Punctuation-5 - skoolon.com - Free Printable

Here's the corrected version of each sentence with proper punctuation, along with an explanation for each:

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1. He is a tall handsome smart and ambitious man

✔ Corrected:
He is a tall, handsome, smart, and ambitious man.

📌 *Explanation:* When listing three or more adjectives that describe the same noun (here, “man”), we use commas to separate them. This is called a serial comma or Oxford comma. The last comma before “and” is optional in some styles, but it’s often recommended for clarity.

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2. I would rather die he exclaimed than join the oppressors of my country

✔ Corrected:
“I would rather die,” he exclaimed, “than join the oppressors of my country.”

📌 *Explanation:* When dialogue is interrupted by a tag (“he exclaimed”), you enclose the spoken parts in quotation marks and set off the tag with commas. The tag is not capitalized unless it starts a new sentence. Also, the entire sentence is a complete thought, so it ends with a period inside the closing quote.

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3. He replied i have no idea what you mean

✔ Corrected:
He replied, “I have no idea what you mean.”

📌 *Explanation:* After a reporting verb like “replied,” use a comma to introduce the quoted speech. The first word inside the quotation marks must be capitalized (“I”). End the quote with a period inside the closing quotation mark.

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4. do you know the answer to this question

✔ Corrected:
Do you know the answer to this question?

📌 *Explanation:* This is a direct question, so it must start with a capital letter and end with a question mark. “Do” is the first word — capitalize it. No quotation marks needed since it’s not reported speech.

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5. Is this singapore s tallest building

✔ Corrected:
Is this Singapore’s tallest building?

📌 *Explanation:* “Singapore” is a proper noun — always capitalize it. To show possession, add an apostrophe + s: “Singapore’s”. Since it’s a question, end with a question mark.

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6. what a terrible fire this is

✔ Corrected:
What a terrible fire this is!

📌 *Explanation:* This is an exclamatory sentence expressing strong emotion. Start with a capital letter (“What”) and end with an exclamation mark (!) to convey surprise or shock.

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7. didnt you hear that they are leavin

✔ Corrected:
Didn’t you hear that they are leaving?

📌 *Explanation:*
- “Didnt” → should be “Didn’t” (contraction of “did not”; needs apostrophe).
- Capitalize the first word of the sentence.
- “Leavin” → misspelled; correct spelling is “leaving”.
- Since it’s a question, end with a question mark.

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✔ Final Answer Summary:

1. He is a tall, handsome, smart, and ambitious man.
2. “I would rather die,” he exclaimed, “than join the oppressors of my country.”
3. He replied, “I have no idea what you mean.”
4. Do you know the answer to this question?
5. Is this Singapore’s tallest building?
6. What a terrible fire this is!
7. Didn’t you hear that they are leaving?

Let me know if you’d like to practice more punctuation rules!