Discussion 7: Punctuation Question

Job Club Heart of Texas, Job Search | 88 comments

Punctuation, what is it good for? Absolutely everything!

This is true; punctuation is important in many situations, especially when the situation is your employment. Intelligence is a necessary tool at every place of business and knowing how to use punctuation/grammar correctly is a sure sign of this. For those who have not received a formal education, good grammar and knowledge of correct punctuation can be perceived as such. Many have made the point that their supervisors make grammatical errors daily. Grammar does not guarantee you a position, but using it properly can enhance your chances of a better paying position within the company or possibility for advancement.

In September, we will be having another Showcase Event, possibly two. These events will have a certain type of industry concentration, Retail and Sales. Grammar is of huge importance in these fields. Sales is all about the way you speak and present yourself, your company, and your product. This is why we want you to be prepared in every way when we place you in front of an employer for an interview. The more confident you are in the way you present yourself, the more confident the employer will be when hiring you to do the job.

On September 1st, two full-length, in-depth articles will be posted with regard to Grammar and Punctuation. Punctuation has shown to be tough for many, as well as Grammar. So, today, we want to know “What part of punctuation stumps you the most?”

As observed from  last week’s Grammar Income Test, it appears that many of the questions that were answered incorrectly had to do with punctuation. We have created another small test for you to complete to allow you to practice your punctuation rules. In addition to correcting the punctuation, also be mindful of anything that is missing.

As before, mark your answers as Correct or Incorrect. In instances where you see a multiple choice answer, write down the letter for that. Okay, here we go:

Period.

  1. Chloe tried to buy the $9.99 CD at the store on Memphis St but someone had given her only 9.45
  2. Nine-tenths is written out as: (a) .09 (b) 9 (c) .9 (d) .90

Comma.

  1. Alec, brother to Baby Joshua, has the best toys in the playroom.
  2. Margie began her new employment on Wednesday October 1 2012.

Colon:

  1. The classroom consisted of four things, desks, chairs, computers and books.
  2. We had to cancel our trip: Rachel and her sister were sick.

Semicolon

  1. Melvin was very upset; the question for Job Club was not ready.
  2. Andrea answered the question correctly, therefore, she received the prize.

Apostrophe

  1. We wanted to use Sheenas’ computer, but its security code was missing.
  2. Back in the 50s, we used to see a lot of Rock and Roll.

Dash

  1. The office crew decided to send 1-2 displays for the conference.
  2. James and Louise the two top sales persons received awards.

Question Mark

  1. May we please take your jacket.
  2. Your jacket was left where?

Exclamation Point

  1. Hurry, the sale is on.
  2. Stop! Your purse is on top of your car.

Parenthesis

17. The child will (one day) learn his own schedule.

18. The report is due within, 10, ten days.

Quotation Marks

19. “Sarah, asked Stacy, do you really want to use the software?”

20. Yolanda “Yoli” went to the party with the group.

To review your answers, please refer to the article in the upcoming September Issue entitled “Punctuation.” There you will not only see the answers as well as a few tips with regard to punctuation. Good Luck! And as always, thanks for participating.

 

If anyone is interested in Retail and Customer Service positions, please email rachel@campusjobxpress.com. We are having a Job Event the last part of September.

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88 Comments

  1. Sandra Renner

    I think I did pretty well. Interesting!

    Reply
  2. Candice Lovell

    I’m not too sure of myself on this one. Do I post my answers?

    Reply
  3. rhondagade

    Good morning,
    I had more trouble with this one, not so sure I did very well.

    Reply
  4. Melvin

    No need to post your answers, but watch the September issue for the article Punctuation. That will have the answers for you as well as some basic tips on Punctuation. Also remember to read the article on Grammar. Thanks for participating.

    Reply
  5. garymccully

    This is good and very practical for “every day” written communication.

    Reply
  6. lancesanders

    Hello all. Think I did ok .

