US English Proofreading (AP Style) MCQs
US English Proofreading (AP Style) MCQs
These US English Proofreading (AP Style) multiple-choice questions and their answers will help you strengthen your grip on the subject of US English Proofreading (AP Style). You can prepare for an upcoming exam or job interview with these 70+ US English Proofreading (AP Style) MCQs.
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1: Which of the following phrases is capitalized incorrectly, according to the AP Stylebook?
A. astronaut John Glenn
B. the state of Maine
C. communists, fascists, and Marxists
D. leaning tower of Pisa
Compare the following manuscript copy to the final proof copy and identify the line in the proof copy that contains an error.
MANUSCRIPT:
Darling, Helga L. Ext. 2331 hdarling@millingscuff.nz.cc
Hilyam, Harper S. Ext 2535 hhily@millingscuff.nz.cc
Offhart, Nellie A. Ext 3323 noffha@millingscuff.nz.cc
Parvcel, Jerome M. Ext 3330 jparvc@millingscuff.nz.cc
Ralston, Lucrezia F. Ext 2393 lralsto@millingscuff.nz.cc
FINAL PROOF:
A.
Darling, Helga L. Ext. 2331 hdarling@millingscuff.nz.cc
B.
Hilyam, Harper S. Ext 2535 hhily@millingscuff.nz.cc
C.
Offhart, Nellie A. Ext 3323 noffha@millingscuff.nz.cc
D.
Parvcel, Jerome M. Ext 3330 jparvc@milingscuff.nz.ccÂ
E.
All of the above.
Compare the following manuscript copy to the final proof copy and identify the line in the proof copy that contains an error.
MANUSCRIPT:
One plane, eight yachts, 16 luxury cars, numerous houses, villas and apartments —
my grandfather was disgustingly rich, but also disgustingly stingy. Upon his death, we discovered that, rather than divide his estate equally among his family members,
Grandpa had decided to leave a tiny morsel to every person in town — total
strangers! — so that none of us could "slip so easily into the lap of luxury."
FINAL PROOF:
A.
One plane, eight yachts, 16 luxury cars, numerous houses, villas and apartments —
B.
my grandfather was disgustingly rich, but also disgustingly stingy. Upon his death, we
C.
discovered that, rather than divide his estate equally among his family members,
D.
Grandpa had decided to leave a tiny morsel to every person in town — total
E.
strangers! — so that none of us
F.
No error
Which of the following sentences contains an error in spelling, grammar or usage, according to the AP Stylebook?
A.
Were these 14 zebras ordered by you and her or by Sam and Al? Â
B.
Herbert and Peg have always been so rude to Arthur and me that we've decided to drop them from the guest list.
C.
Stella's and Alma's puppies usually frolic together at the dog park.
D.
Each of the climbers has undergone a rigorous physical assessment.
E.
No errorÂ
A. American Medical Association / AMA's
B. AMA / American Medical Association's
C. American Medical Assn. / association's
6: Which of the following sentences contains an error in punctuation, according to the AP Stylebook?
A. Who wrote the book
B. The deceased leaves a son, Adam Hanks of Los Angeles; two daughters, Mary Hanks of Wichita, Kan., and Roberta Hanks of Amarillo, Texas; and a brother, Lewis Hanks of Boston.
C. A rescue worker on the scene said that it was
D. After bringing his wife to the emergency room, Harold asked,
7: Which of the following sentences uses correct punctuation, according to the AP Stylebook?
A. That breed of dog stands about 3-feet-tall.
B. On Dec. 15, 2009, the choral group performed at Carnegie Hall.
C. The final scores in the international championship were as follows; England, 6; Germany, 4; Italy, 8; United States, 1.
D. Italian has two terms for the word 'face' — one for the face of a human (viso) and another for the face of an animal (muso).
Fill in the following passage with the correct sequence of abbreviated or unabbreviated words or phrases, in accordance with the AP Stylebook.
The hostess required us to send in our ________ card by ________ 26.
A.
rsvp / Apr.
B.
RSVP / AprilÂ
C.
RSVP / Apr.
D.
r.s.v.p. / April
9: Which of the following phrases is capitalized incorrectly, according to the AP Stylebook?
A. the Prince of Wales
B. the French revolution
C. key to Room 1560
D. Act 1, Scene 5
10: Which of the following sentences contains an error in punctuation, according to the AP Stylebook?
A. I believe it was T.S. Eliot who asked,
B. She listed the strengths — intelligence, independence, humor, insight — that she appreciated in an employee.
C. Consider the first line of Herrick's
D. I absolutely hated reading Shakespeare's
11: Which of the following phrases is capitalized incorrectly, according to the AP Stylebook?
