Execution Test Answers

 

1.                  Ms. Simpson hopes to get the feasibility study to you soon , but she cannot promise it by the first of the month. Commas go before coordinating conjunctions.

 

2.                  If you plan to attend this seminar, you should notify Stan; he will make all the reservations. Two complete sentences cannot be joined by a comma; that’s a comma splice. You need a stronger connecter.

 

3.                  The Planning Commission will require three copies of the site plan. Don’t be confused by homonyms like site, sight, and cite.

 

4.                  Nearly three-fourths of the new freshmen are from South Carolina. Hyphenate fractions when spelled out.

 

5.                  Remember to compliment the marketing staff on the colorful new brochure. Don’t be confused by homonyms.

 

6.                  We signed the agreement to purchase on January 1, 2002. See dates, p. 379.

 

7.                  Résumés printed on an ink-jet printer are acceptable; however, make sure it has a clean print head so the print is legible. Comma splice; you must use semi-colons with conjunctive adverbs like however.

 

8.                  The fact that Chris Stevens and I transferred from the San Diego office and had to relocate our families when the company combined offices after the merger does not seem to have been reflected in our annual salary review. See commas, p. 377.  No comma is placed between the subject and predicate, even if you draw breath there.

 

9.                  Halliburton issued a press release clarifying its actions in the bidding process for the contract. A company is singular and requires a singular pronoun.

 

10.              Please circulate this copy of an article found on pages 44-49 of last month’s Forbes magazine. See apostrophes, p. 367; this shows possession.

 

11.              The article is entitled “Dot-Combustion: The Meltdown in IPOs.” Article titles are placed in quotation marks in MLA style.

 

12.              I believe it follows up on an article in the Wall Street Journal. Periodical titles are italicized or underlined in MLA style.

 

13.              Everybody in Benefits is trying to analyze the impact of the new retirement law. See pronouns, p. 337. Indefinite pronouns like everyone represent a single class and so take singular verbs for agreement.

 

14.              Neither of the two accountants was able to find the mistake in the spreadsheet. See pronouns, p. 337. Indefinite pronouns like everyone represent a single class and so take singular verbs for agreement.

 

15.              I intend to call on all my customers by Thursday; Judy will see hers over the weekend. Comma splice; two complete sentences cannot be connected by a comma.

 

16.              Bridgestone announced that its plants have switched over to computerized quality control. A company is singular and requires a singular pronoun.