    Reply
  7. jeffwhite

    Good Morning All:

    Well there again My Wife corrects me all the time. It’s sad when a teacher who wants to be away from school all summer long ends up correcting her husband. LOL I tell her I am not paying anything extra for the corrections LOL. Anyways I will see how I do on this one like the last one I did not do so good on. But then again I write like I talk. LOL.

    Reply
  8. sharringt0n

    Yes, punctuation is so important. I think I did well, will be curious to see. Reminds me of the book “Eats Shoots and Leaves”; if you haven’t read it I recommend it. Grammar in an entertaining package.

    Here is an interesting thread on job interview questions:
    http://tinyurl.com/95h84c2

    Reply
  9. vikkireese

    Good Morning! I’m not sure anyone speaks proper English anymore.

    Reply
  10. jeffwhite

    well I have no idea what I speak I think it is a mixture of Country, Mountain Man, Cajun, And wanna be city LOL. Thats why I am always getting corrected. lol

    Reply
  11. ljwp

    Good morning everyone!

    I think these questions/exercises are a good refresher for all of us.

    Reply
  12. beverlyheaton

    Good morning all. It never hurts to take a refresher course on punctuation and using correct grammar. This has all been very helpful.

    Reply
  13. jannpage

    Good morning Job seekers. Good news! I interviewed for a perfect job this week. Due to be called back for 2nd interview by next week. Send me some Karma please. I would really like to have this one.
    I think this test is going to be interesting. Most everybody has trouble with puntuation.

    Reply
  14. gaylonthreadgill

    I think this one is not quite as tricky as the last one.

    Reply
  15. debbiearmour

    Good morning! Ummmm…Melvin, I thought you said things would get better if I just hang in there & be patient. What happened??? I get the need to address grammar & punctuation for those that struggle with it. I’m all for that. But I majored in English in college. This isn’t a struggle for me. Would you consider providing something different for me? Thank you!

    Reply
  16. gaylonthreadgill

    I think most people type the way they talk, and sometimes that can get you in trouble,but I think it’s important to be who you are and try not to be someone you can’t be. If you type a certain way people will perceive you to be that way.

    Reply
  17. Charles Becker

    Good Morning, this is interesting, possibly easier than last week.Will look forward to Sept. issue for answers.

    Reply
  18. MissRudd

    Good Luck Jann!

    Reply
  19. sheilaparrish

    Good morning job club members:
    I did pretty good on last weeks test but I will see what I will wait to see how I did on this week.
    @JannPage, I am sure you did well. I will pray that the company will call you back. We will say a special prayer.

    Reply
  20. vivianmonroe

    That was alot easier than the last one but interesting still

    Reply
  21. tommyharper

    I think I did reasonably well. Two things I have to be constantly aware of when I write are punctuation and spelling. I don’t always use a computer when I write, but when I do thank, goodness for spell and grammar check.

    Reply
  22. Frances Gerick

    Yes, punctuation is important. I think I have gone well. Thank you for posting these two articles, they have helped refresh my memory.

    Reply
  23. jeridsmith

    I think I did good. I just need to refreshing myself.

    Reply
  24. Ron

    Good morning.
    I think I did alright although it got a little slippery for me in the colon and semicolon section. I look forward to seeing the results and the article.
    I think this has been a very good topic. Thanks(!)?

    Reply
  25. jannpage

    I agree with Ron. This is a good topic. I also agree that most people write like they speak and should just be themself. Times have really changed from the old days when grammar and punctuation were major classes in school.

    Reply
  26. joancampbell

    Semicolons stump me. I can look at a sentence and know that one is in the right place, for the most part, but cannot do this in my own writing.

    Reply
  27. sheilaparrish

    I agree as well that this is a very important topic. I am sorry for those of you that majored in English but some of us really need it. I think this is a wonderful topic.

    Reply
  28. ChaiHo

    I think I did better than grammar, but still not sure for some questions.I think these practice can help me to improve my English .

