Chapter 19: Punctuation · UPESSC TGT English

Part IV — Connectives & Mechanics

Chapter 19

Punctuation

📘 50 MCQs⏱ ~30 min read🎯 Exam-focused

Theory

Summary Table of Marks and Uses

Mark	Symbol	Principal Use
Full stop / period	.	Ends a declarative/imperative sentence; abbreviations
Question mark	?	Ends a direct question
Exclamation mark	!	Marks strong emotion, command or interjection
Comma	,	Separates items, clauses, introductory phrases; sets off non-defining elements
Semicolon	;	Joins closely related independent clauses; separates complex list items
Colon	:	Introduces a list, explanation, or quotation
Apostrophe	'	Shows possession; marks contractions
Quotation / inverted commas	' ' / " "	Encloses direct speech, titles, quoted words
Hyphen	-	Joins compound words; word division
Dash	— / –	Marks a break in sense (em); ranges (en)
Parentheses	( )	Encloses incidental/extra information
Square brackets	[ ]	Encloses editorial insertions within quotations
Capital letters	A B C	Sentence start; proper nouns; the pronoun I; titles

The Full Stop / Period (.)

A full stop ends a sentence that makes a statement or gives a command. It is also used after many abbreviations (e.g. etc., Dr. in American usage; modern British style often omits the stop in contractions such as Dr, Mr). Only one space follows a full stop in modern usage.

The headmaster addressed the assembly.
Please close the door when you leave.
She has completed her teacher-training course.
The meeting will begin at ten o'clock.
I shall submit the report by Friday.

Note: Do not use a full stop after a title that ends a heading, and never place a full stop inside a direct question or exclamation in place of ? or !.

The Question Mark (?)

A question mark ends a direct question. It is not used after an indirect (reported) question.

Where have you kept the answer scripts?
Have you read the prescribed text?
Who taught you this poem?
You are coming to school tomorrow, aren't you?
May I leave the classroom?

Note: Indirect questions take a full stop, not a question mark: She asked where I had kept the scripts.

The Exclamation Mark (!)

An exclamation mark expresses strong feeling — surprise, joy, anger, urgency — or follows an interjection or a forceful command. In formal writing it should be used sparingly.

What a brilliant performance!
Hurrah, we have won the inter-school trophy!
Stop talking at once!
How beautifully she sings!
Alas, the old library has been demolished!

The Comma (,)

The comma is the most frequently used — and most frequently misused — mark. Its principal functions are described below.

(i) In lists. Items in a series are separated by commas.

The bag contained pens, pencils, erasers and a ruler.
We studied grammar, composition, poetry and prose.

(ii) After an introductory phrase or clause.

After the examination, the students relaxed.
Although it rained heavily, the function went ahead.

(iii) To set off a non-defining (non-restrictive) clause. Such a clause adds extra, removable information.

My English teacher, who is from Lucknow, retires this year.
The Taj Mahal, which is in Agra, attracts millions.

(iv) In direct address.

Ravi, please collect the homework.
Could you repeat that, sir?

(v) Before a coordinating conjunction joining two independent clauses.

She prepared well, and she passed with distinction.
I knocked twice, but no one answered.

Serial / Oxford comma: The comma placed before and in the final item of a list (pens, pencils, and erasers) is the Oxford comma. British style usually omits it; it is added where it prevents ambiguity. Both are acceptable provided usage is consistent.

Comma splice (error): Two independent clauses must not be joined by a comma alone. It was late, we went home is wrong. Correct it with a full stop, a semicolon, or a comma + conjunction: It was late; we went home.

The Semicolon (;)

(i) To join two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction.

The bell rang; the lesson began.
Some pupils were absent; the rest had revised.
She is an excellent teacher; her results prove it.

(ii) Before a conjunctive adverb (however, therefore, moreover, nevertheless) linking two clauses.

He studied hard; however, he was unwell on the day.
The roads were flooded; therefore, the school was closed.

(iii) In complex lists where items themselves contain commas.

The delegates came from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh; Patna, Bihar; and Jaipur, Rajasthan.

