Dryer's English Comprehension Questions
What are the "Wan Intensifiers" and are they allowed in formal writing? - answerthey are words such as
"that is, in fact, of course, rather, really, surely" and should be excluded from both speech and writing
(especially "actually")
In a "not only x but y" construct, how should the x and y be related? - answerthey should be parallel in
construction
Should you ever begin a sentence with "and," "but," or any other similar sentence-starters? - answerYes,
although it's not the strongest beginning to a sentence-- especially when used excessively.
Should you ever split an infinitive (i.e. insert an adverb in the middle of an infinitive)? - answerYes,
especially when other positions of the adverb sound awkward.
Should you ever end a sentence with a preposition? - answerWhile prepositional endings are often
weaker, they can be used if it's difficult to otherwise and sounds unnatural.
Are contractions allowed in formal writing? - answerYes, but some (such as "should've" and "I'd've) are
more appropriate for informal.
Can "should of" be used instead of "should have" to convey a character's speech? - answerNot unless
you're Flannery O'Connor, Zora Neale Hurston, and the like.
Should you avoid using the passive voice? - answerThe passive voice is fine, it's just a matter of where
the sentence's emphasis is placed (omitting the actor to avoid taking responsibility, call attention to an
issue without blame, or direct attention toward the point of interest).
Are sentence fragments bad? - answerNo, they can be used well individually or together as long as it is
done so with purpose.
Does a person have to be a "who" and a thing a "which?" - answerNo, a person can also be a "that" and
an idea can be a "who"
Does "none" have to be used singularly? - answerNo, it can also be used if emphasizing a GROUP of
individuals-- actions, inactions, feelings
Does "whether" always have to be accompanied by "or not?" - answerNo, "whether" should be
accompanied by "or not" if it cannot be deleted without the sentence becoming illogical.
Can you introduce a list with "like?" - answerYes, because the word does not always suggest
comparison.
What is the purpose of punctuation? - answerconvey to the reader how a text should sound and be read
Should you punctuate acronyms, 2-letter state abbreviations, or initialisms? - answerNo, except
(sometimes) for academic degrees.
,How should "U.S." be used in comparison to "United States?" - answerU.S. should be used only as an
adjective whereas the country should be written full-out
Why should series commas be used? - answerTo ensure no special relationships between objects,
although can be omitted if using an ampersand.
What are the uses of commas? - answerPlacement after long, introductory dependent clauses and
between an short introductory dependent clause ending with a capitalized word and the successive
clause starting with a capitalized words
Should you avoid comma splicing? - answerYes, although exceptions can be made for short, intimately
connected independent clauses to avoid using a semicolon (which can result in too much pause).
When do long sentences become run-ons? - answerWhen they are punctuated incorrectly.
Should you use the vocative comma (AKA comma of direct address)? - answerYes
Should you capitalize a word indicating relationship (e.g. grandma, aunt) - answerWhen the word
indicating relation is part of that person's title (i.e. He/ she was referred to that way) (e.g. Aunt Phyllis)
Where/ when should a comma be used in relation to dialogue? - answerThe comma should precede or
follow the dialogue UNLESS the dialogue is preceded or followed by a form of the verb "to be."
When should you put a comma before "too?" - answerWhen it sounds correct.
When should you use an "only" comma/s? - answerWhen there is only 1 particular object of interest in
the vicinity or to set off a piece of information that can be deleted (preceded by "which").
When do "only" commas not travel in pairs? - answerWhen the piece of information/ object falls at the
end of a sentence.
How do you punctuate a piece of information crucial to the meaning of a sentence? - answerPrecede
the statement with "that" and no comma.
An interruption in a sentence, if started with a comma, must end with what? - answera comma
How should you punctuate a full sentence following a colon? - answerCapitalize the first letter of the
sentence.
Should you ever use an apostrophe to pluralize a word? - answerNo, unless it's a letter.
How should you end a singular possessive noun ending in "s?" - answeran "'s"
How should the possessive from of "Jr." or "Sr." be punctuated? - answerPut 1 comma before the "Jr."
or "Sr." and make possessive by adding an "'s" or close with a second comma as well.
Ex: Donald Trump, Jr.'s, perfidy.
