries.
c) Give us the following data, employee addresses, employment history,
and current salaries.
d) Don't Know
b
b
Use colons when you have finished the sentence and are adding information after the colon
that explains a word or idea in the sentence. Do not use a semicolon for a colon.
5. Which sentence is written correctly?
a) Come to the meeting with your notes about the upcoming convention,
the marketing plans for next year and the Tooldie journal ad.
b) Come to the meeting with your notes about the upcoming convention,
the marketing plans for next year, and the Tooldie journal ad.
c) Come to the meeting with, your notes about the upcoming convention,
the marketing plans for next year and the Tooldie journal ad.
d) Don't Know
b
b
While the practice was to leave out the comma before "and" in a series, business writers
now put it in because it makes the list clearer.
6. Which sentence(s) is/are correct? (Check more than one box if two or
more are correct.)
a) The company has four real issues that include: increasing market share,
locating a source for more labor, decreasing operating expenses, and
locating a suitable CEO.
b) The company has four real issues that include increasing market share,
locating a source for more labor, decreasing operating expenses, and
locating a suitable CEO.
c) The company has four real issues: increasing market share, locating a
none
source for more labor, decreasing operating expenses, and locating a
suitable CEO.
d) The company has four real issues, increasing market share, locating a
source for more labor, decreasing operating expenses, and locating a
suitable CEO.
e) Don't Know
c
Use a colon only when the sentence is complete and you are adding information. Don't use
"include" because the reader wonders what you're not including and why.
7. Which of the following is correct?
a) The jury is at odds over the verdict.
b) The jury are at odds over the verdict.
c) Don't Know
a
b
A collective noun is a single word that stands for a group of people, like "family,"
"committee," or "jury." Use the plural verb for a collective noun when the members act as
individuals, as in "Our family live in different parts of the country." Use a singular verb
when the group acts as a unit, as in "Our family is named 'Johnson.'"
8. Which sentence(s) is/are correct? Mark all that are correct.
a) Every manager in a business today is held responsible for his or her
employees' activities.
b) Every manager in a business today is held responsible for their
employees' activities.
c) Every manager in a business today is held responsible for his
employees' activities.
d) Don't Know
ab
a
Do not use plurals such as "they" and "their" to stand for one person. That is acceptable in
spoken English, but not in written English. Do not use the masculine pronouns to stand for
both males and females; it is sexist.
9. Mark the following sentence(s) that is/are correct.
a) Layton Enterprises is able to provide complete tool services, and
provides the services in a timely fashion.
b) Layton Enterprises is able to provide complete tool services, and the
company provides the services in a timely fashion.
c) Layton Enterprises is able to provide complete tool services and
provides the services in a timely fashion.
d) Layton Enterprises is able to provide complete tool services and it
provides the services in a timely fashion.
e) Don't Know
ab
bc
Put a comma before "and" when the "and" joins two complete sentences. Do not put a
comma if the clause after the "and" has no subject.
10. Which of the following sentences is correct?
a) He asked, "Where is the loading dock?"
b) This product would sell better if it weren't named 'Flysoup.'
c) Both are correct.
d) Don't Know
a
a
Use single quotation marks only when you are quoting within a quotation. Otherwise,
always use double quotation marks.
11. Which of the following sentence(s) is/are correct?
a) I would like to see us increase production - without decreasing quality until we match demand.
b) I would like to see us increase production -- without decreasing quality
-- until we match demand.
c) I would like to see us increase production, without decreasing quality,
until we match demand.
d) I would like to see us increase production--without decreasing quality-until we match demand.
e) Don't Know
bc
cd
Do not use a hyphen (short line -) for a dash. The dash is a line about twice the length of a
hyphen. In Word, if you type two hyphens in a row, the "autocorrect" function will change
them to a dash. You may also insert a dash in Word by clicking on "Insert," "Symbol,"
and "Special Characters." If your word processor will not permit you to type the longer
line, use two hyphens in a row to stand for a dash. Normally, avoid dashes because most
business writers don't use them correctly. If you use a dash, do not put blank spaces before
and after the dash.
