Periods, question marks, and exclamation points are considered “end punctuation” and should be used at the end of a sentence.

Use a period to end most sentences.

Example:

Scott enrolled in classes at the university***.***

Use a question mark to end a direct question.

Example:

Do you think it will rain today***?***

Use an exclamation point to end an emphatic statement.

Example:

Please don’t leave your vehicle unattended***!***

Final Word

A great way to catch any of these “end punctuation” errors is by staying aware of the passage’s tone — which is helpful on other questions, too!

ex problems:

Tsunamis

[1] Tsunamis can occur in any ocean, most are in the Pacific Ocean, where there were many quakes in the sea and on land. The Pacific Ocean strongly affected by volcanoes. A volcano or earthquake may create a tsunami in the ocean thousands of miles away. The majority of tsunamis occur near Hawaii, Alaska, Japan, and the West Coast of the United States. The explosion of the volcano Krakatoa, near Java, in 1883 resulted in a tsunami that killed 36,000 people many miles from there.

[2] Imagine a wall of ocean water reaching 100 feet high. This wave crashes onto the shore, crushing buildings and washing thousands of people out to sea. Scientists call this amazing phenomenon of the ocean a tsunami__; Japanese for “storm wave.”__ It destroys towns and kills thousands of people. Tsunamis are also known as tidal waves, although it has nothing to do with actual tides. [*]

[3] What causes this horrifying disaster? The cause can be either an undersea earthquake, called a seaquake more often, or a volcanic eruption or earthquake on land. Oceanographer Patrick Martin says, “A tsunami is created when a quake causes land shifted underwater.” When a tsunami begins, it creates low waves that speed along at up to 500 miles per hour. However, this doesn’t immediately cause huge waves to form out on the ocean. Instead, these small swells of water rush along and then turn into a huge wave near land. As the ocean becomes shallowest, the tsunami near the shore builds up, pulling water up with it and exposes the sea bottom. Then the tsunami strikes the shore with devastating force.

[4] The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii monitors seaquakes and sent out warnings of tsunamis. Scientists use seismographs (machines that detect and measure quakes) to predict where and when a tsunami will strike. This early warning system cannot prevent tsunamis, although it’s been successful in saving lives. One of the newest ways to track tsunamis is with satellites. Scientists use satellites to track the beginnings and movements of tsunamis all over the world.

Question

1. NO CHANGE

2. hour—however,

3. hour, however,

4. hour, however.

Solution

Solution:

The correct answer is A.

The conjunctive adverb however introduces a new and complete idea and therefore needs to be part of a separate sentence.

Sojourner Truth

Sojourner Truth was one of the more remarkable women leaders America has produced. Although there are no records of her birth, historians believe that Sojourner was probably born in 1797 in Ulster County, New York. We do know that this African-American was born a slave named Isabella Baumfree. She was sold away from her parents when she was just a child. She took the name Sojourner Truth after she was free by the New York State Emancipation Act of 1827. Her new name represented the ideals, for which she lived and fought. Sojourner moved to New York City, where she began to work with a plethora in organizations that helped women. Later, she became a leading abolitionist who fought against slavery. Fighting for freedom and for equality for women, Sojourner Truth became a leader in these struggles. In 1850, she published The Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Northern Slave. Her book provided a small income, and she was often invite to speak about anti-slavery and womens rights topics.

Sojourner was a powerful speaker with a quick wit and strong presence. She drew huge crowds with her speeches. Never intimidated by opposition, Sojourner Truth was always looking for people of whom she could convince of the truth. As she once said, “I feel safe in the midst of my enemies, for the truth is all powerful and will prevail.” Her most famous speech, “Ain’t I a woman?”, was given in 1851 at a women’s rights convention in Ohio. It urged those at the convention not to ignore the plight of African-American women.

[1] This brave woman challenged injustice wherever she saw them. [2] One example was her fight for the desegregation of public transportation in Washington, D.C. [3] When all the slaves were liberated after the Civil War, Sojourner worked in the Freedmen’s Bureau. [4] One day, Sojourner and a white woman were walking down the street and became tired. [5] Even though the Washington streetcars were supposed to integrated, they remained segregated. [6] Sojourner had her friend hail the trolley, and they both got on. [7] A conductor grabbed Sojourner and tried to keep her from getting on. [8] He grabbed her so hard that he injured her shoulder. [9] Sojourner took the trolley company to court and received $125 in damages, a large amount in those days. [10] This government agency was set up to help former slaves learn skills. [11] The conductor was fired. [12] The next day, the trolley system was declared open to all passengers. [*] Sojourner lived a long and productive life and won much respect and admiration. She even spoke before President Lincoln. Age and ill health caused her retiring from the lecture circuit. She spent her last days in Battle Creek, Michigan, where she died in 1883.

In 2009, Sojourner Truth became the first African American woman to have a bust in the U.S. Capitol. The statue is in Emancipation Hall, named in honor of all the slaves who worked on the construction of the Capitol.

Question

1. NO CHANGE

2. woman”?, was

3. woman?,” was

4. woman?” was

Solution

Solution:

The correct answer is A.

When a question mark is part of a title, the question mark is placed within the quotation marks. Answer choice B is incorrect, because the question mark is part of the title of the speech and must be placed inside the closing quotation mark. Answer choice C is incorrect because when a comma is used following a quotation or title it is placed AFTER the closing quotation mark. Answer choice D is incorrect since the title must be set off by commas before and after the title.