    Reply
  29. jenniferobinson

    Good Morning Everyone,
    These exercises are a good refresher for me. Wish me luck…

    Reply
  30. Penny Bell

    Good morning, I’m enjoying these last topics. I’m interested in seeing how I did on this exercise.

    Reply
  31. Brett Baldwin

    Punctuation in the comic strips is easier to understand. Trouble starts with what, not when or where.It’s what to use;colon, semicolon, hyphen, parenthesis.I am never quite sure.

    Reply
  32. brandyrodriguez

    It’s always good to have a refresher on the grammar and punctuation- no matter how educated you are. I’m thinking that possibly breaking up the 2 topics so that we didn’t have 2 weeks of English class would have been better- but the topics needed to be put out there. Thanks!!

    Reply
  33. Melvin

    Debbie,
    I am reviewing your profile. I will send you a private email.
    Thanks!

    Reply
  34. Michael Calderon

    I think I did allright. I will forward to seeing the results. This is a very good topic.

    Reply
  35. Eugene Wlodarek

    It is always good to have a refresher in English. I think this will help everybody.

    Reply
  36. jannpage

    Time to log off. Good luck to all. Maybe this week will be yours!!!

    Reply
  37. Charles Waddle

    I can honestly say the one thing I “really” hated in High School was grammer.

    Reply
  38. peggylane

    Great topic! I am proficient, but this topic should help all of us. I think it’s sad that our schools don’t do a better job equipping our future workforce with the necessary grammatical skills.

    Reply
  39. Susan Wade

    I’m not so sure how I did on this quiz. It’s been a long time since I took an English course. Some things were obvious,but this quiz proves we can all use a refresher course on proper grammar and punctuation. I didn’t use either much in the written form at my last job. In my line of work,treating everyone as equally important is crucial, so you train yourself to pay attention to what they are saying, not how they are saying it.

    Reply
  40. Loyd Edwards

    Refreshing to review punctuation in its proper usage.

    Reply
  41. Loyd Edwards

    I agree with jeffwhite, my Texan does get in the way of my English.

    Reply
  42. ljwp

    I have to log off for now. Best of luck to everyone in their job searches. Have a blessed afternoonl!

    Reply
  43. ernestinesample

    Hello, I believe that grammer/punctuation is very important especially in the retail industry. The reason why I say that , is because we communicate with all types of people and you have to know how to relate with each one. Knowing what to say, how to say it and presenting it will be very helpful.I have learned and still leraning how I can better myself with spoken and unspoken words, you need both in the retail industry.

    Reply
  44. shellycawthon

    This can be tricky! I like to think I know the answers but I am not too sure about this one 🙂

    Reply
  45. ernestinesample

    Hello Peggy, that is a very good point you brought out in education. I wish the school would go back to the golden (older)days when grammer/punctuation was very important especially when it was time to venture out in th world.

    Reply
  46. Mac McKnight

    This is a must for todays market.
    my wife is always reminding me not to speak my redneck-ims.
    and making up my own words.
    I have to be very careful of how I talk and to the type of person I can talk my redneck-isms.
    yall have a good week now.

    Reply
  47. carolynwalter

    Good Afternoon All. For me the use of semicolons and occasional commas stump me. These are a great refresher exercise. I think the use of punctuation and proper grammar has become irrelevant to most people due to the use of electronic devices. peggylane, I agree, the schools need to concentrate on the roots they instill in our children when teaching.

    Reply
  48. Victoria

    Punctuation can change the meaning of a sentence, too, so it is always important. One well-known example given under the heading of “Punctuation Saves Lives” is:
    “Let’s eat grandma!”
    and
    “Let’s eat, grandma!”
    I’m sure grandma would prefer the latter option!

    Reply
  49. tammywitt

    Well now that I sit in an freshman English Comp class I guess that punctuation could be important. But, we shall have to see if I do any better with it.

    Reply
  50. tammystanphill

    I agree with alot of others that these last 2 articles have been great refreshers to get our minds going again. We always feel we do things good and when you take test like this it makes you see maybe where you need some work.