Note: The clauses joined by a semicolon must each be able to stand alone as a complete sentence.

The Colon (:)

A colon introduces something that follows from what precedes it — a list, an explanation, an example, or a quotation. A complete independent clause must precede the colon.

You will need three things: a pen, a ruler and a notebook.
The reason was simple: she had not revised.
The poet declares: 'Beauty is truth, truth beauty.'
Remember this rule: always check your spelling.
The syllabus has two parts: language and literature.

Colon vs semicolon: A colon introduces (points forward to what follows); a semicolon balances two equal independent clauses. Do not capitalise the word after a colon in British usage unless it begins a proper noun or a quoted sentence.

The Apostrophe (')

The apostrophe has two functions: showing possession and marking contractions.

(i) Possession. Add 's to a singular noun; add ' (apostrophe only) to a plural noun already ending in s; add 's to an irregular plural not ending in s.

Singular: the teacher's desk (one teacher).
Plural ending in s: the students' hostel (many students).
Irregular plural: the children's playground; the women's college.
Singular name ending in s: James's book (modern British) or James' book.
Joint possession: Ram and Sita's house (one shared house).

(ii) Contractions. The apostrophe marks omitted letters.

do not → don't
cannot → can't
it is / it has → it's
they are → they're
1990s → the '90s (omission of 19).

its vs it's: its is the possessive of it (no apostrophe): The dog wagged its tail. it's always means it is or it has: It's raining. Test by expanding to "it is" — if it fits, use it's.

Common misuse — the "greengrocer's apostrophe": Never use an apostrophe to form an ordinary plural. Apple's for sale is wrong; write Apples for sale. Plural of letters/decades takes no apostrophe: the 1980s, three Rs.

Quotation / Inverted Commas (' ' / " ")

Quotation marks enclose direct speech, quoted words and certain titles. British convention prefers single quotation marks for the primary quotation, reserving double marks for a quotation within a quotation; American convention reverses this.

Direct speech: The teacher said, 'Open your books.'
Quote within a quote: He said, 'She told me "wait here" and left.'
Title of a short work: We discussed the poem 'Daffodils'.
Reported then direct: 'I have finished,' she announced, 'and I am tired.'
Question in speech: He asked, 'Where is the register?'

Note (placement of stops): In British style, a final full stop or comma goes outside the closing quotation mark unless it belongs to the quoted matter itself. The comma introducing speech comes before the opening quote: She said, 'Yes.'

The Hyphen (-) vs the Dash (—)

The hyphen is short and joins words; the dash is longer and separates. Do not confuse them.

Hyphen in compound adjective: a well-known poet; a ten-year-old boy.
Hyphen in compound noun: mother-in-law; self-respect.
En dash for ranges: pages 10–20; the 1939–45 war.
Em dash for an abrupt break or emphasis: She passed — against all odds — with honours.
Em dash before an afterthought: He had only one aim — to teach well.

Note: No spaces around a hyphen. The en dash (–) joins numbers/ranges; the em dash (—) marks a break in sense.

Parentheses ( ) and Square Brackets [ ]

Parentheses (round brackets) enclose incidental or explanatory information that could be removed without breaking the sentence. Square brackets enclose words inserted by an editor into quoted material.

The poet (born in Allahabad) wrote in Hindi and English.
The result (see Table 2) was conclusive.
UPESSC (formerly UPSESSB) conducts the TGT examination.
Editorial insertion: 'He [the principal] approved the plan.'
The minister said, 'They [the teachers] deserve praise.'

Note: A full stop falls outside the closing parenthesis when the bracketed matter is part of a larger sentence, but inside when the whole sentence is parenthetical. (Like this complete sentence.)

Capitalisation (Capital Letters)

Capital letters are required in the following cases:

Sentence start: The class begins at nine.
Proper nouns (names of particular people, places, institutions): Ravi, Lucknow, University of Allahabad.
The pronoun I: Yesterday I was unwell.
Days and months: Monday, August (but seasons — summer — are lower case).
Languages and nationalities: English, Hindi, Indian, French.
Titles of books/works (principal words): The Merchant of Venice.
Titles before names: Dr Sharma, Professor Bose, Prime Minister.
The first word of direct speech: She said, 'Open your books.'

