Adult ESL/ELL Beginner Quiz: Editing For Spelling And Punctuation
8 questions · exam conditions
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Editing For Spelling And PunctuationQuestion 1 of 8

We went to the store yesterday. We buyed milk, bred, and eggs. The total was fifteen dollars.

The passage has errors in the second sentence. Which version of the second sentence is correctly written?

We bought milk bread and eggs.
We buyed milk, bread, and eggs.
We bought milk, bread, and eggs.
We bought milk, bread and eggs.
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Adult ESL/ELL Beginner Quiz

Adult ESL/ELL Beginner Quiz: Editing For Spelling And Punctuation

Practice Editing For Spelling And Punctuation in Adult ESL/ELL Beginner with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Editing For Spelling And Punctuation, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Adult ESL/ELL Beginner.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

We went to the store yesterday. We buyed milk, bred, and eggs. The total was fifteen dollars.

The passage has errors in the second sentence. Which version of the second sentence is correctly written?

  1. We bought milk bread and eggs.
  2. We buyed milk, bread, and eggs.
  3. We bought milk, bread, and eggs. (correct answer)
  4. We bought milk, bread and eggs.
Explanation: When editing a sentence, you need to check two things at once: spelling and punctuation. The second sentence in the passage has both kinds of errors, so your job is to find the version that fixes them both correctly. The word "buyed" is not a real English word. The verb "buy" is irregular, meaning it does not follow the normal rule of adding -ed to make the past tense. Instead, "buy" becomes bought in the past tense, just like "bring" becomes "brought." The passage also misspells "bred" — the food made from flour is spelled bread. Finally, when you list three or more items in a sentence, English requires a comma after each item in the list, including before the word "and." This is called a series comma (sometimes called an Oxford comma), and it looks like this: milk, bread, and eggs. Choice C — We bought milk, bread, and eggs — fixes all three problems: the irregular verb, the spelling, and the commas. That makes it the correct answer. Choice A uses "bought" and "bread" correctly, but it is missing all the commas in the list, making it harder to read and grammatically incorrect. Choice B keeps the original misspelling "buyed," so it corrects nothing. Choice D uses "bought" and "bread" correctly but is missing the comma after "bread" before "and" — the series comma is required here. A good study tip: whenever you see a list of three or more items, count the commas — you should have one fewer comma than items. For milk, bread, and eggs (3 items), you need exactly 2 commas.

Question 2

The children played outside all afternoon. When it started raining they ran inside. There coats were wet but they were happy.

Which sentence from the passage contains BOTH a punctuation error AND a spelling error?

  1. The first sentence: 'The children played outside all afternoon.'
  2. The second sentence: 'When it started raining they ran inside.'
  3. The third sentence: 'There coats were wet but they were happy.' (correct answer)
  4. Both the second and third sentences contain a punctuation error, but only the third contains a spelling error
Explanation: When a question asks you to find an error in writing, train yourself to check two things separately: punctuation (commas, periods, apostrophes) and spelling/word choice (is the right word used?). The third sentence — "There coats were wet but they were happy" — contains both types of errors, making C the correct answer. First, the word "There" is wrong. The sentence is talking about something belonging to the children, so it needs the possessive word "Their" (their coats = the coats belonging to them). Using "There" instead of "Their" is a word-choice/spelling error. Second, the sentence joins two complete thoughts — "Their coats were wet" and "they were happy" — with only the word "but," which requires a comma before it: "Their coats were wet**,** but they were happy." That missing comma is the punctuation error. A is incorrect because the first sentence is perfectly written — no missing punctuation, no wrong words. B is partially tempting because the second sentence does have a punctuation error (it needs a comma after "raining": "When it started raining**,** they ran inside"). However, it has no spelling or word-choice error, so it only fails one of the two conditions the question requires. D is incorrect because it suggests the answer involves both the second and third sentences, but the question asks for a sentence containing both errors together — and only the third sentence qualifies. A quick memory trick: Their/There/They're is one of the most tested word-choice traps on ESL exams. Ask yourself — does the word show ownership? Use their.

Question 3

To: All Employees From: The Manager

Please remember to clock in before you begin work. Anyone who is late will recieve a warning. If you have questions please see me or you're supervisor.

This workplace memo has errors. Which choice correctly identifies ALL the errors in the memo body (not the header)?