    Reply
  51. Melvin Freeman

    I think I did well,but there is aways room for improvement.

    Reply
  52. sherriemorgan

    These tests are a good idea. I think I did pretty good on this test too.

    Reply
  53. Michael Dutton

    This is a good refresher. When you put this type of info out it would be better to see the answers the next day unless you can make it interactive.

    Reply
  54. joleajames

    This is not only a great topic, but a great refresher as well!

    Reply
  55. angeladevinney

    Good Afternoon, everyone! I agree with a lot of what has been posted. When I first returned to graduate school after being in the workforce for almost 11 years, it was quite difficult. Commas and semicolons are my demons! I second guess myself frequently. I think I did ok. My first week at my new job was acceptable. I’d say great, but when I went for my TB skin test, I found out in the past 11 months of working almost exclusively with CPS kids and their parents I have been exposed to active TB. Thankfully I only have the latent version (in other words, positive skin test, negative chest x-ray). They informed the health department and their doctor is only there on Fridays. They did a telephone screening and I was sent home for the remainder of Friday. I didn’t get to see everyone I needed to on Friday, nor did I get to work on Saturday. So much to a full first week of work or a great first impression, lol! Thankfully my employer had this experience when she attended college so she is quite understanding about the entire thing and actually called me at home to check on me Saturday. Since I tested someone Friday from 9am-1:45pm I was able to write the report at home on Saturday and get paid for some of it. From what I hear, they may make me take anywhere from 6 months to an entire years worth of medication. Then since my hours and amount of money per hour changed, my claim was denied today on Teleserv. Even though they allowed me to speak to someone initially and they had me refile, it gave me the phone number to call, but it was the generic number that tells you to file a claim. I only worked a maximum of 25 hours total. It is great knowing that I soon won’t need to file for unemployment and that soon I will have insurance benefits, but I do need my earnings. I haven’t even been given my paycheck from the CPS clients I saw last month since CPS is behind on releasing their payments. They still haven’t released the funds to my previous employer and that check is already two weeks late as it is. It will be at least another month before I get my final check.

    Angela

    Reply
  56. markskinner

    Howdy. Will give the punctuation thing a shot. I was drilled, drilled, drilled with punctuation and grammar all through school. If I don’t do well, there’s something wrong. We’ll see tomorrow.

    Reply
  57. Jonathon Pledger

    Proper punctuation is very important. I think I did well.

    Reply
  58. lynwaren

    I’m sure I did a great job on this test. Without proper sentence structure and punctuation, we would not be able to understand what we read; or with time we would adapt.

    Reply
  59. evelyn dickerson

    Good Afternoon,I,m Unsure about my Answer,s.I Hope I Did Aright.These Topic,s Are Great.Make You Think.

    Reply
  60. William

    I believe I did pretty well with the questions.

    I am going to fall back on the contacts I have made to see if they know of any dental jobs that are open.

    Reply
  61. christiemiller

    I don’t do well on test

    Reply
  62. Jennifer

    I did well i normally do english was easy for me as a kid and as an adult. I guess all that reading I do helps me.Lol!!

    Reply
  63. machellharrison

    i am continuing my search for employment in correctional facilities.

    Reply
  64. MissRudd

    For those who feel they have a hard time with grammar, punctuation, or proper speech would you like us to provide more assistance in learning these outside of Job Club? Let us know. Also, if you ever feel the need to ask for help or advice on any subject pertaining to skills needed in the workforce feel free to email us at info@campusjobxpress.com and we will provide you with the resources we have to offer.

    Reply
  65. zshade37

    While taking this little quiz, I can see how easily one can make a grammatical error. When trying to keep a deadline sometimes its the smallest error that can cause the most damage. It’s important to allow time to proof read all written works, before hand.

    Reply
  66. Cheryl

    Making sure you have plenty of time to proof read is a must, like zshade stated. I have to proof ready everything I write because I know I don’t have the best spelling or grammar skills. Spell and Grammar Check are the best two programs ever.