12. Which sentence(s) is/are correct?
a) Printing will have to move its label to the top of the box.
b) Printing will have to move it's label to the top of the box.
c) The softwares manuals weren't included with the product.
d) Don't Know
ac
a
Use apostrophes to show possession. However, do not use an apostrophe with possessive
pronouns such as "its" and "his." "It's" is a contraction for "it is."
13. Check the sentence(s) that is/are correct.
a) The shipment included 13 fewer cartons than we had ordered and was
four days late.
b) The shipment included 13 fewer cartons than we had ordered and was 4
days late.
c) The shipment included thirteen fewer cartons than we had ordered and
bc
ac
was four days late.
d) Don't Know
Spell out numbers from one through nine unless they are used in calculations, graphs, or
explanations containing other numbers that are not spelled out. You may spell out
numbers from ten through ninety-nine or use numerals. Use numerals for numbers larger
than ninety-nine. Do not start a sentence with a numeral.
14. Check the sentence(s) that is/are correct.
a) After two months, we chose the shrink wrap method over using
cardboard boxes.
b) After two months, we chose the shrink-wrap method over using
cardboard boxes.
c) The problem was that the long, fat end of the attachment didn't match
the short, narrow hole.
d) The problem was that the long fat end of the attachment didn't match
the short narrow hole.
e) The problem was that the long-fat end of the attachment didn't match
the short-narrow hole.
f) Don't Know
bd
bc
Put a hyphen between two words that combine to modify a third word, unless the first
word ends in "ly." If the two words modify the third word, but don't work in combination,
and could appear in any order, put a comma between the words, not a hyphen. For
example, you could have either a "long, fat end" or a "fat, long end." However, you have to
have "shrink-wrap method," not "wrap, shrink method."
15. Mark any of the following that is/are acceptable in business writing
today.
a) We try to keep the software with the boxes they came in.
b) The trucker decided to cautiously move the boxes to the other side to
redistribute the load.
c) The text matched the document for which we were searching.
d) Don't Know
a
abc
Business writers are now putting prepositions at the ends of sentences and splitting
infinitives. However, many would still say that (a) and (b) are incorrect. To avoid a
problem, you might simply change them to satisfy the critics, but you wouldn't be wrong if
you wrote them as they are.
16. Mark the following sentence(s) that is/are correct.
a) We can not allocate resources to this project and you can not require us
to do so.
b) We cannot allocate resources to this project and you cannot require us
to do so.
c) We cannot allocate resources to this project and you shouldn't ask us to
do so.
d) Don't Know
b
c
You must spell "cannot" without the space. Don't use "cannot" or "can" instead of
"should." The person can ask you to allocate the resources, but shouldn't.
17. Mark the sentences that is/are correct.
a) I feel badly about missing the meeting.
b) You performed very good in the presentation.
c) I did not do well on the examination because I was up all night studying
for it.
d) I also performed badly because I was drinking martinis while I was
studying.
e) Don't Know
c
cd
"Feel" is a linking verb. That means what follows it modifies the subject of the sentence,
not the verb. An "ly" word that modifies is an adverb; it modifies the verb. As a result, if
you write "I feel badly," the "badly" refers to the verb, "feel." It means your sense of
touch is bad. You want to describe something about the subject, "I," so don't put the "ly"
on "bad."
18. Mark the following sentence(s) that is/are correct.
a) Freida located the data, however it was useless.
b) We concluded, therefore, that we would have to start over.
c) However, all wasn't lost because we did have the original records.
d) All are correct.
e) Don't Know
a
bc
You must not join two sentences with "however." Put a semicolon or period at the end of
the first sentence and begin the next sentence with "however" and a comma. Make sure the
two clauses are complete sentences, however.
19. Which of the following sentence(s) is/are correct?
a) The company went public on January 6, 1999, and was out of business
in July 1999.
b) The company went public in January, 1999, and was out of business in
July, 1999.
c) The company went public on January 6, 1999 and was out of business
in July, 1999.
d) Don't Know
a
a
Do not put a comma between the month and year when just the two appear together. Put a
comma before and after the year when you place the year with the month and continue the
text after the year: "We hired her on January 10, 2002, and promoted her in August 2003."
