Thread: Test for Americans

Hello, dear friends! I`d like to test you in language, if you don`t object. I`m from Biysk pedagogical state university. I`d like to write an article about American mind and you can help me: test yourself.

Your age:
Punctuate the following sentences (insert punctuation marks) where it is necessary to your mind:

1. Students yawned coughed grimaced and squirmed with boredom.
2. She wrote cheques payable to Bayne and Duckett Marks and Spencer and Martin and Frost.
3. She wondered that they had not come yet.
4. The hills that separate Lancashire from Yorkshire are called the Pennines.
5. She began to talk upon the subject he had suggested.
6. Tom who was her elder brother was there too.
7. The Sri Lanka bowler who took six wickets was named the man of the match.
8. Tsiolkovsky studied many branches of knowledge which enabled him to become a prominent scientist.
9. The day came to an end when they appeared in the distance.
10. The solicitor addressed me as he descended the stairs.
11. Manchester United has a new club-house which is welcome news to the members.
12. Manchester United has a new club-house welcome news to the members.
13. When it is sunny and warm it is fine weather.
14. If you come to my place we’ll spend a good time together.
15. Would you recognize him if you saw him.
16. It was raining and I took my umbrella.
17. The sky was covered with clouds a cold wind was blowing a snowstorm began.
18.The young man who in the end of September 1924 dismounted from a taxi-cab in South Square Westminster was so unobtrusively American that the driver had some hesitation in asking him to double his fare.
19. In the summer of 1984 many trees died.
20. He said I’ll come soon.

When you finish the test, please, send it to my e-mail. Thank you! Mike.

A couple of these sentences seem ambiguous or ungrammatical to me. I'll send you a private message about them so not to influence others' answers.

I agree with Jeff for a few of them, but here's my shot regardless:

1. Students yawned, coughed, grimaced, and squirmed with boredom.
2. She wrote cheques payable to Bayne and Duckett, Marks and Spencer, and Martin and Frost.
3. She wondered that they had not come yet. (none)
4. The hills that separate Lancashire from Yorkshire are called the Pennines. (none)
5. She began to talk upon the subject he had suggested. (none)
6. Tom, who was her elder brother, was there too.
7. The Sri Lanka bowler who took six wickets was named the man of the match. (none)
8. Tsiolkovsky studied many branches of knowledge which enabled him to become a prominent scientist. (none)
9. The day came to an end when they appeared in the distance. (none)
10. The solicitor addressed me as he descended the stairs. (none)
11. Manchester United has a new club-house which is welcome news to the members. (none)
12. Manchester United has a new club-house welcome news to the members. ??? This sentence is odd...
13. When it is sunny and warm, it is fine weather. (not really necessary)
14. If you come to my place, we’ll spend a good time together. (not really necessary)
15. Would you recognize him if you saw him. (none)
16. It was raining and I took my umbrella. (none)
17. The sky was covered with clouds, a cold wind was blowing, AND a snowstorm began.
18.The young man who in the end of September 1924 dismounted from a taxi-cab in South Square Westminster was so unobtrusively American that the driver had some hesitation in asking him to double his fare. (run-on sentence that can't be fixed by punctiuation)
19. In the summer of 1984 many trees died. (none)
20. He said "I’ll come soon". (none)

-Fantom

You need a comma before quotation marks.

He said, "I'll come soon".

15 of course need a ?

18 I'd at least separate the clauses with commas but yeah it ned to be broken up.

Originally Posted by fantom605

12. Manchester United has a new club-house welcome news to the members. ??? This sentence is odd...

I sent him a PM.
I just put a comma in after "club-house", however, I meant to have started a new sentence with "welcome".



12. Manchester United has a new club-house. Welcome news to the members.

Originally Posted by Biancca

You need a comma before quotation marks.

He said, "I'll come soon".

Derp. Thanks, I forgot about that!

Originally Posted by Biancca

15 of course need a ?

Derp again... I didn't even think about punctuation other than commas and quotation marks...

-Fantom

Originally Posted by fantom605

1. Students yawned, coughed, grimaced, and squirmed with boredom.

IMHO, I do not think you need a comma after "grimaced".

Originally Posted by kwatts59

Originally Posted by fantom605

1. Students yawned, coughed, grimaced, and squirmed with boredom.

IMHO, I do not think you need a comma after "grimaced".

That's one of those things that is debateable, and could go either way...