    Reply
  67. mikepetry

    i have trouble with all of it .

    Reply
  68. reginamarshall

    Agreed, very good refresher. Some are still a little tricky, but great exercise.

    Reply
  69. Minnitt

    I struggle with proper punctuation but this grammar test has made it easy to understand! I’m interested to see the answers. I believe you should be able to write as well as you speak because in businesses you ave to talk to people and might have to write a memo. If you can do both companies believe you are professional which later leads to job opportunities!

    Reply
  70. amyarthurwhite

    I feel confident about my knowledge of sentence structure and puncuation. English was my best subject in school. My career demands excellent communication skills both written and verbal.

    Math….is a whole differenct story.

    Reply
  71. kareypatterson

    Punctuation is important. I will look forward to seeing the answers to see how I did. Thanks

    Reply
  72. chriscutbirth

    My mom was a school teacher so she always pointed out my grammer and my vocabulary,and i have seen how people look at others with bad grammer.Hey rachel what’s up with my picture?

    Reply
  73. MissRudd

    Mr. Cutbirth I apologize, I will fix it right away.

    Reply
  74. Ron

    I think I do pretty well in oral interviews. And fortunately, they can’t see where I’ve put colons and semi colons in my speaking. But in cases where they need written information, if I am forming a sentence that I’m not sure of, I try to reword it so that it will not require that type of punctuation.

    Reply
  75. angelacotton

    I really tried to do better on this test and concentrate, however not sure about anything anymore.

    Reply
  76. Christie Watson

    I have previously commented on this forum,but I will review the article set to release this month.

    Reply
  77. charlesshelby

    \As well as you need knowledge of the job your doing, you need a well driven sense on good grammar and punctuation. It only makes sense that you need these skills because there used in everyday life. Like as simple as writing a list or reading a book. Same thing applies to a job, starting with the resume and/or app all the way to actually getting a job that requires you to write things down or take notes. So that being said it is definetly essential to have some or really awesome grammar and punctuation skills.

    Reply
  78. edgarrichardson

    It is very important that you use the correct punctuation marks in a sentence because it can change the entire meaning of a sentence.

    Reply
  79. lolabuchanan

    I think it is very important to remember good punctuation and grammar are of the utmost importance. Communication is what is central. Consistantly promoting oneself by being mindful of communication skills can never be less than a good practice.

    Reply
  80. jannpage

    WOW!! My score was horrible. Like Jeff I need somebody to
    correct me with my writing. I have no excuse except my past jobs were in the nursing field and a lot abbrevations
    were used and incomplete sentences as Susan Wade noted. I will need to pay better attention in the upcoming job (I hope one shows up)

    Reply
  81. robreinshuttle

    These discussions have been great refreshers for me. I did much better this week than last week. I only missed two which I felt was good for me.

    Reply
  82. karlarichards

    good

    Reply
  83. myrnacardenas

    me gusto

    Reply
  84. sallygreen

    I’m glad this quiz was posted. Punctuation is very important when communicating with employers as well as co-workers. I’m looking forward to seeing what the correct answers are for the quiz. I think I did fairly well.

    Reply
  85. kilgovir

    This was a great exercise. Can’t wait to see how I did. I think these exercises are good to help people review their skills. Some of the questions really make you think. Thanks, Virginia Kilgore

    Reply
  86. Olga Sepeda

    The punctuation marks that really get me are the colon and semicolon. I have always been confused as to when and where to use them. I know on one of them, you use them to list things but not quite sure which one.

    Reply
  87. laurareid09

    Punctuation is a part grammar and is very important when it comes to employment. I do have issues with colon and semicolons, mainly because my English teachers never took the time to fully explain when to use them and when not to use them. I do my best to use proper punctuation on applications so the employer doesn’t misunderstand something on my application.

    Reply
  88. evelyn dickerson

    Good Morning,Everyone Well I Think I Did Good.But Was Unsure About Posting My Answer,s

    Reply

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