  1. 'Recieve' should be 'receive' and 'you're' should be 'your,' but the punctuation in the memo is already correct
  2. 'Recieve' should be 'receive,' 'you're' should be 'your,' and a comma is needed after 'questions' (correct answer)
  3. A comma is needed after 'questions' and 'you're' should be 'your,' but 'recieve' is spelled correctly
  4. 'Recieve' should be 'receive,' a comma is needed after 'questions,' and 'you're' is already correct because it refers to the supervisor
Explanation: When proofreading a workplace memo, you need to check three things: spelling, word choice (especially homophones), and punctuation. This question asks you to find all the errors, so missing even one will lead you to the wrong answer. Let's walk through the memo body sentence by sentence. "Anyone who is late will recieve a warning" contains a spelling error — recieve breaks the classic "i before e except after c" rule, so the correct spelling is receive. Next, "if you have questions please see me" is missing a comma after questions because it's an introductory clause — without that comma, the sentence feels rushed and unclear. Finally, "you're supervisor" uses the contraction you're (meaning you are), when the memo needs the possessive your, as in "belonging to you." That gives us three total errors. Answer B correctly identifies all three: the misspelling of receive, the missing comma after questions, and the wrong word you're. That makes B the right choice. Answer A catches two real errors but incorrectly claims the punctuation is fine — it misses the missing comma entirely. Answer C correctly flags the comma and you're, but claims recieve is spelled correctly, which it is not. Answer D correctly identifies the spelling and comma errors, but then defends you're by saying it "refers to the supervisor" — this is a trap. You're always means you are, never ownership, so your is required. A good study habit: when you see you're/your or it's/its, mentally substitute the full phrase (you are, it is) to test whether the contraction fits the sentence.

Question 4

My sister want to become a doctor. She study every day at the libary. She is very smart and hardworking.

Which correction fixes ALL the errors in the passage above?

  1. Change 'want' to 'wants,' change 'study' to 'studies,' and change 'libary' to 'library' (correct answer)
  2. Change 'want' to 'wants,' change 'study' to 'studied,' and change 'libary' to 'library'
  3. Change 'want' to 'wants,' leave 'study' as is, and change 'libary' to 'library'
  4. Change 'want' to 'wanted,' change 'study' to 'studies,' and change 'libary' to 'library'
Explanation: When you see a passage with underlined or highlighted words, your job is to check for two things: grammar errors (wrong verb forms) and spelling errors. This passage has three mistakes to find and fix. First, the subject-verb agreement: "My sister" is a singular third-person subject, which means the verb needs an -s ending in the simple present tense. So "want" must become "wants," and "study" must become "studies." Think of it this way — he, she, it always gets the -s: she wants, she studies, she runs. This is one of the most important grammar rules in English. Second, "libary" is simply a misspelling — the correct spelling is library, which includes an extra r that is easy to forget. That makes Answer A correct — it changes "want" to "wants," "study" to "studies," and fixes the spelling to "library." All three errors are resolved. Answer B is wrong because it changes "study" to "studied," which is past tense. Nothing in the passage suggests the past — she studies every day, which is present tense. Answer C is wrong because it leaves "study" unchanged. "Study" without an -s is incorrect when the subject is "she." Answer D is wrong because it changes "want" to "wanted," which is also past tense. Again, the passage describes a current, ongoing situation — not something that already happened. Study tip: Whenever the subject is he, she, or it and the sentence is in simple present tense, always add -s or -es to the verb. This rule appears very frequently on beginner ESL exams.

Question 5

I have two cat's at home. They're names are Luna and star. I feed them every morning.

The second sentence of the passage contains errors. Which version of the second sentence is correct?

  1. Their names are Luna and Star. (correct answer)
  2. They're names are Luna and Star.
  3. Their names are luna and star.
  4. Their name's are Luna and Star.
Explanation: When you see a question about possessives and homophones, ask yourself two things: Does this word show ownership? And is this the right spelling for that meaning? In the second sentence, the writer is saying that the names belong to the cats — so you need a possessive pronoun. "Their" is the possessive form, meaning "belonging to them." The names are Luna and Star, and both are proper names (names of specific individuals), so they must be capitalized. That makes A — "Their names are Luna and Star" — the correct version. Choice B keeps "They're," which is a contraction of "they are." Reading it aloud exposes the error: "They are names are Luna and Star" makes no sense. This is one of the most common mix-ups in English, so always expand contractions to test them. Choice C uses the correct word "Their" but fails to capitalize "luna" and "star" — since these are the cats' names (proper nouns), they must begin with a capital letter. Choice D uses "Their" correctly but adds an apostrophe in "name's," which incorrectly makes "name" a possessive noun rather than a simple plural. You don't need an apostrophe here at all. A quick tip to remember: Their / They're / There are three different words. Test "they're" by expanding it to "they are." Test "their" by checking if something belongs to a group. And always capitalize names of specific people, places, or animals — proper nouns always get a capital letter.

Question 6

A student wrote this sentence: 'Its important to bring you're ID to the interview.' Which edit correctly fixes ALL errors in this sentence?