Note: Common nouns, seasons, points of the compass used generally (travel north), and the word after a colon (British style) are not capitalised.

Common Exam Errors

#	Wrong	Correct	Explanation
1	It was raining, we stayed indoors.	It was raining; we stayed indoors.	Comma splice — use a semicolon or conjunction.
2	The dog wagged it's tail.	The dog wagged its tail.	its = possessive; no apostrophe.
3	Its a fine day.	It's a fine day.	it's = it is; apostrophe needed.
4	The boy's are playing.	The boys are playing.	Plural takes no apostrophe.
5	The childrens' books.	The children's books.	Irregular plural takes 's.
6	The students hostel is large.	The students' hostel is large.	Plural possessive needs apostrophe after s.
7	She asked where I was going?	She asked where I was going.	Indirect question takes a full stop.
8	After the lesson the bell rang.	After the lesson, the bell rang.	Comma needed after introductory phrase.
9	I bought apples, oranges and, bananas.	I bought apples, oranges and bananas.	Misplaced comma before the last item.
10	My friend who lives next door, is a teacher.	My friend, who lives next door, is a teacher.	Non-defining clause needs a pair of commas.
11	He said open your books.	He said, 'Open your books.'	Direct speech needs a comma and quotation marks.
12	We need the following, pens and paper.	We need the following: pens and paper.	A colon, not a comma, introduces a list.
13	The reason was clear; she revised hard.	The reason was clear: she revised hard.	An explanation follows — use a colon.
14	A well known author visited us.	A well-known author visited us.	Compound adjective before a noun needs a hyphen.
15	The war lasted from 1939 to 1945—a long time.	The war lasted from 1939–1945 — a long time.	En dash for range; em dash for the break.
16	i think english is easy.	I think English is easy.	Capitalise I, sentence start and language.
17	We met on monday in march.	We met on Monday in March.	Days and months are capitalised.
18	Apple's are sold here.	Apples are sold here.	Greengrocer's apostrophe — plural, no apostrophe.
19	James' book is new.	James's book is new.	Modern British: singular name takes 's.
20	What a day.	What a day!	Exclamatory sentence needs an exclamation mark.
21	Ravi please sit down.	Ravi, please sit down.	Comma needed in direct address.
22	He studied hard he passed.	He studied hard; he passed.	Two independent clauses need a semicolon.
23	The principal the head of school spoke.	The principal (the head of school) spoke.	Incidental information needs parentheses.
24	Whose coming to the party?	Who's coming to the party?	Who's = who is; whose = possessive.
25	Your late for class.	You're late for class.	You're = you are; your = possessive.

Exam Tricks

Comma vs semicolon test: If both sides of the mark can stand alone as sentences and there is no conjunction, you need a semicolon (or full stop), never a lone comma.
its / it's test: Read "it is" in place of the word — if the sentence still works, the apostrophe form it's is correct; otherwise use its.
Apostrophe-placement trick: Find the owner first. If the owner is singular → add 's; if the owner is a plural already ending in s → add only '; if it is an irregular plural → add 's.
Colon trick: A colon must be preceded by a complete sentence and followed by a list, explanation or quotation that "completes the promise".
Distractor — restrictive vs non-restrictive: Watch for the option that adds or omits commas around a who/which clause. Defining clauses take no commas; non-defining clauses are enclosed by a pair.
Distractor — extra final comma: Options that insert a comma immediately before the final list item incorrectly (e.g. and, bananas) are wrong.
Distractor — question mark on indirect question: A reported question that ends with ? is a classic trap; it requires a full stop.
British convention: For TGT British-English papers, expect single quotation marks as the default for direct speech.