A. the gypsies of Eastern Europe
B. Beethoven's Serenade for Flute
C. Nobel Prize in literature
D. the queen mother
12: Which of the following sentences does NOT contain an error in spelling, grammar or usage, according to the AP Stylebook?
A. After dividing up the loot, we realized that Lightfoot and Drake had taken the lions' share.
B. Hugh isn't a close friend; still, I wish he would have invited me to the party.
C. Having been awakened by the screaming sirens, the policeman met me in my pajamas.
D. This year I learned how to tune a piano, make old-fashioned taffy and speak French.
Fill in the following passage with the correct sequence of abbreviated or unabbreviated words or phrases, in accordance with the AP Stylebook.
The recipe called for 2 ________ of sugar, 3 _________ of cream cheese and ½ ________ of vanilla.
A.
cups / tablespoons / teaspoonÂ
B.
c. / tbsp. / tsp.
C.
C. / Tbsp. / Tsp.
D.
cups / tbsp. / tsp.
14: Which of the following sentences contains an error in spelling, grammar or usage, according to the AP Stylebook?
A. The Gonzalez and Carey families have lived next door to each other for 10 years. The earthquake has left both the Gonzalezes and Careys homeless.
B. The number of walruses are larger than in previous years.
C. The Celtics are playing their first game tonight, while the Magic are scheduled for tomorrow.
15: Which of the following sentences contains an error in number usage, style or consistency, according to the AP Stylebook?
A. The mayor managed to run the town's debt up to $5.2 million.
B. Whenever I asked her to marry me, Sue just said,
C. 1973 was a year of immense population growth.
D. Four of the girls live only 6 kilometers away, while 2 of them live over 15 kilometers away.
16: Which of the following phrases is capitalized incorrectly, according to the AP Stylebook?
A. the office of the attorney general
B. an Olympic-size pool
C. St. John's parish
D. the Grim Reaper
17: Read the following passage and select the line/s that contains an error in number usage, style or consistency, according to the AP Stylebook.
A. Seeing as our train wasn't scheduled to leave until 12:00 a.m., we decided to
B. drive the 13 miles to Albany to do a little shopping — there were, after all,
C. only fifteen days until Christmas and we hadn't even thought about gifts. Seven
D. grandchildren, including a 3-year-old, were counting on us!
E. a, b, and d
F. a and c
18: Read the following passage and select the line that contains an error in spelling, grammar or usage, according to the AP Stylebook.
A. Everyone in town, intent on sending that crook of a mayor to jail, testified
B. in front of the judge. Even the judge himself testified, asking himself questions
C. and giving himself carefully considered responses. The mayor didn't stand a chance.
D. No error
19: Which of the following sentences does NOT contain an error in punctuation, according to the AP Stylebook?
A. Maureen's five page study, "Current Practices in Gastroenterology," will be published in The Mid-Atlantic Journal of Nursing.
B. Is it better to stop here for the night? he wondered.
C. "Keep away from the yellow line!", cried the train conductor.
D. What exactly the problem is is not clear.
Fill in the following passage with the correct sequence of abbreviated or unabbreviated words or phrases, in accordance with the AP Stylebook.
The ________ is currently reviewing the case against disgraced police ________ Frank Papetti.
A.
D.A. / Det.
B.
district attorney / Detective
C.
District Attorney / Det.
D.
DA / Detective
21: Read the following passage and select the line that contains an error in spelling, grammar or usage, according to the AP Stylebook.
A. As a public speaking exercise, we were
B. required to memorize and recite not only the
C. Presidential oath of office, but also one
D. of Hamlet's soliloquies.
E. No error
Fill in the following passage with the correct sequence of abbreviated or unabbreviated words or phrases, in accordance with the AP Stylebook.
The guest list included ________ Johnson and Howe, ________ Arthur and Lovitz and ________ Hannigan.
A.
Mr.'s / Mrs.' / Ms.
B.
Messrs. / Mmes. / Ms.
C.
Mister's / Missus' / Ms.
D.
Messrs. / Mmes. / Mlle.
23: Which of the following sentences contains an error in spelling, grammar or usage, according to the AP Stylebook?
A. Agnes Libella was the publisher whom everyone admired most.
B. We were not allowed to vote for any of the write-in candidates.
C. The teenaged suspect burst into tears at the sight of the interrogation room.
24: Which of the following sentences contains an error in apostrophe usage, according to the AP Stylebook?
A. Despite budget cuts, the women's health clinic has developed several new programs.
B. For goodness' sake, please take your feet off the coffee table.
C. I have all of Dickens's novels, but I've read only
D. The model student was accustomed to seeing all A's and B's on his report card.
25: Which of the following sentences contains an error in comma usage, according to the AP Stylebook?