,How do you make a proper noun ending in "s" plural (English-sounding names) and possessive? -
answeradd -es
Ex: the Adamses
Possessive: add '
Ex: Adamses'
How do you make a proper noun ending in "y" plural and possessive? - answerAdd an "s"
Ex: Kennedys
Possessive: add '
Ex: Kennedys'
If there are 2 people who own the same non-shared objects conjoined by "and," how do you make the
phrase possessive? What if both individuals share the item/s? - answerIf the items are not shared, each
individual needs to have an "'s" attached. If the items are shared, the last individual needs to have an
"'s."
Ex: Jeanette's and Nelson's pencils
Jeanette and Nelson's pencils
Can an aside in parentheses end in a period? - answerNo, it should not end with any punctuation other
than an exclamation point or question mark. UNLESS, it is a freestanding parenthetical aside.
Is it farmer's market? - answerSince there is more than 1 farmer and it is a market composed of farmers
as opposed to a market owned by farmers, it is farmers market.
Should you omit the word /The/ in a possessive construction. - answerNo
What is Benjamin Dreyer's favorite punctuation in all of literature? - answerThe final comma in Shirley
Jackson's /Hill House/.
Does the use of parentheses (or commas/ dashes) to break up a plural subject joined by "and" negate
the pluralness of the subject? - answerNo, unless the "and" were replaced by a phrase like "as well as"
or "to say nothing of."
If you make a parenthetical comment within a parenthetical comment, how is the parenthetical
punctuated? - answerThe enclosed parenthetical comment is set within brackets.
When do you have to use brackets to change capitalization within a quote? - answerYou do not have to
unless the work is extremely scholarly (e.g. court case).
What is sic and how is it punctuated in usage? - answer/sic/ means "thus" in Latin , and is typically used
italicized and in brackets to clarify that an eccentricity, misspelling, or error of fact in a quote is being
retained for authenticity and is not yours. /Sic/ is not used to roast someone or to correct a correct
spelling from another dialect.
What was Benjamin Dreyer's "origin story"? - answerHis mom used to send him out n his bike for bread
in his small suburb, Albertson, in Long Island. The sign above the rye bread read, *Try our rugelach! It's
the "best"*
, For what works should you use roman encased in quotation marks? - answersongs, poems, short stories,
and TV episodes
For what works should you use italics? - answerbooks, music albums, TV series, individual works of art
How should unofficial titles of works be punctuated? - answerroman without quotation marks
What specific punctuation should not be used for emphasis to encase words after so-called? -
answerquotation marks
How should a character's thoughts be punctuated? - answerThey should be placed in roman for the best
effect, although they can also be placed in quotation marks or italics.
What are scare quotes, and should you use them? - answerquotes used around words that seem too
slangish to stand alone should not be used since you will look snotty and obsolete
How should you refer to a word or word as, indeed, a word or words? - answerUse italics or quotation
marks
Where does the exclamation point or question mark go at the end of sentence ended with quoted
matter? - answerIt depends on where the punctuation applies:
If it applicable to the larger sentence, it should go outside of the quote. However, if it is applicable to the
quote, it should go inside the quote. If its applicable to both, choose one placement.
How to refer to a quote within a quote and beyond? - answerPut the encased quote in single quotes,
and alternate between double and single quotes for beyond that.
What sorts of punctuation belong within and outside of quotation marks? - answerPeriods and commas
belong within quotation marks, whereas semicolons are always placed outside.
What is the rule concerning hyphens and compound adjectives? - answerHyphens should link compound
adjective words unless misreading is unlikely, in which case they should be omitted.
However, compounds formed by linking an -ly adverb and an adjective/ participle do not take a hyphen.
How should you merge prefixes and main words? - answerWithout hyphens, unless you find an
especially hideous one that needs a hyphen. However, for certain words with multiple meanings, it is
necessary to distinguish a hyphenated form from one that is not hyphenated.
How should you punctuate ages? - answerUse 2 hyphens for ages used as adjectives/ parenthetical s.
What is the purpose of em dashes? - answerThey are used for interruptions of dialogue and setting off
narrative parenthetical s.
What is the purpose of en dashes? - answerThey are used for connecting multi-word proper nouns to
other things, and preferably used in pairs if necessary for balance.
Ex: a Meryl Streep-Robert De Niro comedy.
However, they are also used for page reference, sporting game scores, and court decisions.
