Adult ESL/ELL Intermediate Quiz: Accurate Spelling And Punctuation
10 questions · exam conditions
0:00
Accurate Spelling And PunctuationQuestion 1 of 10

Maria is writing an email to her supervisor. She types: "I am writing to let you know that i will not be able to come to work on friday because my daughter is sick. please let me know if you need anything from me."

Maria's email contains several errors. Which of the following correctly identifies ALL the capitalization and punctuation errors in her message?

The word 'i' should be capitalized to 'I,' the word 'friday' should be capitalized to 'Friday,' and the word 'please' should begin with a capital 'P' since it starts a new sentence.
The word 'i' should be capitalized to 'I,' and the word 'friday' should be capitalized to 'Friday,' but 'please' does not need to be changed because it is not starting a completely new paragraph.
Only 'friday' needs to be capitalized to 'Friday' because days of the week are proper nouns, while 'i' and 'please' are acceptable in informal email writing to a supervisor.
The word 'i' should be capitalized to 'I,' a comma should be added after 'know' in the second sentence, and 'friday' should be capitalized, but 'please' is acceptable in lowercase since it follows a period in casual correspondence.
← Back to quizzes

Adult ESL/ELL Intermediate Quiz

Adult ESL/ELL Intermediate Quiz: Accurate Spelling And Punctuation

Practice Accurate Spelling And Punctuation in Adult ESL/ELL Intermediate 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 Accurate Spelling And Punctuation, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Adult ESL/ELL Intermediate.

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

Maria is writing an email to her supervisor. She types: "I am writing to let you know that i will not be able to come to work on friday because my daughter is sick. please let me know if you need anything from me."

Maria's email contains several errors. Which of the following correctly identifies ALL the capitalization and punctuation errors in her message?

  1. The word 'i' should be capitalized to 'I,' the word 'friday' should be capitalized to 'Friday,' and the word 'please' should begin with a capital 'P' since it starts a new sentence. (correct answer)
  2. The word 'i' should be capitalized to 'I,' and the word 'friday' should be capitalized to 'Friday,' but 'please' does not need to be changed because it is not starting a completely new paragraph.
  3. Only 'friday' needs to be capitalized to 'Friday' because days of the week are proper nouns, while 'i' and 'please' are acceptable in informal email writing to a supervisor.
  4. The word 'i' should be capitalized to 'I,' a comma should be added after 'know' in the second sentence, and 'friday' should be capitalized, but 'please' is acceptable in lowercase since it follows a period in casual correspondence.
Explanation: When proofreading formal writing, train yourself to check three things automatically: pronoun capitalization, proper nouns, and sentence boundaries. All three appear in Maria's email. In English, the pronoun "I" is always capitalized, no matter where it appears in a sentence — this is non-negotiable in any context, formal or informal. "Friday" must also be capitalized because days of the week are proper nouns, just like names of people or places. Finally, look at the period after "sick." That period ends one complete sentence, which means "please" begins a brand-new sentence and must be capitalized. Applying all three rules together makes A the correct and complete answer. Answer B gets two things right but fails on "please," incorrectly claiming that starting a new paragraph is what triggers capitalization. That's the wrong rule — what matters is whether a word follows end punctuation (a period, question mark, or exclamation point) and begins a new sentence. It does, so it must be capitalized. Answer C is dangerously wrong because it suggests that "i" and "please" are acceptable in informal writing to a supervisor. A supervisor email is professional correspondence — lowercase "i" is never acceptable in written English, and informal doesn't mean incorrect. Answer D introduces a comma after "know" in the second sentence, but no such comma is needed there. This is a distractor designed to make you second-guess yourself by mixing one real error with a false one. Your study tip: when reviewing any writing sample, read it one time only looking for capital letters that are missing or misplaced. A focused single pass catches more errors than trying to fix everything at once.

Question 2

A student writes this paragraph for a class assignment: "Last summer, my family and I visited my grandmothers house in puerto rico. We stayed their for two weeks. The weather was beautifull and we went to the beech every day."

The paragraph contains multiple spelling and punctuation errors. Which sentence below correctly lists ONLY the spelling errors (not punctuation or capitalization errors)?