<a href = "http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/commas.htm">http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/commas.htm</a>

Use a comma to separate the elements in a series (three or more things), including the last two. "He hit the ball, dropped the bat, and ran to first base." You may have learned that the comma before the "and" is unnecessary, which is fine if you're in control of things. However, there are situations in which, if you don't use this comma (especially when the list is complex or lengthy), these last two items in the list will try to glom together (like macaroni and cheese). Using a comma between all the items in a series, including the last two, avoids this problem. This last comma—the one between the word "and" and the preceding word—is often called the serial comma or the Oxford comma. In newspaper writing, incidentally, you will seldom find a serial comma, but that is not necessarily a sign that it should be omitted in academic prose.

How do you guys know this isnt just some kid LYING, and you just did his homework for him?

Originally Posted by saibot

How do you guys know this isnt just some kid LYING, and you just did his homework for him?

Hmm........What is a ""pedagogical""state university?

My theory is that Scientist is studying the differences between US and British writing forms. I think that we in Australia use a lot more commas than you Yanks.

What's it say if you're too lazy to do this...quiz?

If you do not take the test you will be forced to do pushups while smoking a pack of Lucky Strikes!!

Yeah...
I'm too lazy...to do push ups...and smoke...and what not.


...

Originally Posted by saibot

How do you guys know this isnt just some kid LYING, and you just did his homework for him?

He's testing how stupid we Americans are. There's a high-school English class in Finland that's going to kick our asses at this.

Originally Posted by Jeff

There's a high-school English class in Finland that's going to kick our asses at this.

No high-school English class is going to kick my ass, I fight dirty!

"I don't know you!!! That's my purse!!!"

Name that show and the action that results from the statement.
-Fantom

Originally Posted by fantom605

"I don't know you!!! That's my purse!!!"
Name that show and the action that results from the statement.
-Fantom

Lol Fantom! Bobby kicks someone in their naughty bits, am I right?

Originally Posted by Celephais

Originally Posted by fantom605

"I don't know you!!! That's my purse!!!"
Name that show and the action that results from the statement.
-Fantom

Lol Fantom! Bobby kicks someone in their naughty bits, am I right?

Bingo! Sometimes I really like King of the Hill, sometimes I don't... It's no "Simpsons" or "Family Guy", but it does have its moments!
-Fantom

Originally Posted by DDT

Originally Posted by saibot

How do you guys know this isnt just some kid LYING, and you just did his homework for him?

Hmm........What is a ""pedagogical""state university?

My theory is that Scientist is studying the differences between US and British writing forms. I think that we in Australia use a lot more commas than you Yanks.

pedagog is a teacher (педагог) so if hes in pedagog university hes training to be a teacher

I don't understand the point of his exercise. He is just asking for punctuation marks to be placed in sentences, but that is not as simple of a task as it seems. Many of the sentences have conversational innovations and weak syntax that would never show up in formal writing anyways. That’s why in literature you can get away with punctuating however you want, because the conversational forms are already taking liberties with the language. I think it is counter-productive to be analyzing an aspect of written language--punctuation--on conversational grammar and awkward syntax.

Originally Posted by Scientist

Hello, dear friends! I`d like to test you in language, if you don`t object. I`m from Biysk pedagogical state university. I`d like to write an article about American mind and you can help me: test yourself.

Your age:17, just about 18.
Punctuate the following sentences (insert punctuation marks) where it is necessary to your mind:

1. Students yawned, coughed, grimaced, and squirmed with boredom.
2. She wrote cheques payable to Bayne and Duckett Marks, and Spencer, and Martin, and Frost.
3. She wondered why that they had not come yet.
4. The hills that separate Lancashire from Yorkshire are called the Pennines.
5. She began to talk upon the subject he had suggested.
6. Tom who was her elder brother was there too.
7. The Sri Lanka bowler who took six wickets was named the man of the match.
8. Tsiolkovsky studied many branches of knowledge which enabled him to become a prominent scientist.
9. The day came to an end when they appeared in the distance.
10. The solicitor addressed me as he descended the stairs.
11. Manchester United has a new club-house, which is welcome news to the members.
12. Manchester United has a new club-house, welcome news to the members.
13. When it is sunny and warm it is fine weather.
14. If you come to my place we’ll spend a good time together.
15. Would you recognize him if you saw him?
16. It was raining and I took my umbrella.
17. The sky was covered with clouds a cold wind was blowing a snowstorm began.
18.The young man who in the end of September 1924 dismounted from a taxi-cab in South Square Westminster was so unobtrusively American that the driver had some hesitation in asking him to double his fare.
19. In the summer of 1984 many trees died.
20. He said I’ll come soon.

When you finish the test, please, send it to my e-mail. Thank you! Mike.

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