SECTION M: MECHANICS

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1. Select the sentence that contains an error

The title of a journal must be underlined or italicized.
The title of a newspaper must be underlined or italicized.
The title of an article in a journal must be underlined or italicized.

2. Select the sentence that contains an error

The title of a film should be underlined or italicized.
The title of a book should be underlined or italicized.
The name of a software program such as WordPerfect should be underlined or italicized.

3. Select the sentence that contains an error

The only uses for capitalizing are to mark the beginning of sentences or to denote proper nouns, including names.
A clause that follows a colon does not begin with a capital letter.
When a quotation is interrupted by a speaker tag, the continuation of that quotation does not begin with a capitalized word.

4. Select the sentence that contains an error

Personal names are always capitalized.
The name of a structure, such as Tower or Office Building, is capitalized.
Names of months are always capitalized.

An acronym is an abbreviation that is pronounced as a word.
An initialism is an abbreviation that is pronounced as a word.
An initialism is an abbreviation that is pronounced letter by letter.

6. Select the sentence that contains an error

You cannot begin a sentence with a figure, even when other numbers in the sentence are denoted by figures.
You cannot begin a sentence with a figure if the number it represents is in the hundreds or higher.
Related numbers in a sentence should be expressed the same way.

7. Select the sentence that contains an error

The current style of presenting numbers is to use a space to separate groups of three digits.
The current style of presenting numbers is to use commas to separate groups of three digits.
The international system (SI) uses only a space to separate three-digit numbers.

8. Select the sentence that contains an error

Except at the beginning of a sentence, numbers can be used to present addresses.
Except at the beginning of a sentence, numbers can be used to present amounts of money as low as five cents.
Except at the beginning of a sentence, numbers can be used to present the time of day.

9. Select the sentence that contains an error

The symbol for percent (%) can be used in an essay.
The symbol for kilometres (km) cannot be used in an essay to replace the full word.
The symbol for number (#) cannot be used in an essay to replace the full word.

10. Select the sentence that contains an error

Compound words can be written as separate words, as single words, or with hyphens.
A compound word composed of “ex” and another word should be hyphenated.
A compound word used as an adjective must always be presented as separate words.

11. Select the sentence that contains an error

Italicize or underline the biological classifications for organisms.
Italicize or underline words, letters, and numbers referred to as words.
Italicize or underline the names for types of planes (as in Boeing 747).

12. Select the sentence that contains an error

Academic, religious, political, and military titles are usually abbreviated when they precede a full name, as in Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson.
Academic, religious, political, and military titles are spelled out when they precede a surname only, as in Governor General Clarkson.
When a title stands alone in a sentence, unattached to a name, it must be capitalized.

13. Select the sentence that contains an error

The name of a country should be spelled out rather than presented in abbreviated form.
One exception is the use of "U.S." for the United States; the abbreviated form can always be used.
The abbreviation “USSR” has now disappeared as a substitute for Russia.

Fill in the blank in each of the following questions

14. You must underline or italicize the title of a _____________.

poem
novel
magazine article

15. You must place the title of a _____________ in quotation marks.

journal article
newspaper
film

16. Do not underline or italicize the title of a _____________.

sacred book
comic strip
long poem

17. You must underline or italicize _____________.

foreign words or phrases not in wide use
numbers referred to as words
foreign words in wide use

18. You must capitalize _____________.

the first word of a quotation blended into a sentence
a proper noun
the first word of a clause following a colon

---

 

19. A noun that names a particular person, place, or thing is called a ____________ noun.

common
plural
proper

20. When a title such as “Doctor” precedes a _____________, it is normally spelled out.

full name
surname
first name

21. If a title is used by itself, it is _____________.

abbreviated
capitalized
spelled out

22. Mexico’s largest trading partner is the _____________.

U.S.
United States

23. An abbreviation that can be pronounced as a word is called an _____________.

acronym
initialism
homonym

24. The following number should be spelled out in an essay: _____________.

7
753
3451

25. The recent tax cut was almost _____________.

10%
ten %
10 percent

26. The man who recently moved into our neighbourhood is an _____________.

exconvict
ex-convict
ex convict

Indicate whether the following statements are true or false:

27. In a word-processing document, the title of a radio program should be underlined or italicized.

true
false

28. Because the Talmud is a sacred book, its title must be underlined or italicized when it appears in a formal essay.

true
false

29. You must underline or italicize the names of particular aircraft, ships, and trains.

true
false

30. The names of racial, linguistic, and religious groups of people are capitalized.

true
false

31. If a title directly precedes a proper name, it must be capitalized.

true
false

32. “Prof. Northrop Frye” is the correct way to refer to the distinguished critic who was one of Canada’s most famous academics.

true
false

33. Canada Post’s adoption of two-letter abbreviations for provinces means “Nfld.” has been replaced by “NF.”

true
false

34. All abbreviations, ranging from CBC (for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) to RAM (for random-access memory), are called acronyms.

true
false

35. If you think the audience your essay might not know what an acronym stands for, you must write out the full name when you first use it.

true
false

36. As long as your use is consistent, it doesn’t matter whether you write out numbers or give them as figures.

true
false

37. It is acceptable (except at the beginning of sentences) to use figures for addresses, dates, exact sums of money, and times.

true
false

38. Widely known symbols such as % and # are acceptable for use in formal essays.

true
false