  1. 'Their' should be 'there,' 'beautifull' should be 'beautiful,' and 'beech' should be 'beach' — these three words are spelled incorrectly in the passage. (correct answer)
  2. 'Grandmothers' is missing an apostrophe, 'beautifull' should be 'beautiful,' and 'beech' should be 'beach' — these are the three spelling problems in the passage.
  3. 'Puerto Rico' should be capitalized, 'beautifull' should be 'beautiful,' and 'beech' should be 'beach' — these are the only errors that involve incorrect letter choices in the passage.
  4. 'Their' should be 'there,' 'beautifull' should be 'beautiful,' 'beech' should be 'beach,' and 'grandmothers' needs an apostrophe — all four of these are spelling errors found in the passage.
Explanation: When editing writing, you need to distinguish between three different types of errors: spelling errors (wrong letters in a word), punctuation errors (missing or misused marks like apostrophes and commas), and capitalization errors (incorrect use of upper or lowercase letters). This question tests whether you can correctly sort errors into those categories. In the passage, three words have the wrong letters — meaning they are genuinely misspelled. "Their" is used instead of "there" (wrong word choice based on incorrect spelling), "beautifull" has an extra "l," and "beech" refers to a tree instead of a sandy shore. These three are pure spelling errors, which makes A the correct answer. Here's why the other choices miss the mark: B incorrectly labels the missing apostrophe in "grandmothers" as a spelling error. An apostrophe is a punctuation mark, not a letter — its absence is a punctuation error, not a spelling one. C claims that "Puerto Rico" being lowercase is a spelling error, but capitalization is its own separate category. Writing "puerto rico" doesn't misspell the words; it just uses the wrong case. D combines real spelling errors with the apostrophe issue and calls all four "spelling errors" — again, the apostrophe is punctuation, so this answer mixes categories incorrectly. A helpful strategy: when you see a question asking you to identify only spelling errors, ask yourself for each mistake — "Is this about letters, punctuation marks, or capitalization?" Only errors involving wrong or missing letters count as spelling errors. Keep those three categories separate, and you'll avoid common traps like B and D.

Question 3

Read the following sentence: "My boss asked me to right a report, to make sure I right it before the dead line on Thursday." Which answer correctly identifies all the spelling errors in this sentence?

  1. There are two spelling errors: 'right' is used incorrectly in both places (it should be 'write'), and 'dead line' should be 'deadline.' Since 'right' is the same mistake repeated, it counts as one spelling error type.
  2. There are three spelling errors: the first 'right' should be 'write,' the second 'right' should also be 'write,' and 'dead line' should be 'deadline.' Each incorrect word in the sentence counts as a separate spelling error. (correct answer)
  3. There is one spelling error: only the first use of 'right' is incorrect. The second 'right' is used correctly as an adjective meaning 'correct,' and 'dead line' is an acceptable two-word spelling.
  4. There are two spelling errors: 'right' should be 'write' only in the second instance where it appears, and 'dead line' should be 'deadline.' The first 'right' following 'to' is grammatically acceptable as a direction word.
Explanation: When checking for spelling errors, remember that each incorrectly spelled or misused word in a sentence counts as its own separate mistake — even if the same word appears multiple times with the same error. In this sentence, three distinct words are spelled or written incorrectly. The word "right" appears twice, and both times it should be "write" — the verb meaning to compose text. "Right" refers to a direction or something correct, so it's the wrong word entirely in both places. Additionally, "dead line" is written as two separate words, but the correct spelling is the single compound word "deadline." That gives you three total spelling errors: error one (first "right"), error two (second "right"), and error three ("dead line"). This makes B the correct answer. Choice A is tempting because it recognizes all three problem words, but it makes a flawed argument — it groups the two instances of "right" into one "error type," reducing the count to two. That logic doesn't apply here; each incorrect word in the sentence is its own error, regardless of whether the same mistake is repeated. Choice C is incorrect on two counts: it claims the second "right" is correctly used as an adjective meaning "correct," which doesn't fit the sentence's meaning at all, and it suggests "dead line" is an acceptable spelling, which it is not in standard modern English. Choice D misidentifies which "right" is wrong and incorrectly claims the first one is acceptable as "a direction word," which makes no sense in context. As a study tip: when hunting for spelling errors, go word by word and ask yourself, Is this the right word for this meaning? Homophones like "right/write" and "to/too/two" are frequent traps on ESL exams.

Question 4

A student submits this paragraph: "I have been living in the United States for five years's now. I have learn alot about American culture. My english has improved, and I am very pride of my progress."

Which of the following identifies a SPELLING error (not a grammar or capitalization error) found in this paragraph?

  1. 'Five years's' contains an incorrectly placed apostrophe, and this is a spelling error because the apostrophe changes the written form of the word on the page.
  2. 'Alot' should be written as two separate words — 'a lot' — because writing it as one word is a spelling error regardless of the context in which it is used. (correct answer)
  3. 'English' should be capitalized because it refers to a language name, so the lowercase 'e' represents a capitalization error that also counts as a misspelling.
  4. 'Pride' should be 'proud' in this context, and this counts as a spelling error because the student chose a word that looks and sounds similar but has a different meaning.
Explanation: When editing writing, it's important to distinguish between three types of errors: spelling errors (wrong letter combinations or word forms), grammar errors (incorrect word usage or sentence structure), and capitalization errors (wrong use of uppercase/lowercase). This question tests whether you can correctly identify which category an error belongs to. A true spelling error means a word is written in a form that doesn't exist or violates standard written conventions — regardless of why the writer made the mistake. "Alot" fits this definition perfectly. "A lot" is always two separate words in standard English; fusing them into one creates a nonexistent word form. That makes it a spelling error, and B is correct. Here's why the other choices miss the mark. A misidentifies the error in "five years's." The extra apostrophe-s is a punctuation or formatting error, not a spelling error — the letters themselves are correct, and apostrophes are punctuation marks, not letters. C correctly spots that "english" should be capitalized, but the question asks you to identify a spelling error specifically. Capitalization is its own category, and the explanation in C even names it a "capitalization error," which disqualifies it as the answer. D identifies a real grammar problem — "pride" (a noun) is used where "proud" (an adjective) is needed — but confusing similar words is a word-choice or grammar error, not a spelling error. "Pride" is spelled correctly; it's just the wrong word for the context. Your strategy tip: when a question asks about a specific error type, eliminate any answer that correctly identifies an error of a different type — even if the error it describes is real.