A. The local police apprehended the suspect, but the FBI performed the interrogation.
B. My husband wanted to borrow my Ferrari, but he couldn't find the keys I'd hidden.
C. The tycoon's recent investment left him $50,000 richer, and confirmed his financial prowess.
D. The mayor wanted to run for reelection, but his advisors were against the idea.
26: Read the following passage and identify the line that contains an error in spelling, grammar or usage, according to the AP Stylebook.
A. I found an opening in my schedule to come see you next Friday; however, from
B. what I under stand, you'll still be out of town at that point. Please let my assistant
C. know when your next available so she can pencil me in — the sooner the better.
D. b and c
E. a and b
Fill in the following passage with the correct sequence of numerals, words or phrases, in accordance with the AP Stylebook.
My ________ daughter has already read _________ of the encyclopedia.
A.
5 year old / 3/4
B.
5-yr.-old / 3/4Â
C.
five-year-old / three-quarters
D.
5-year-old / three-quartersÂ
Fill in the following passage with the correct sequence of abbreviated or unabbreviated words or phrases, in accordance with the AP Stylebook.
The deadline for submissions is ________, although some applicants may be granted an extension until the end of _________ . The fall semester will begin on ________.
A.
Jan. 30, 2010 / March / Sept. 10
B.
January 30, 2010 / March / September 10
C.
Jan. 30, 2010 / Mar. / Sept. 10
Fill in the following passage with the correct sequence of numerals, words or phrases, in accordance with the AP Stylebook.
The government provided between ________ in aid to several struggling countries.
A.
$6 and 8.2 billion dollars
B.
$6 billion and $8.2 billionÂ
C.
6 billion and 8.2 billion dollars
D.
$6 and $8.2 billion
30: Which of the following sentences contains an error in apostrophe usage, according to the AP Stylebook?
A. Hank's and Linda's house was built over 90 years ago.
B. The local teachers college has come under fire due to the recent admissions scandal.
C. He eventually graduated from Harvard with the class of '59.
D. The couple had only managed to put aside three months' worth of supplies.
31: Which of the following sentences contains an error in punctuation, according to the AP Stylebook?
A. Sean told me — Did I hear him correctly? — that he started the fire.
B. The group of spies consisted of four Italian-Americans and six French Canadians.
C. My sister, who is a consummate seamstress, taught me four new design techniques; the mandarin collar, the dolman sleeve, the contoured waistband, and the French cuff.
D. Although the team scored a first-quarter touchdown, it wasn't able to sustain its lead.
Read the following passage and identify the type of error in spelling, grammar or usage it contains, according to the AP Stylebook.
The tomato factory effuses such a strong odor of rotten produce that the town's citizens have become skeptical about the quality of the products it churns out.
A.
CapitalizationÂ
B.
Diction or word choice
C.
Plurals
D.
Tense or verb shift
E.
No error
A.
sell out / sell out
B.
sellout / sellout
C.
sell out / sellout
D.
sellout / sell out
34: Which of the following sentences does NOT contain an inconsistency?
A. The marketing team will include Harlon Welsh, Emily DeAngelis, Ms. Rumson and Jim Cash.
B. I sent out invoices 1518, 1533, 1585, 1572 and 1591 yesterday.
C. Their telephone number is 518-555-7423, and their fax number is (518) 555-7424.
D. Maryann's Ice Cream Shoppe has just ordered 24 pounds of toppings: 6 pounds of miniature nonpareils, 8 pounds of crushed chocolate wafers, and 10 pounds of multicolored sprinkles.
Fill in the following passage with the correct sequence of numerals, words or phrases, in accordance with the AP Stylebook.
The group of ________bowlers, who were all in their ________ , brought in scores that included _________ and __________.
A.
one hundred / '40s / ten 289s / six 300s
B.
a hundred / 40s / 10 289's / 6 300's
C.
100 / 40s / 10 289s / six 300s
D.
100 / 40's / ten 289's / six 300's
36: Identify the type of spelling, grammar or usage error contained in the following sentence. Each of the choristers know when and how to warm up and get ready for a performance.
A. Pronoun case
B. Pronoun-antecedent agreement
C. Subject-verb agreement
D. Parallelism
Fill in the following passage with the correct sequence of abbreviated or unabbreviated words or phrases, in accordance with the AP Stylebook.
The family was recently forced out of its long-time home at ________ and has had to take refuge at the Mission Shelter on ________.
A.
325 E. Apple Street / Derrington BoulevardÂ
B.
