This post provides the complete answer key and detailed explanations for the 50 MCQs on Punctuation, specifically designed for MDCAT and NUMS aspirants. Each explanation is aligned with the PMDC-approved MDCAT syllabus and based on patterns seen in MDCAT and NUMS Past Papers. These explanations clarify the correct use of punctuation marks—such as commas, colons, semicolons, apostrophes, and quotation marks—enabling students to understand grammar logic, avoid common mistakes, and strengthen their command over sentence structure for top performance in entry tests.
Q.1
Correct option: A. Monday, January 18th, 1954.
Explanation: The correct punctuation includes a comma after the day of the week (Monday) and after the date (18th) to separate the day, date, and year. This follows standard date formatting rules in English.
Q.2
Correct option: B. Honolulu, Hawaii U.S.A.
Explanation: A comma is needed after the city (Honolulu) to separate it from the state (Hawaii). However, no comma is required between the state and the country (U.S.A.) as they are treated as a single unit.
Q.3
Correct option: A. broken
Explanation: No additional punctuation is needed here because the sentence is a simple statement. The word “broken” is an adjective describing the alarm, and no pause or separation is required.
Q.4
Correct option: A. birthday
Explanation: Similar to Q.3, this is a straightforward sentence where “birthday” is the object of the verb “was.” No extra punctuation is necessary.
Q.5
Correct option: A. Tim’s
Explanation: The possessive form of “Tim” is “Tim’s,” indicating that the phone number belongs to Tim. The apostrophe + “s” is the correct way to show possession for singular nouns.
Q.6
Correct option: A. Didn’t
Explanation: The sentence is a question, so the correct contraction is “Didn’t” (Did not). The capitalization is also correct as it starts the sentence.
Q.7
Correct option: B. It’s
Explanation: “It’s” is the contraction of “it is,” which fits the context of the sentence. “Its” (without an apostrophe) is the possessive form, which would not make sense here.
Q.8
Correct option: A. Who’s
Explanation: “Who’s” is the contraction of “who is,” which is appropriate for this question. “Whose” is the possessive form and would not fit the context.
Q.9
Correct option: C. dogs’
Explanation: The apostrophe after the “s” indicates that the barking belongs to multiple dogs (plural possessive). “Dogs’” is the correct form here.
Q.10
Correct option: B. you’re
Explanation: “You’re” is the contraction of “you are,” which fits the sentence. “Your” is the possessive form and would not make sense in this context.
Q.11
Correct option: B. they’re
Explanation: “They’re” is the contraction of “they are,” which fits the sentence. “Their” is the possessive form, and “they’are” is grammatically incorrect.
Q.12
Correct option: C. neighbour’s / BMW
Explanation: “Neighbour’s” is the singular possessive form, indicating the car belongs to one neighbor. “BMW” should be capitalized as it is a proper noun (brand name).
Q.13
Correct option: B. its
Explanation: “Its” is the possessive form of “it,” indicating the decision belongs to the group. “It’s” is the contraction of “it is,” which would not fit here.
Q.14
Correct option: D. Tina and Emma’s
Explanation: When two people share ownership of something, the possessive apostrophe is added only to the last name. Here, the apartment belongs to both Tina and Emma.
Q.15
Correct option: D. students
Explanation: No additional punctuation is needed after “students” because the sentence flows naturally without a pause. The comma before “including” is sufficient.
Q.16
Correct option: C. .
Explanation: The sentence is a command, so it ends with a period. Other punctuation marks like semicolons or colons are not appropriate here.
Q.17
Correct option: B. .
Explanation: This is an indirect question, so it ends with a period. A question mark would only be used for direct questions.
Q.18
Correct option: C. ?
Explanation: This is a direct question, so it requires a question mark at the end.
Q.19
Correct option: A. !
Explanation: The sentence expresses excitement, so an exclamation mark is appropriate.
Q.20
Correct option: D. !
Explanation: The sentence is a warning, so an exclamation mark is used to convey urgency.
Q.21
Correct option: D. ;
Explanation: A semicolon is used to combine two independent clauses without a conjunction.
Q.22
Correct option: D. ;
Explanation: A semicolon is the correct punctuation to end a sentence, as it does not convey a question, exclamation, or pause.
Q.23
Correct option: D. Apostrophe
Explanation: An apostrophe is used to indicate the omission of letters in contractions or possessives.
Q.24
Correct option: B. ; semi-colon
Explanation: A semicolon is used to separate two independent clauses that are closely related.