Frequently Confused Pairs

Pair	Distinction	Example
its / it's	its = possessive of it; it's = it is / it has.	The cat licked its paw. It's late.
comma / semicolon	Comma joins clause + conjunction; semicolon joins two independent clauses alone.	I came, and I saw. / I came; I saw.
colon / semicolon	Colon introduces/points forward; semicolon balances two equal clauses.	One rule: revise. / He revised; he passed.
hyphen / dash	Hyphen joins words; dash separates or marks a range/break.	well-read / pages 1–9 / He won — barely.
your / you're	your = possessive; you're = you are.	Your bag is here. You're late.
whose / who's	whose = possessive; who's = who is / who has.	Whose book is this? Who's there?
their / they're	their = possessive; they're = they are.	Their seats; they're seated.

Exceptions — Important, Rare & Advanced

British vs American quotation conventions. British English typically uses single quotation marks (' ') for the outer quotation and double (" ") for an inner quotation, and places terminal punctuation outside the closing mark unless it is part of the quotation ("logical" punctuation). American English reverses the quotation marks (double outer, single inner) and places commas and full stops inside the closing mark regardless. UPESSC British-English papers follow the British pattern.

The Oxford (serial) comma. The Oxford comma is the optional comma before the final and/or in a list (red, white, and blue). It is the house style of Oxford University Press but is generally omitted in everyday British writing. It should be retained where its absence would create ambiguity, e.g. I dedicate this to my parents, the President, and the Pope (without it, the parents could be misread as the President and the Pope).

Other advanced points. (i) Abbreviations formed from the last letter of the word (contractions such as Dr, Mr, Mrs) take no full stop in British style, whereas true abbreviations (etc., i.e., e.g.) do. (ii) Plurals of single lower-case letters may take an apostrophe for clarity: mind your p's and q's. (iii) A question mark or exclamation mark belonging to a title or quotation absorbs the sentence's terminal stop: She loved 'How Do I Love Thee?'

50 MCQs

Easy (1–15)

1. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

(a) Where are you going (b) Where are you going? (c) Where are you going. (d) Where are you going!
Answer: (b) Where are you going?
Explanation: A direct question ends with a question mark.

2. Choose the correct form: The dog wagged ___ tail.

(a) it's (b) its' (c) its (d) its's
Answer: (c) its
Explanation: its is the possessive of it; no apostrophe.

3. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

(a) I bought pens pencils and books. (b) I bought pens, pencils and books. (c) I bought, pens pencils and books. (d) I bought pens, pencils, and, books.
Answer: (b) I bought pens, pencils and books.
Explanation: List items are separated by commas; no comma before the final and (British style).

4. Where should the apostrophe go? The boys bags were heavy (more than one boy).

(a) boy's (b) boys' (c) boys's (d) boys
Answer: (b) boys'
Explanation: A plural noun ending in s takes only an apostrophe.

5. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

(a) Its a sunny day. (b) It's a sunny day. (c) Its' a sunny day. (d) Its a sunny day!
Answer: (b) It's a sunny day.
Explanation: It's = it is.

6. Choose the correctly capitalised sentence.

(a) i live in lucknow. (b) I live in Lucknow. (c) I live in lucknow. (d) i live in Lucknow.
Answer: (b) I live in Lucknow.
Explanation: Capitalise the sentence start, I and the proper noun.

7. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

(a) What a beautiful sight. (b) What a beautiful sight? (c) What a beautiful sight! (d) What a beautiful sight,
Answer: (c) What a beautiful sight!
Explanation: An exclamatory sentence ends with an exclamation mark.

8. Pick the correct contraction of "do not".

(a) dont (b) do'nt (c) don't (d) don;t
Answer: (c) don't
Explanation: The apostrophe replaces the omitted o.

9. Which is correctly punctuated?

(a) Ravi please sit down. (b) Ravi, please sit down. (c) Ravi please, sit down. (d) Ravi: please sit down.
Answer: (b) Ravi, please sit down.
Explanation: A comma sets off direct address.

10. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

(a) We met on monday. (b) We met on Monday. (c) we met on Monday. (d) We met On Monday.
Answer: (b) We met on Monday.
Explanation: Days of the week are capitalised.

11. Choose the correct form: The children___ playground is new.

(a) childrens' (b) children's (c) childrens (d) childrens's
Answer: (b) children's
Explanation: Children is an irregular plural; add 's.

12. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

(a) He said open your books. (b) He said, 'Open your books.' (c) He said 'open your books'. (d) He said: open your books.
Answer: (b) He said, 'Open your books.'
Explanation: Direct speech needs a comma, quotation marks and a capital.

13. Pick the correctly punctuated sentence.

(a) Apple's are sold here. (b) Apples are sold here. (c) Apples' are sold here. (d) Apple's are sold here!
Answer: (b) Apples are sold here.
Explanation: A simple plural takes no apostrophe.

14. Choose the correct word: ___ late for school.

(a) Your (b) You're (c) Youre (d) Yours
Answer: (b) You're
Explanation: You're = you are.

15. Which sentence ends with the correct mark?

(a) Please close the door? (b) Please close the door! (c) Please close the door. (d) Please close the door,
Answer: (c) Please close the door.
Explanation: A polite command/request ends with a full stop.

Moderate (16–35)

16. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

(a) It was late, we went home. (b) It was late we went home. (c) It was late; we went home. (d) It was late: we went home.
Answer: (c) It was late; we went home.
Explanation: Two independent clauses without a conjunction require a semicolon; option (a) is a comma splice.

17. Choose the correctly punctuated sentence.

(a) You will need: a pen, a ruler and a book. (b) You will need the following: a pen, a ruler and a book. (c) You will need the following, a pen, a ruler and a book. (d) You will need the following; a pen, a ruler and a book.
Answer: (b) You will need the following: a pen, a ruler and a book.
Explanation: A complete clause must precede the colon that introduces a list.

18. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

(a) My teacher who is from Agra retires soon. (b) My teacher, who is from Agra retires soon. (c) My teacher, who is from Agra, retires soon. (d) My teacher who is from Agra, retires soon.
Answer: (c) My teacher, who is from Agra, retires soon.
Explanation: A non-defining clause is enclosed by a pair of commas.

19. Identify the correctly punctuated sentence.

(a) She asked where I was going? (b) She asked where I was going. (c) She asked, where I was going? (d) She asked 'where I was going?'
Answer: (b) She asked where I was going.
Explanation: An indirect question takes a full stop, not a question mark.

20. Choose the correct sentence.

(a) He studied hard, however he failed. (b) He studied hard; however, he failed. (c) He studied hard however, he failed. (d) He studied hard: however he failed.
Answer: (b) He studied hard; however, he failed.
Explanation: A semicolon precedes the conjunctive adverb however linking two clauses, with a comma after it.

21. Which is the correct use of the apostrophe?

(a) James' car (b) Jame's car (c) James's car (d) Jamess' car
Answer: (c) James's car
Explanation: Modern British style adds 's to a singular name ending in s.

22. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

(a) The reason was clear; she had not revised. (b) The reason was clear: she had not revised. (c) The reason was clear, she had not revised. (d) The reason was clear she had not revised.
Answer: (b) The reason was clear: she had not revised.
Explanation: A colon introduces an explanation of the preceding clause.

23. Choose the correctly hyphenated sentence.

(a) A well known poet spoke. (b) A well-known poet spoke. (c) A wellknown poet spoke. (d) A well—known poet spoke.
Answer: (b) A well-known poet spoke.
Explanation: A compound adjective before a noun is hyphenated.

24. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

(a) Who's book is this? (b) Whose book is this? (c) Whos book is this? (d) Whose' book is this?
Answer: (b) Whose book is this?
Explanation: Whose is the possessive; who's = who is.

25. Pick the correct sentence.

(a) The delegates came from Lucknow, U.P., Patna, Bihar and Jaipur, Rajasthan. (b) The delegates came from Lucknow, U.P.; Patna, Bihar; and Jaipur, Rajasthan. (c) The delegates came from Lucknow U.P. Patna Bihar and Jaipur Rajasthan. (d) The delegates came from: Lucknow, Patna, Jaipur.
Answer: (b) The delegates came from Lucknow, U.P.; Patna, Bihar; and Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Explanation: Semicolons separate list items that themselves contain commas.

