CPTC - REVIEWING AND EDITING EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS VERIFIED
Comma splice
two complete sentences are joined together with a comma.
Run-on sentence
two or more sentences have been crammed into one.
Fragment
the sentence is missing a subject or a verb, or it lacks a complete thought.
Dangling modifier
a phrase (usually an introductory phrase) does not properly explain the subject.
Subject-verb disagreement
the subject of the sentence does not match the verb.
Pronoun-antecedent disagreement
Occurs when A pronoun does not agree with a noun used earlier in the sentence.
Faulty parallelism
Each part of a list needs to be parallel in structure to every other part of the list.
Pronoun case error
Not using the correct pronoun - I or we, or Me and us.
Shifted tense
Sentences inconsistently use past, present, and future tenses.
Vague pronoun
, Writer uses a pronoun that Is unclear what the pronoun refers to.
Em dash
Longest form of dash. Used to highlight asides from the author or the continuation of a
thought.
En dash
Slightly shorter than the em dash. Used in numbers and dates.
Hyphen
Shortest form of the dash. Used to connect prefixes and make compound words.
Parentheses
Most common. Used for setting off additional information. Use to include additional
information or refer readers to a graphic. Use to clarify a list.
Brackets
Use to include editorial comments or to repack a pronoun. Less common.
Ellipses
Used to show that information in a quote was removed or to indicate the trailing off of a
thought. Made with three dots with spaces between each dot.
Misused comma
Comma signals an unnecessary pause in a sentence.
Misused apostrophe
An apostrophe is used where it doesn't belong. For example, it's and its.
The order of adjectives in a sentence
Article, determiner, or possessive; ordinal; quantity; size and shape; appearance; color;
substance
AND ANSWERS WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS VERIFIED
Comma splice
two complete sentences are joined together with a comma.
Run-on sentence
two or more sentences have been crammed into one.
Fragment
the sentence is missing a subject or a verb, or it lacks a complete thought.
Dangling modifier
a phrase (usually an introductory phrase) does not properly explain the subject.
Subject-verb disagreement
the subject of the sentence does not match the verb.
Pronoun-antecedent disagreement
Occurs when A pronoun does not agree with a noun used earlier in the sentence.
Faulty parallelism
Each part of a list needs to be parallel in structure to every other part of the list.
Pronoun case error
Not using the correct pronoun - I or we, or Me and us.
Shifted tense
Sentences inconsistently use past, present, and future tenses.
Vague pronoun
, Writer uses a pronoun that Is unclear what the pronoun refers to.
Em dash
Longest form of dash. Used to highlight asides from the author or the continuation of a
thought.
En dash
Slightly shorter than the em dash. Used in numbers and dates.
Hyphen
Shortest form of the dash. Used to connect prefixes and make compound words.
Parentheses
Most common. Used for setting off additional information. Use to include additional
information or refer readers to a graphic. Use to clarify a list.
Brackets
Use to include editorial comments or to repack a pronoun. Less common.
Ellipses
Used to show that information in a quote was removed or to indicate the trailing off of a
thought. Made with three dots with spaces between each dot.
Misused comma
Comma signals an unnecessary pause in a sentence.
Misused apostrophe
An apostrophe is used where it doesn't belong. For example, it's and its.
The order of adjectives in a sentence
Article, determiner, or possessive; ordinal; quantity; size and shape; appearance; color;
substance