20. Which of the following sentence(s) is/are correct?
a) After a long absence he returned to the company.
b) Against the back wall, was the panel we had been searching for.
c) When the project is finished, we will talk about another.
d) Don't Know
a
c
Put a comma after an introductory element to let the reader know the sentence is starting.
In this question, "he returned" is the actual sentence; "After a long absence" is an
introductory element that comes before the sentence. It needs a comma at "absence, he."
21. Mark the sentence(s) below that is/are correct.
a) We will complete the project on time if we receive the software
upgrade we need, the patches we requested, and we have a streak of luck.
b) The last experience we had taught us that we have to screen vendors
more carefully, evaluate performance at milestone dates, and act as soon as
we sense something is wrong.
c) Whatever can be said for the process, it still takes too long, requires too
much money, and I'm not sure it will work anyway.
d) Don't Know
b
b
Every item in a list that appears in a sentence form must fit with the stem or beginning.
The stem in the last (c) is "it still . . ." When you say each item with those words at the
beginning, you have "it still takes too long," "it still requires too much money," and "it still
I'm not sure . . ." The last item in the third doesn't fit with its stem words, "it still." To
correct the problem, reword the last item so it fits: "it still . . . may not work anyway." The
same is true for the items in the first (a). Hint: The stem is "if we receive." You'll have to
rework the last item or make the stem "if we," put "receive" before the second item, and
rework the third.
22. Which of the following sentence(s) is/are correct?
a) The most damaging result was him leaving.
b) We appreciated her finishing the task, but it wasn't necessary.
c) John's griping was not tolerable.
d) Whatever the problem was, me working at it didn't seem to help.
e) Don't Know
abc
bc
When you use a gerund (a verb form used as a noun that ends in "ing"), you must use the
possessive form before it.
23. Which of the following is/are correct expression(s) for money?
a) The cost was $49.00 but the company gave us a bulk discount.
b) We found about 4,000 of the staples in a box.
c) This shipment will contain 3 million rings.
d) The salary increase came to only $.75 for most employees.
e) Don't Know
c
c
If the dollar amount is in whole dollars, do not put .00 at the end. For approximate
numbers, spell out the number (four thousand). For numbers with million and billion,
write the numeral for the number and the word "million" or "billion." For dollar amounts
less than $1," write the number and cents (75 cents).
24. Which would follow this beginning correctly:
To finish this project on time, we will have to
a) hire a qualified technician,
b) purchase the equipment,
c) John has to be assigned to it,
d) money.
e) Don't Know
a
The items in a list must have the same structure. Since the writer is using verbs (hire,
purchase), all items must begin with verbs (hire, purchase, assign, allocate).
ab
25. Which of the following sentence(s) is/are correct?
a) Our requirements are, "Do not include resumes and the proposal should
be no more than 25 pages long."
b) We were worried that if we allowed one proposal that was longer,
others would follow.
c) We appreciate the vendor's situation, but the vendor (you) agreed to the
conditions and you agreed you would deliver.
d) Don't Know
b
b
Do not shift mood from imperative ("Do not include") to indicative ("should be"). Do not
shift from indirect address ("the vendor") to direct address ("you").
26. Which of the following sentences uses "which" and "that" correctly?
a) This is the company which recommended the software that we can
examine when you are ready.
b) This is the company that recommended the software, which we can
examine when you are ready.
c) This is the company that recommended the software that we can
examine when you are ready.
d) Don't Know
b
b
Use "which" preceded by a comma when the information that follows the "which" could
be taken out of the sentence; it is just extra information. Use "that" with no comma when
the information that follows "that" is critical to understanding the word(s) that preceded
it.
You can learn these and the other skills every business writer should
know by enrolling in the online course,
BWC310 Basic Grammar and Writing Skills for Business.
Click here to learn how to become a proficient business writer.
Created on: Wed Oct 17 11:07:28 2001
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