This short quiz will help you sharpen your writing skills. Answers are posted below.

Part I: Correct the usage errors in these sentences. Some sentences may have more than one error.

1. I spent alot of time answering questions about what our department does.

2. The car wouldn’t start, it had a dead battery.

 3. We’re determined not to loose this weekend’s softball game.

Part 2:  What essential information is missing from this sentence?

Julian Santaguido was booked into the county jail.

ANSWERS

Part I:

1.  I spent a lot of time answering questions about what our department does. [A lot is always two words.]

2. The car wouldn’t start. It had a dead battery. [Make sure every sentence ends with a period. Remember that it often starts a new sentence.

3. We’re determined not to lose this weekend’s softball game. [We’re is correct! It’s a contraction of we are. The problem word is lose (to mislay something). Here’s a useful trick: Loose rhymes with moose.]

Part 2:

Who booked him?

Officer Penney booked Julian Santaguido into the county jail.  CORRECT