Study on the fly›SHSAT›Revising/Editing — Stand-Alone › Punctuation (commas, semicolons, colons, apostrophes)
Revising/Editing — Stand-AloneFree
Punctuation (commas, semicolons, colons, apostrophes) — SHSAT practice questions
Punctuation (commas, semicolons, colons, apostrophes) on the SHSAT Revising/Editing — Stand-Alone section covers the marks that join, separate, or show ownership in one flawed sentence. A student has to decide whether coordinate adjectives need a comma, whether a noun needs an apostrophe to show possession, and whether a colon should introduce a restatement after a complete idea. Items usually ask for the one change that would correct the sentence, and the choices name a spot and tell the student to insert, delete, or swap a mark. Common traps include treating a required comma as optional, confusing a plural with a possessive, and choosing a comma or semicolon where a colon belongs.
Section: Revising/Editing — Stand-Alone 6 questions on the paper
124 practice questions in the app
Sample questions
Question 1
Which edit should be made to correct the sentence?
The two counselors scheduleslisted the same room for different meetings during the school's community service planning week.
AChange counselors schedules to counselor's schedules.
BChange counselors schedules to counselors' schedules.
CInsert a comma after room.
DChange meetings to meeting's.
Show answer
Answer: B — Change counselors schedules to counselors' schedules.
A plural noun that owns something takes an apostrophe after the s, so "Change counselors schedules to counselors' schedules." supplies the missing plural possessive and is the only needed edit. "Change counselors schedules to counselor's schedules." uses a singular possessive that cannot follow "two." "Insert a comma after room." splits the noun from the phrase that modifies it. "Change meetings to meeting's." invents a possessive on the object and leaves the real error unfixed.
Question 2
Which edit should be made to correct the sentence?
The survey revealed one clear problem the checkout line moved too slowly during lunch and after school.
AInsert a comma after lunch.
BInsert a colon after problem.
CInsert a comma after line.
DChange slowly to slow.
Show answer
Answer: B — Insert a colon after problem.
A colon may follow a complete independent clause to introduce an explanation, so “Insert a colon after problem” correctly introduces the clause that identifies the problem. “Insert a comma after lunch” adds an unnecessary comma between the paired times “lunch and after school” and leaves the missing mark after “problem” uncorrected. “Insert a comma after line” incorrectly separates the subject “the checkout line” from its verb “moved.” “Change slowly to slow” replaces the adverb modifying “moved” with an adjective and does not supply the needed punctuation.
Question 3
Which edit should be made to correct the sentence?
The museum installed a tall graceful sculpture near the entrance to ensure visitors would notice it before buying tickets for the special exhibit.
AInsert a comma after entrance.
BInsert a comma after tickets.
CInsert a comma after tall.
DInsert a comma after sculpture.
Show answer
Answer: C — Insert a comma after tall.
Tall and graceful are coordinate adjectives that independently modify sculpture, so a comma belongs after tall. “Insert a comma after entrance.” would add an unnecessary pause before the infinitive phrase that explains why the sculpture was placed there. “Insert a comma after tickets.” would interrupt the prepositional phrase that names the exhibit. A comma after sculpture would separate the object from the phrase that locates it.
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