Q.25
Correct option: B. the second sentence
Explanation: The second sentence is a direct question, so it requires a question mark. The first sentence is a statement.
Q.26
Correct option: A. everybody’s surprise
Explanation: The correct possessive form is “everybody’s,” and no additional punctuation is needed.
Q.27
Correct option: C. He accidentally drove down a one-way street.
Explanation: “One-way” is a compound adjective describing the street, and it does not require a hyphen between “one” and “way.”
Q.28
Correct option: A. “I don’t like this one bit,” said Julia.
Explanation: The comma is placed inside the quotation marks, and the sentence is correctly punctuated.
Q.29
Correct option: A. I’m afraid the meat isn’t suitable for vegetarians.
Explanation: The contractions “I’m” and “isn’t” are correctly used, and the sentence is properly punctuated.
Q.30
Correct option: C. “Can you believe,” Balbinder asked me, “that we still have 85 days of school to attend?”
Explanation: The question mark is placed inside the quotation marks, and the dialogue is correctly interrupted with commas.
Q.31
Correct option: C. Mr. and Mrs. Brownley stated, “We refuse to use the elevator because of mechanical problems.”
Explanation: The titles “Mr.” and “Mrs.” are abbreviated with periods, and the quoted sentence begins with a capital letter.
Q.32
Correct option: B. When did Winston Churchill say, “Difficulties mastered are opportunities won?”
Explanation: The quoted sentence is a question, so the question mark is placed inside the quotation marks.
Q.33
Correct option: A. “No,” the taxi driver said curtly, “I cannot get you to the airport in ten minutes.”
Explanation: The dialogue is correctly punctuated with commas separating the speaker tag.
Q.34
Correct option: D. Christina will never forget the first line of the poem: “Hold fast to dreams.”
Explanation: A colon is used to introduce the quoted material, and the period is placed inside the quotation marks.
Q.35
Correct option: A. Call me tomorrow; I will give you my answer then.
Explanation: A semicolon is used to join two closely related independent clauses.
Q.36
Correct option: D. I missed the early bus ; however, I still made it to class on time.
Explanation: A semicolon is used before “however” to join two independent clauses.
Q.37
Correct option: A. For others, however, the skateboard is used as a mode of transportation.
Explanation: “However” is set off by commas when it interrupts the flow of the sentence.
Q.38
Correct option: A. To address the problem of childhood obesity, many schools are prohibiting the sale of junk food.
Explanation: A comma is used after the introductory phrase.
Q.39
Correct option: A. There are two causes of increased obesity: poor eating habits and a lack of exercise.
Explanation: A colon is used to introduce a list of items.
Q.40
Correct option: A. He is not really nice-looking, yet he has enormous charm.
Explanation: A comma is used before the coordinating conjunction “yet” to join two independent clauses.
Q.41
Correct option: A. Easter is sometimes in March, but this year it is in April.
Explanation: Months are capitalized, and a comma is used before the coordinating conjunction “but.”
Q.42
Correct option: D. He is not really nice-looking, and yet he has enormous charm.
Explanation: A comma is used before the coordinating conjunction “and.”
Q.43
Correct option: B. When I was a child, I could watch TV whenever I wanted to.
Explanation: A comma is used after the introductory clause.
Q.44
Correct option: A. Jack’s best sport is basketball; his brother excels at football.
Explanation: A semicolon is used to join two closely related independent clauses.
Q.45
Correct option: D. The book begins with this line: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
Explanation: A colon is used to introduce the quoted material, and the comma is placed inside the quotation marks.
Q.46
Correct option: B. Gus looked at us and shouted, “Take those wet clothes off!”
Explanation: A comma is used to introduce the dialogue, and the exclamation mark is placed inside the quotation marks.
Q.47
Correct option: A. Ted and Janice, who had been friends for years, went on vacation together every summer.
Explanation: The non-restrictive clause “who had been friends for years” is set off by commas.
Q.48
Correct option: B. “When you get to the beach,” insisted Betty, “please call me to let me know you made it there.”
Explanation: The dialogue is correctly interrupted with commas, and the sentence is properly punctuated.
Q.49
Correct option: C. “Everyone will read the chapter entitled ‘Africa’ for tomorrow,” said the substitute teacher.
Explanation: Single quotation marks are used for the title within the quoted sentence, and the comma is placed inside the quotation marks.
Q.50
Correct option: C. Greta said, “I want to go home,” so we took her there instead of with us.
Explanation: The dialogue is correctly punctuated with commas, and the sentence flows naturally.