  1. Change 'Its' to 'It's' and change 'you're' to 'yours'
  2. Change 'Its' to 'It's' and leave 'you're' as it is, because 'you're' is already correct
  3. Change 'Its' to 'Its'' and change 'you're' to 'your'
  4. Change 'Its' to 'It's' and change 'you're' to 'your' (correct answer)
Explanation: When you see errors involving words like its/it's or your/you're, you're being tested on possessive pronouns vs. contractions — one of the most common traps in English writing. Here's how to tell them apart. A contraction combines two words using an apostrophe: it's = it is, and you're = you are. Possessive pronouns — its, your, yours — show ownership and never use an apostrophe. To check which form you need, simply replace the word with its long form and see if the sentence still makes sense. Try it with the original sentence: "Its important to bring you're ID." Read its as it is: "It is important..." ✓ That works, so it's (the contraction) is correct. Now read you're as you are: "bring you are ID" ✗ That makes no sense, so you're is wrong — the sentence needs the possessive your. That confirms D is correct: change Its to It's and you're to your. Choice A is wrong because yours is a possessive pronoun meaning something belongs to you (as in "that bag is yours"), but you need your before a noun like ID. Choice B is wrong because it claims you're is already correct — but as shown above, "you are ID" is nonsense. Choice C introduces Its', which is not a real word in English at all. Your strategy: whenever you see its/it's or your/you're, mentally substitute the long form (it is or you are). If it sounds wrong, switch to the possessive.

Question 7

A student wrote this sentence: 'last tuesday, I started my new job at the resturant on main street.' Which words need to be capitalized?

  1. 'Last,' 'Tuesday,' 'Restaurant,' and 'Main Street' should all be capitalized
  2. 'Last' and 'Tuesday' should be capitalized, and 'Main Street' should be capitalized only if it is the restaurant's official name
  3. 'Last' and 'Tuesday' should be capitalized, but 'Main Street' and 'restaurant' do not need capitalization
  4. 'Last,' 'Tuesday,' and 'Main Street' should be capitalized, but 'restaurant' is a common noun and should not be capitalized (correct answer)
Explanation: Capitalization in English follows specific rules, and this question tests whether you can identify proper nouns versus common nouns. The key question to ask yourself is: "Is this word a specific, unique name — or just a general category?" In the sentence, "last tuesday, I started my new job at the resturant on main street," several words need fixing. First, "Last" must be capitalized because it begins the sentence — that's a basic rule that always applies. "Tuesday" is capitalized because days of the week are always proper nouns in English. "Main Street" needs capitalization because it is the specific name of a street — a unique, official place name. However, "restaurant" is just a common noun. It describes a type of business, not a specific name. If the sentence said "at The Main Street Restaurant," then "Restaurant" would be part of the proper name and capitalized. Here, it's not. This makes D the correct answer. Answer A is wrong because it includes "Restaurant," which is a common noun in this sentence and should stay lowercase. Answer B is wrong because it introduces unnecessary doubt about "Main Street" — street names like "Main Street" are always capitalized as proper nouns, regardless of context. Answer C is wrong because it correctly leaves "restaurant" lowercase but incorrectly leaves "Main Street" lowercase too, missing the proper noun rule for street names. A helpful tip: ask yourself, "Could I replace this word with a different example of the same thing?" If yes, it's a common noun (lowercase). "Restaurant" — yes, you could say "café." But "Main Street"? No — it's one specific street.

Question 8

A student wrote this note to a teacher: 'I cant come to class on Wendsday because I have a docter appointment. I will get the notes from a friend.' Which corrections are needed?

  1. Add an apostrophe to make 'can't' and fix 'Wendsday' to 'Wednesday,' but 'docter' is spelled correctly
  2. Add an apostrophe to make 'can't,' fix 'Wendsday' to 'Wednesday,' and fix 'docter' to 'doctor' (correct answer)
  3. Fix 'Wendsday' to 'Wednesday' and fix 'docter' to 'doctor,' but 'cant' does not need an apostrophe in informal writing
  4. Add an apostrophe to make 'can't' and fix 'docter' to 'doctor,' but 'Wendsday' is an acceptable alternate spelling
Explanation: When proofreading a note or any written communication, you need to check three things: punctuation, spelling, and grammar. This question asks you to identify all the errors in a short message — a skill that requires careful attention to every word. Let's look at the three problem words. First, "cant" is missing an apostrophe. When you combine "cannot" into a shorter form, you replace the missing letters with an apostrophe: can't. This rule applies in all writing, including informal notes — apostrophes in contractions are never optional. Second, "Wendsday" is a misspelling. The correct spelling is Wednesday, which includes a silent "d" that many people forget: Wed-nes-day. Third, "docter" is also misspelled. The correct spelling is doctor, ending in -or, not -er. All three errors must be fixed, making B the correct answer. Choice A is wrong because it claims "docter" is spelled correctly — it is not. Choice C is wrong because it says apostrophes are not needed in informal writing. That is a myth; contractions always require an apostrophe regardless of how casual the message is. Choice D is wrong because "Wendsday" is not an acceptable alternate spelling — there is only one correct spelling of Wednesday. A useful study tip: when checking your own writing, slow down and read each word individually, not as part of a sentence. Your brain tends to "autocorrect" familiar words when reading quickly, causing you to miss spelling errors that are right in front of you.