325 East Apple St. / Derrington Blvd.
C.
325 E. Apple St. / Derrington BoulevardÂ
38: Which of the following sentences does NOT contain an error in comma usage, according to the AP Stylebook?
A. The Paris runways glittered with expensive, colorful, over-the-top, spring fashions.
B. The Paris runways glittered with expensive, colorful, over-the-top spring fashions.
C. The Paris runways glittered with expensive colorful, over the top spring fashions.
D. The Paris runways glittered, with expensive, colorful, over-the-top, spring fashions.
39: Which of the following sentences contains an error in number usage, style or consistency, according to the AP Stylebook?
A. Your preliminary reports are due by 1:45 p.m. on Sept. 7, but you have until the twenty-sixth to submit the final copy.
B. She completed her degree in the late 1980s and found immediate employment with First National Bank.
C. Jane is fascinated by French fashion of the 1700s and 20th-century American fashion of the '20s and '30s.
D. Pompeii, which was founded between 700 and 600 B.C., met its end in A.D. 79.
40: Which of the following sentences contains an error in capitalization, according to the AP Stylebook?
A. No one was really surprised by the popularity of first lady Michelle Obama.
B. The guests were horrified when they saw us cover our french fries and vienna sausages in Tabasco sauce.
C. After six months in space, the exhausted astronauts returned to earth.
D. I wrote Mother a letter but forgot to send a card to my grandfather.
41: Which of the following sentences contains an error in capitalization, according to the AP Stylebook?
A. The American Legion will hold its annual barbecue on the Fourth of July.
B. The four sisters were experts in Ancient Greece, the Middle Ages, the Victorian Era, and the 19th Century, respectively.
C. Both the House and the Senate have adjourned for the year.
D. Without doubt, Hurricane Hazel was one of the worst hurricanes to hit the United States in recent history.
42: Which of the following sentences contains an error in capitalization, according to the AP Stylebook?
A. Every modern business should have a presence on the World Wide Web.
B. A well-designed Website helps portray a professional, up-to-date image.
C. Populating Web pages with quality content and using internet marketing techniques can help a company build a global presence.
D. Companies should also take advantage of the many social networking sites on the Net.
Fill in the following passage with the correct sequence of capitalized or lowercase words, according to the AP Stylebook.
The boss offered the reluctant employee an ultimatum: ________ the task now or face the consequences. And the employee knew what the consequences were: ________ of wages, a permanent black mark on his record, and possible dismissal.
A.
Finish / Loss
B.
finish / loss
C.
finish / Loss
D.
Finish / loss
44: Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly, according to the AP Stylebook?
A. My sister told me that when cousins are
B. My sister told me that when cousins are
C. My sister told me that when cousins are
45: Which of the following sentences is most correct in terms of punctuation, according to the AP Stylebook?
A. My carpenter friend, Did I already tell you this?, will look at the work tomorrow and give you an estimate.
B. My carpenter friend (did I already tell you this?) will look at the work tomorrow and give you an estimate.
C. My carpenter friend: did I already tell you this?: will look at the work tomorrow and give you an estimate.
D. My carpenter friend — Did I already tell you this? — will look at the work tomorrow and give you an estimate.
A.
Gov. / Dr.Â
B.
Governor / Doctor
C.
Gov. / Doctor
D.
Governor / Dr.Â
Fill in the following passage with the correct sequence of abbreviated or unabbreviated words or phrases, in accordance with the AP Stylebook.
Albert Ewing, who has a ________ in psychology, regaled the crowd with anecdotes of his time at Stanford University when he was working on his ________.
A.
Ph.D. / M.S.
B.
doctorate / master's degree
C.
Doctorate / Master of Science degree
D.
Ph.D. / master's degree
Fill in the following passage with the correct sequence of numerals, words or phrases, in accordance with the AP Stylebook.
Gerald found ________ on the sidewalk, of which he lent ________ to Miranda.
A.
twelve cents / 4 cents
B.
12¢ / 4¢
C.
12 cents / 4 cents Â
D.
twelve cents / four cents
49: Read the following passage and select the line that contains an error in punctuation, according to the AP Stylebook.
A. The main character's shift in attitude is apparent when she
B. says:
C. that awful man [her one-time lover.]
D. beginning of the end of the relationship between the long-time friends.
Fill in the following passage with the correct sequence of numerals, words or phrases, in accordance with the AP Stylebook.
His ________contract includes a yearly salary increase of ________ .
A.
seven-year / 3.4 percent
B.
7-year / 3.4 per cent
C.
seven-year / 3.4%
D.
7-year / 3.4%
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US English Proofreading (AP Style) MCQs