What are the "Wan Intensifiers" and are they allowed in formal writing? - answerthey are words such as
"that is, in fact, of course, rather, really, surely" and should be excluded from both speech and writing
(especially "actually")
In a "not only x but y" construct, how should the x and y be related? - answerthey should be parallel in
construction
Should you ever begin a sentence with "and," "but," or any other similar sentence-starters? - answerYes,
although it's not the strongest beginning to a sentence-- especially when used excessively.
Should you ever split an infinitive (i.e. insert an adverb in the middle of an infinitive)? - answerYes,
especially when other positions of the adverb sound awkward.
Should you ever end a sentence with a preposition? - answerWhile prepositional endings are often
weaker, they can be used if it's difficult to otherwise and sounds unnatural.
Are contractions allowed in formal writing? - answerYes, but some (such as "should've" and "I'd've) are
more appropriate for informal.
Can "should of" be used instead of "should have" to convey a character's speech? - answerNot unless
you're Flannery O'Connor, Zora Neale Hurston, and the like.
Should you avoid using the passive voice? - answerThe passive voice is fine, it's just a matter of where
the sentence's emphasis is placed (omitting the actor to avoid taking responsibility, call attention to an
issue without blame, or direct attention toward the point of interest).
Are sentence fragments bad? - answerNo, they can be used well individually or together as long as it is
done so with purpose.
Does a person have to be a "who" and a thing a "which?" - answerNo, a person can also be a "that" and
an idea can be a "who"
Does "none" have to be used singularly? - answerNo, it can also be used if emphasizing a GROUP of
individuals-- actions, inactions, feelings
Does "whether" always have to be accompanied by "or not?" - answerNo, "whether" should be
accompanied by "or not" if it cannot be deleted without the sentence becoming illogical.
Can you introduce a list with "like?" - answerYes, because the word does not always suggest
comparison.
What is the purpose of punctuation? - answerconvey to the reader how a text should sound and be read
Should you punctuate acronyms, 2-letter state abbreviations, or initialisms? - answerNo, except
(sometimes) for academic degrees.
,How should "U.S." be used in comparison to "United States?" - answerU.S. should be used only as an
adjective whereas the country should be written full-out
Why should series commas be used? - answerTo ensure no special relationships between objects,
although can be omitted if using an ampersand.
What are the uses of commas? - answerPlacement after long, introductory dependent clauses and
between an short introductory dependent clause ending with a capitalized word and the successive
clause starting with a capitalized words
Should you avoid comma splicing? - answerYes, although exceptions can be made for short, intimately
connected independent clauses to avoid using a semicolon (which can result in too much pause).
When do long sentences become run-ons? - answerWhen they are punctuated incorrectly.
Should you use the vocative comma (AKA comma of direct address)? - answerYes
Should you capitalize a word indicating relationship (e.g. grandma, aunt) - answerWhen the word
indicating relation is part of that person's title (i.e. He/ she was referred to that way) (e.g. Aunt Phyllis)
Where/ when should a comma be used in relation to dialogue? - answerThe comma should precede or
follow the dialogue UNLESS the dialogue is preceded or followed by a form of the verb "to be."
When should you put a comma before "too?" - answerWhen it sounds correct.
When should you use an "only" comma/s? - answerWhen there is only 1 particular object of interest in
the vicinity or to set off a piece of information that can be deleted (preceded by "which").
When do "only" commas not travel in pairs? - answerWhen the piece of information/ object falls at the
end of a sentence.
How do you punctuate a piece of information crucial to the meaning of a sentence? - answerPrecede
the statement with "that" and no comma.
An interruption in a sentence, if started with a comma, must end with what? - answera comma
How should you punctuate a full sentence following a colon? - answerCapitalize the first letter of the
sentence.
Should you ever use an apostrophe to pluralize a word? - answerNo, unless it's a letter.
How should you end a singular possessive noun ending in "s?" - answeran "'s"
How should the possessive from of "Jr." or "Sr." be punctuated? - answerPut 1 comma before the "Jr."
or "Sr." and make possessive by adding an "'s" or close with a second comma as well.
Ex: Donald Trump, Jr.'s, perfidy.
