Mechanics and Punctuation Quiz

Capitalization Rules

• Capitalize the first word in interjections and incomplete questions, e.g., "Oh!" and "What?"
• The first word of a quotation should be capitalized, but not if it continues after identifying words.
• Capitalize the first word after a colon only if it starts a complete sentence.
• Traditional poetry requires capitalization at the start of each line.
• Common nouns (general categories) are not capitalized, while proper nouns (specific names) are always capitalized.

Special Cases in Capitalization

• Titles of people (e.g., President) are capitalized when used with names.
• Family relationship titles (e.g., Dad, Uncle) are capitalized only if used with names, not preceded by possessives.
• Days, months, and seasons are capitalized, but not seasons used generally (e.g., "summer").
• Directions (e.g., north, south) are not capitalized unless used as parts of specific names.

Proper Nouns and Adjectives

• Proper nouns refer to specific entities (e.g., Chicago) and require capitalization.
• Proper adjectives (e.g., Australian) derived from proper nouns also require capitalization.
• Brand names are capitalized when used as adjectives (e.g., Swatch watch), but the common noun following remains lowercase.

Dashes and Parentheses Usage

• Dashes denote abrupt changes in thought, dramatic interruptions, or summarizations.
• Parentheses can enclose supplementary information, but the punctuation rules depend on where they are used in the sentence.

Punctuation and Capitalization in Sentences

• Capitalization mistakes often involve underlined titles or specific phrases needing revision.
• Review the use of parentheses and how they integrate into sentences for correct punctuation.
• Ensure the correct use of hyphens in compound modifiers and phrases.

Example Applications

• Phrases involving direct quotations may require brackets for clarity.
• The proper rewriting of phrases often involves revising possessives (e.g., "earthquake's strength").
• Correct capitalization involves understanding titles, specific names, and words based on their context in sentences.

Sentence Revision Techniques

• To make a sentence clearer or correct, inserting dashes can enhance the readability and structure.
• Always check for the proper form of names, events, and other capitalization situations in both writing and revisions.### Grammar and Punctuation Rules
• Apostrophes followed by "s" indicate the possessive case for most singular nouns.
• When rewriting phrases with possessives, ensure correct placement of the apostrophe.

Correct Usage of Possessives

• The correct rewrite for "the windows of the buildings" is "the buildings' windows" (option A).
• For "the mayors of Tokyo and Yokohama," the correct option is "Tokyo's and Yokohama's mayors" (option A).

Sentence Structure and Revision

• Sentence clarity is improved by proper punctuation. Example: "We're planting a vegetable garden—have you heard of victory gardens?—right behind our school." (correct answer is option D).
• Phrases such as "Victory gardens, planted in people's backyards during both WWI and WWII to provide additional food supplies, are making a comeback" are clearer with commas (option A is the correct revision).

Correct Parentheses Usage

• The sentence "Our (11th-grade) victory garden will include carrots, turnips, beets, and spinach" correctly uses parentheses (option A).

Punctuation Accuracy

• The phrase "self-sufficient" requires a hyphen, so "The kids in my class want to become more self-sufficient" is the correct choice (option B).