26. Where should the comma go? After the examination the students relaxed.

(a) after "students" (b) after "examination" (c) after "relaxed" (d) no comma needed
Answer: (b) after "examination"
Explanation: A comma follows an introductory adverbial phrase.

27. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

(a) Their going to win. (b) They're going to win. (c) There going to win. (d) Theyre going to win.
Answer: (b) They're going to win.
Explanation: They're = they are.

28. Choose the correctly punctuated direct speech (British style).

(a) She said "I am ready." (b) She said, 'I am ready.' (c) She said, "I am ready". (d) She said: 'I am ready'
Answer: (b) She said, 'I am ready.'
Explanation: British convention uses single quotes, with a comma before the speech and the stop inside the quoted sentence.

29. Which sentence correctly uses a dash for a range?

(a) Read pages 10-20. (b) Read pages 10 — 20. (c) Read pages 10–20. (d) Read pages 10:20.
Answer: (c) Read pages 10–20.
Explanation: An en dash indicates a range of numbers.

30. Identify the correctly punctuated sentence.

(a) The poet, born in Agra wrote in two languages. (b) The poet (born in Agra) wrote in two languages. (c) The poet born in Agra, wrote in two languages. (d) The poet; born in Agra; wrote in two languages.
Answer: (b) The poet (born in Agra) wrote in two languages.
Explanation: Parentheses enclose incidental information.

31. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

(a) I speak english and hindi. (b) I speak English and Hindi. (c) I speak English and hindi. (d) i speak English and Hindi.
Answer: (b) I speak English and Hindi.
Explanation: Names of languages are capitalised.

32. Choose the correctly punctuated sentence.

(a) He works hard and he succeeds. (b) He works hard, and he succeeds. (c) He works hard; and he succeeds. (d) He works hard: and he succeeds.
Answer: (b) He works hard, and he succeeds.
Explanation: A comma precedes a coordinating conjunction joining two independent clauses.

33. Which sentence avoids a comma splice?

(a) I came, I saw, I conquered. (b) I came; I saw; I conquered. (c) I came I saw I conquered. (d) I came: I saw: I conquered.
Answer: (b) I came; I saw; I conquered.
Explanation: Semicolons correctly separate three short independent clauses; (a) is a comma splice (though a famous stylistic exception).

34. Where does the apostrophe belong? The womens college is famous.

(a) womens' (b) women's (c) womens's (d) women s'
Answer: (b) women's
Explanation: Women is an irregular plural; add 's.

35. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

(a) He said that he was tired? (b) He said that he was tired. (c) He said, that he was tired. (d) He said; that he was tired.
Answer: (b) He said that he was tired.
Explanation: A reported statement ends with a full stop and needs no comma after said when introduced by that.

Difficult (36–50)

36. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

(a) The students, who had revised, passed; the others failed. (b) The students who had revised passed, the others failed. (c) The students who had revised, passed the others, failed. (d) The students who had revised passed; the others, failed.
Answer: (a) The students, who had revised, passed; the others failed.
Explanation: The non-defining clause is set off by commas and a semicolon joins the two independent clauses. (Here it implies all students had revised.)

37. Choose the sentence with correct British quotation punctuation.

(a) 'I told him "go away,"' she said. (b) "I told him 'go away,'" she said. (c) 'I told him "go away",' she said. (d) 'I told him 'go away',' she said.
Answer: (c) 'I told him "go away",' she said.
Explanation: British style: single outer quotes, double inner quotes, with the comma placed outside the inner quotation (logical punctuation).

38. Which sentence uses the Oxford comma to remove ambiguity?

(a) I thank my parents, Gandhi and Nehru. (b) I thank my parents, Gandhi, and Nehru. (c) I thank my parents Gandhi and Nehru. (d) I thank my parents; Gandhi and Nehru.
Answer: (b) I thank my parents, Gandhi, and Nehru.
Explanation: The Oxford comma before and shows that the parents, Gandhi and Nehru are three separate parties.

39. Identify the correctly punctuated sentence.

(a) The minister said, 'They [the teachers] deserve praise.' (b) The minister said, 'They (the teachers) deserve praise.' (c) The minister said 'They the teachers deserve praise.' (d) The minister said, "They [the teachers] deserve praise".
Answer: (a) The minister said, 'They [the teachers] deserve praise.'
Explanation: Square brackets enclose an editorial insertion within a quotation; British single quotes are used.

40. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

(a) Its' colour faded. (b) Its colour faded. (c) It's colour faded. (d) Its's colour faded.
Answer: (b) Its colour faded.
Explanation: Its is the possessive; "it is" does not fit, so no apostrophe.

41. Choose the correctly punctuated sentence.

(a) He had one ambition, to teach well. (b) He had one ambition: to teach well. (c) He had one ambition; to teach well. (d) He had one ambition — to teach, well.
Answer: (b) He had one ambition: to teach well.
Explanation: A colon introduces the explanation/appositive after a complete clause.

42. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

(a) She passed against all odds with honours. (b) She passed, against all odds, with honours. (c) She passed — against all odds — with honours. (d) Both (b) and (c) are acceptable.
Answer: (d) Both (b) and (c) are acceptable.
Explanation: A parenthetical aside may be set off by a pair of commas or a pair of em dashes.

43. Identify the error-free sentence.

(a) The 1990's were eventful. (b) The 1990s were eventful. (c) The 1990s' were eventful. (d) The 1990's' were eventful.
Answer: (b) The 1990s were eventful.
Explanation: A decade is pluralised without an apostrophe.

44. Which sentence correctly punctuates the quoted title and question?

(a) She loved the poem 'How Do I Love Thee?'. (b) She loved the poem 'How Do I Love Thee?' (c) She loved the poem How Do I Love Thee? (d) She loved the poem, 'How Do I Love Thee'?
Answer: (b) She loved the poem 'How Do I Love Thee?'
Explanation: The question mark belongs to the title and absorbs the sentence's terminal stop; no extra full stop is added.

45. Choose the correctly punctuated sentence.

(a) Ram and Sita's house is large (one shared house). (b) Ram's and Sita's house is large. (c) Ram and Sitas' house is large. (d) Rams and Sitas house is large.
Answer: (a) Ram and Sita's house is large.
Explanation: For joint possession of one item, only the last noun takes 's.

46. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?

(a) The war (1939–45) changed Europe. (b) The war (1939-45) changed Europe. (c) The war [1939–45] changed Europe. (d) The war, 1939–45, changed Europe — only.
Answer: (a) The war (1939–45) changed Europe.
Explanation: Parentheses enclose the incidental date range; an en dash, not a hyphen, marks the range.

47. Identify the correctly punctuated sentence.

(a) Dr. Sharma, M.A., Ph.D., addressed us. (b) Dr Sharma, M.A., Ph.D., addressed us. (c) Dr Sharma M.A. Ph.D. addressed us. (d) dr Sharma, m.a., ph.d., addressed us.
Answer: (b) Dr Sharma, M.A., Ph.D., addressed us.
Explanation: British style omits the stop after the contraction Dr; degree abbreviations are set off by commas.

48. Which sentence avoids both a comma splice and an apostrophe error?

(a) Its raining, we'll stay in. (b) It's raining; we'll stay in. (c) It's raining, we'll stay in. (d) Its raining; we'll stay in.
Answer: (b) It's raining; we'll stay in.
Explanation: It's = it is, and a semicolon correctly joins the two independent clauses.

49. Choose the correctly punctuated sentence.

(a) My brother-in-law a teacher, lives nearby. (b) My brother-in-law, a teacher, lives nearby. (c) My brother in law, a teacher lives nearby. (d) My brother-in-law; a teacher; lives nearby.
Answer: (b) My brother-in-law, a teacher, lives nearby.
Explanation: The compound noun is hyphenated and the appositive a teacher is enclosed by a pair of commas.

50. Which sentence is fully correct?

(a) The teacher asked, "have you finished"? (b) The teacher asked, 'Have you finished?' (c) The teacher asked 'have you finished?'. (d) The teacher asked, 'have you finished'?
Answer: (b) The teacher asked, 'Have you finished?'
Explanation: British single quotes, a capital to begin the speech, and the question mark inside the closing quote.