What the question looks like
Punctuation items use the same three-sentence format as the rest of the first part of the Language section. You get sentences labeled A, B, and C. One may contain a punctuation error. Choice D is "No mistakes."
The directions on the test say to look for errors in punctuation, capitalization, or usage, and to choose D if there is no error. So you do not know in advance which kind of error you are hunting. This page covers the punctuation rules so you recognize one when it shows up.
The rules that get tested
- Commas between items in a series. "We packed sandwiches, apples, and water."
- A comma after an introductory phrase or clause. "After the game, we went out for pizza."
- Commas around extra information that could be removed. "My neighbor, a retired pilot, fixes old radios."
- A comma before and, but, or so when they join two complete sentences. "The bus was late, so we walked."
- A comma when speaking directly to someone. "Sit down, Marcus."
- No comma between a subject and its verb. "The kids in the back row were laughing." Not "The kids in the back row, were laughing."
- Apostrophe for possession. "The dog's leash." "The players' bench" for more than one player.
- Apostrophe for contractions. "Don't, can't, it's, they're."
- No apostrophe for ordinary plurals. "Two cats," never "two cat's."
- It's means it is. Its shows ownership. "It's late." "The cat licked its paw."
- A comma or period goes inside the closing quotation marks. She said, "Let's go."
- The end mark for a quoted question goes inside the quotation marks. He asked, "Are you ready?"
- Statements end with a period, questions with a question mark. An indirect question is a statement. "He asked whether we were ready."
- A semicolon joins two complete sentences. "The sky darkened; the wind picked up."
- A colon introduces a list after a complete sentence. "Bring three things: a pencil, a ruler, and paper."
How to solve it
- Read all three sentences once. Do not stop at the first thing that looks odd.
- On each sentence, check the end mark first. Is it a statement, a question, or a command? Does the mark match?
- Look at every comma and apostrophe that is present, then look for places where one is missing. Lists, introductory phrases, contractions, and possessives are the usual spots.
- If a sentence has quotation marks, check the punctuation right beside the closing marks.
- If all three sentences check out, choose D.
Worked examples
Example 1
A. Before the test starts, put your phone in your bag.
B. Jenna bought pencils erasers and a ruler.
C. The library closes early on Sundays.
D. No mistakes.
- A.Sentence A
- B.Sentence B
- C.Sentence C
- D.No mistakes
Show answer
Answer: B: Sentence B
Items in a series need commas between them, so it should be pencils, erasers, and a ruler. Sentence A is correct because an introductory phrase is followed by a comma. Sentence C is a plain statement with a period, so nothing is wrong there.
Example 2
A. The coach asked, 'Who left the cones on the field?'
B. Its almost time for the bell to ring.
C. We can't leave until the bus driver arrives.
D. No mistakes.
- A.Sentence A
- B.Sentence B
- C.Sentence C
- D.No mistakes
Show answer
Answer: B: Sentence B
The sentence means It is almost time, so the contraction needs an apostrophe. Sentence A is correct because the question mark belongs inside the closing quotation marks, and on the real test those would be regular double quotation marks rather than the single ones shown here. Sentence C uses the contraction can't correctly.
Example 3
A. My sister, who is twelve, runs faster than I do.
B. The storm knocked out the power; we lit candles and played cards.
C. Did you remember to feed the fish.
D. No mistakes.
- A.Sentence A
- B.Sentence B
- C.Sentence C
- D.No mistakes
Show answer
Answer: C: Sentence C
Sentence C is a direct question, so it needs a question mark instead of a period. Sentence B tempts students who are unsure about semicolons, but both halves are complete sentences, so the semicolon is correct. Sentence A correctly sets off extra information with a pair of commas.
Example 4
A. Please pass the salt, Dad.
B. The students' lockers were painted over the summer.
C. I wanted to stay longer, but the park was closing.
D. No mistakes.
- A.Sentence A
- B.Sentence B
- C.Sentence C
- D.No mistakes
Show answer
Answer: D: No mistakes
All three sentences are correct. Sentence B is the most tempting wrong answer, but the lockers belong to more than one student, so the apostrophe goes after the s. Sentence A has a direct-address comma, and Sentence C has a comma before but because it joins two complete sentences.
Traps to watch for
- Its and it's. If you can replace the word with "it is" and the sentence still makes sense, it needs the apostrophe. Otherwise it does not.
- Plurals with apostrophes. "The Smith's are coming" is wrong. Plain plurals never take an apostrophe.
- End marks inside quotations. If the quoted words form a question, the question mark goes inside the closing marks, not after them.
- Commas that split subject from verb. A long subject does not earn a comma before its verb, no matter how long it is.
Pacing
Each Language item gets about 25 seconds, which is enough to read three short sentences and check their marks. Read all three before answering, since the error is frequently in B or C. When two sentences both seem fine and you are not sure, pick the one that bothers you more and move on, because the HSPT has no guessing penalty.
Practice
Take the free diagnostic to see how you handle Language items under the real clock.
Shaky on the skill itself? Start with the lessons on commas, apostrophes, quotation marks, and end marks, and sentence structure, then come back to the question format.