,How do you make a proper noun ending in "s" plural (English-sounding names) and possessive? -
answeradd -es
Ex: the Adamses
Possessive: add '
Ex: Adamses'
How do you make a proper noun ending in "y" plural and possessive? - answerAdd an "s"
Ex: Kennedys
Possessive: add '
Ex: Kennedys'
If there are 2 people who own the same non-shared objects conjoined by "and," how do you make the
phrase possessive? What if both individuals share the item/s? - answerIf the items are not shared, each
individual needs to have an "'s" attached. If the items are shared, the last individual needs to have an
"'s."
Ex: Jeanette's and Nelson's pencils
Jeanette and Nelson's pencils
Can an aside in parentheses end in a period? - answerNo, it should not end with any punctuation other
than an exclamation point or question mark. UNLESS, it is a freestanding parenthetical aside.
Is it farmer's market? - answerSince there is more than 1 farmer and it is a market composed of farmers
as opposed to a market owned by farmers, it is farmers market.
Should you omit the word /The/ in a possessive construction. - answerNo
What is Benjamin Dreyer's favorite punctuation in all of literature? - answerThe final comma in Shirley
Jackson's /Hill House/.
Does the use of parentheses (or commas/ dashes) to break up a plural subject joined by "and" negate
the pluralness of the subject? - answerNo, unless the "and" were replaced by a phrase like "as well as"
or "to say nothing of."
If you make a parenthetical comment within a parenthetical comment, how is the parenthetical
punctuated? - answerThe enclosed parenthetical comment is set within brackets.
When do you have to use brackets to change capitalization within a quote? - answerYou do not have to
unless the work is extremely scholarly (e.g. court case).
What is sic and how is it punctuated in usage? - answer/sic/ means "thus" in Latin , and is typically used
italicized and in brackets to clarify that an eccentricity, misspelling, or error of fact in a quote is being
retained for authenticity and is not yours. /Sic/ is not used to roast someone or to correct a correct
spelling from another dialect.
What was Benjamin Dreyer's "origin story"? - answerHis mom used to send him out n his bike for bread
in his small suburb, Albertson, in Long Island. The sign above the rye bread read, *Try our rugelach! It's
the "best"*
, For what works should you use roman encased in quotation marks? - answersongs, poems, short stories,
and TV episodes
For what works should you use italics? - answerbooks, music albums, TV series, individual works of art
How should unofficial titles of works be punctuated? - answerroman without quotation marks
What specific punctuation should not be used for emphasis to encase words after so-called? -
answerquotation marks
How should a character's thoughts be punctuated? - answerThey should be placed in roman for the best
effect, although they can also be placed in quotation marks or italics.
What are scare quotes, and should you use them? - answerquotes used around words that seem too
slangish to stand alone should not be used since you will look snotty and obsolete
How should you refer to a word or word as, indeed, a word or words? - answerUse italics or quotation
marks
Where does the exclamation point or question mark go at the end of sentence ended with quoted
matter? - answerIt depends on where the punctuation applies:
If it applicable to the larger sentence, it should go outside of the quote. However, if it is applicable to the
quote, it should go inside the quote. If its applicable to both, choose one placement.
How to refer to a quote within a quote and beyond? - answerPut the encased quote in single quotes,
and alternate between double and single quotes for beyond that.
What sorts of punctuation belong within and outside of quotation marks? - answerPeriods and commas
belong within quotation marks, whereas semicolons are always placed outside.
What is the rule concerning hyphens and compound adjectives? - answerHyphens should link compound
adjective words unless misreading is unlikely, in which case they should be omitted.
However, compounds formed by linking an -ly adverb and an adjective/ participle do not take a hyphen.
How should you merge prefixes and main words? - answerWithout hyphens, unless you find an
especially hideous one that needs a hyphen. However, for certain words with multiple meanings, it is
necessary to distinguish a hyphenated form from one that is not hyphenated.
How should you punctuate ages? - answerUse 2 hyphens for ages used as adjectives/ parenthetical s.
What is the purpose of em dashes? - answerThey are used for interruptions of dialogue and setting off
narrative parenthetical s.
What is the purpose of en dashes? - answerThey are used for connecting multi-word proper nouns to
other things, and preferably used in pairs if necessary for balance.
Ex: a Meryl Streep-Robert De Niro comedy.
However, they are also used for page reference, sporting game scores, and court decisions.
