Punctuation

Punctuation MDCAT MCQs with answers

14 past paper MCQs on Punctuation, from the Formal and Lexical Aspect of Language unit of MDCAT English. The year each question appeared is shown where known; tap “Show answer” for the correct option and a short solution.

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1.Identify the sentence among of the following, which is punctuated correctly? (UHS MDCAT 2025)

  1. The teaching staff asked the principal what time the meeting would start.
  2. The teaching staff asked the principal: "What time would the meeting start?"
  3. The teaching staff asked the principal, "What time would the meeting start?"
  4. The teaching staff asked the principal; "What time would the meeting start?"
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Correct answer: (c) The teaching staff asked the principal, "What time would the meeting start?"

A comma introduces the quoted words, and the quotation marks enclose them.

2.Clive had been only a few months in the army when announced that peace had been concluded between great britain and france. The sentence contains errors of: (NUMS MDCAT 2025)

  1. Comma
  2. Comma and full stop
  3. Comma and capitalization
  4. Capitalization
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Correct answer: (d) Capitalization

Great Britain and France are proper nouns and must be capitalized.

3.Punctuate the given sentence correctly. The teacher asked did you complete your homework (KMU MDCAT 2024)

  1. The teacher asked, did you complete your homework?
  2. The teacher asked, "Did you complete your homework?"
  3. The teacher asked, "did you complete your homework".
  4. The teacher asked, did you complete your homework.
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Correct answer: (b) The teacher asked, "Did you complete your homework?"

A comma introduces the quoted question, which keeps its capital and its question mark inside the quotation marks.

4.Punctuate the following sentence correctly. Lets meet at Sarahs house after school (KMU MDCAT 2024)

  1. Let's meet at Sarah's house after school.
  2. Let's meet at Sarahs house after school.
  3. Lets meet at Sarah's house after school.
  4. Let's meet, at Sarah's house after school.
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Correct answer: (a) Let's meet at Sarah's house after school.

Let us contracts to let’s, and Sarah’s house takes the possessive apostrophe.

5.Q.184 Which one of the following is correct? (UHS MDCAT 2023)

  1. We visited, Istanbul, Turkey, and Kowloon, Hong Kong last summer.
  2. We visited: Istanbul, Turkey, and Kowloon, Hong Kong last summer.
  3. We visited Istanbul, Turkey, Kowloon, Hong Kong last summer.
  4. We visited Istanbul, Turkey, and Kowloon, Hong Kong last summer.
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Correct answer: (d) We visited Istanbul, Turkey, and Kowloon, Hong Kong last summer.

Each city is followed by its country in commas, and the two places are joined by and.

6.Identify the errors in the sentence to choose the correct option from below: (SZABMU MDCAT 2023)

  1. Tennis gives you plenty of exercise it develops quickness of eye, and limb. It calls your brain your thinking power into action.
  2. Tennis gives you plenti off exercise, it develops quickness of eye, limb. It calls your brain, your thinking power intoo action.
  3. Tennis gives you plenty of exercise, It develops quickness of eye, limb. It calls your brane, your thinking power over action.
  4. Tennis gives you plenty of exercise; It develops quickness of eye and limb. It callsyour brain, your thinking power into action.
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Correct answer: (d) Tennis gives you plenty of exercise; It develops quickness of eye and limb. It callsyour brain, your thinking power into action.

Only the last spells every word correctly and joins the two independent clauses with a semicolon.

7.Identify the errors and choose the correct option: (SZABMU MDCAT 2023)

  1. The wind blew, the rain fell, and the lightening flashed.
  2. The wind blue the rain fell, and the lightening flashed.
  3. The wind blew, the rain fell and le lightening flashed.
  4. The wind blew the rain fell, and the lightening Flashed.
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Correct answer: (a) The wind blew, the rain fell, and the lightening flashed.

Three independent clauses in a series are separated by commas with and before the last.

8.Pick the sentence with correct punctuation: (NUMS MDCAT 2023)

  1. He had one motto "serving humanity."
  2. He, had one motto, serving humanity.
  3. He had one motto; serving humanity.
  4. He had one motto: serving humanity.
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Correct answer: (d) He had one motto: serving humanity.

A colon introduces the statement of what the motto was.

9.Punctuate the given sentence correctly. (UHS MDCAT 2023)

  1. My father is Chairman of the Committee on Internal Relations. He also heads the Discipline Committee,
  2. My father is Chairman of the Committee on Internal Relations – he also heads the Discipline Committee.
  3. My father is Chairman of the Committee on Internal Relations: he also heads the Discipline Committee.
  4. My father is Chairman of the Committee on Internal Relations, but he also heads the Discipline Committee.
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Correct answer: (a) My father is Chairman of the Committee on Internal Relations. He also heads the Discipline Committee,

Two complete statements are written as two sentences, each closed with a full stop.

10.The applicants had some questions during the interview? (PMC MDCAT 2022)

  1. Grammar
  2. Capatalization
  3. Spelling
  4. Punctuation
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Correct answer: (d) Punctuation

It is a statement, so it should end with a full stop, not a question mark.

11.Choose the correct option: He had no worries his pension was adequate and there was a little money saved up besides. (NUMS MDCAT 2022)

  1. He had no worries his pension was adequate and there was a little money saved up besides.
  2. He had no worries, his pension was adequate and there was a little money saved up besides.
  3. He had no worries; his pension was adequate, and there was a little money saved up besides.
  4. He had no worries; his pension was adequate and there was a little money saved up besides.
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Correct answer: (d) He had no worries; his pension was adequate and there was a little money saved up besides.

A semicolon separates the two independent statements, and no comma is needed before and here.

12.Identify the errors and choose the correct option. The english man thinks that he and his country are the best. (NUMS MDCAT 2022)

  1. The english man thinks that he and his country are the best.
  2. The English man think that he and his country are the best.
  3. The English man thinks that he and his country are the best
  4. The English man think that he and his country are best.
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Correct answer: (c) The English man thinks that he and his country are the best

English is a proper adjective and takes a capital, and the singular subject takes thinks.

13.Choose the correct sentence from the following options: (PMC Practice 2021)

  1. Did you know that they're leaving the city for good.
  2. Did you know that they're leaving the city for good?
  3. Did you know that the'yre leaving the city for good?
  4. Did you know that theyre leaving the city for good.
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Correct answer: (b) Did you know that they're leaving the city for good?

It is a question, so it ends with a question mark, and they are contracts to they’re.

14.Choose the correctly punctuated sentence: (PMC MDCAT 2020)

  1. What a fall was there, my country men! Long live the king!
  2. What a fall was there! My countrymen. Long live the king!
  3. What a fall was there, my countrymen. Long live the king.
  4. What a fall was there, my countrymen, long live the King.
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Correct answer: (a) What a fall was there, my country men! Long live the king!

The exclamation is closed with an exclamation mark and the address is set off by a comma.

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