Question 5

Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly for formal written English at an intermediate level?

  1. Although she studied for three hours she did not pass the test, however she plans to retake it next week.
  2. Although she studied for three hours, she did not pass the test; however, she plans to retake it next week. (correct answer)
  3. Although she studied for three hours; she did not pass the test, however, she plans to retake it next week.
  4. Although she studied for three hours, she did not pass the test, however she plans to retake it next week.
Explanation: When you see a question testing punctuation with connecting words like however, therefore, or nevertheless, you're dealing with conjunctive adverbs — words that link two complete sentences. These require specific punctuation that differs from regular conjunctions like and or but. The sentence has three distinct jobs: (1) introduce a dependent clause with although, (2) state the main result, and (3) add a contrasting follow-up with however. Answer B handles all three correctly. The comma after "three hours" closes the although clause, separating it from the main clause. Then, because "however" connects two independent sentences, a semicolon comes before it and a comma after it — the standard formula: ; however, Answer A fails in two ways: it drops the comma after "three hours" and places only a comma before however, which creates a run-on sentence. A comma alone is too weak to join two independent clauses — this error is called a comma splice. Answer C uses a semicolon after "three hours," which is wrong because a semicolon must separate two independent clauses, but "Although she studied for three hours" is a dependent clause — it cannot stand alone. Answer D gets the first comma right but then uses only a comma before however — another comma splice, since however is not a coordinating conjunction. A helpful rule to remember: if you can replace however with a period and start a new sentence, you need a semicolon before it, not just a comma. Practice spotting conjunctive adverbs — they appear frequently in intermediate-level writing tests.

Question 6

A student writes the following sentence: "My sister and I buyed new shoes last weekend, we was very excited about the sale." Ignoring grammar errors, which punctuation change would best fix the structure of this sentence for formal writing?

  1. Replace the comma after 'weekend' with a period or a semicolon, because a comma alone cannot correctly join two independent clauses in formal written English. (correct answer)
  2. Add a comma after 'sister' to separate the subject from the rest of the sentence, because subjects in lists always require a comma to improve clarity and readability.
  3. Remove the comma after 'weekend' entirely, because two related ideas about the same topic should always be written as one continuous sentence without any punctuation between them.
  4. Replace the comma after 'weekend' with a colon, because a colon is the standard punctuation mark used to connect two independent clauses that are closely related in meaning.
Explanation: When you see a sentence with a comma joining two complete thoughts, you're being tested on a concept called the comma splice — one of the most common punctuation errors in formal writing. Ask yourself: can each part of the sentence stand alone as a complete sentence? If yes, a comma alone cannot connect them. Look at the original sentence split at the comma: "My sister and I buyed new shoes last weekend" is a complete thought. "We was very excited about the sale" is also a complete thought. Joining two independent clauses with only a comma is called a comma splice, which is incorrect in formal written English. Choice A is correct because replacing that comma with a period creates two separate sentences, or a semicolon signals that the two ideas are closely related — both are acceptable fixes. Choice B is wrong because "My sister and I" is not a list requiring a comma — it's simply a compound subject, and inserting a comma after "sister" would actually create a grammatical error by separating the subject from its verb. Choice C is wrong because removing the comma entirely still leaves two independent clauses fused together with no punctuation at all, which creates a run-on sentence — arguably worse than a comma splice. Choice D is tempting, but it's incorrect because a colon is used to introduce a list, explanation, or example — not to connect two equally weighted independent clauses. A semicolon, not a colon, is the standard choice for that purpose. Your study tip: memorize FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). A comma plus one of these words can join two independent clauses — but a comma alone never can.

Question 7

A student submits this paragraph for a writing assignment: "Living in a new country is not easy. You must learn a new language, find a job and make new friends. Its challenging but also very rewarding in the end!"

Which of the following corrections would make the paragraph follow standard punctuation rules for formal writing, without changing any words or their spelling?

  1. Change 'Its' to 'It's' in the third sentence, and add a semicolon after 'language' in the second sentence to correctly separate the three items in the list.
  2. Add a comma after 'language' and after 'job' in the second sentence, and change 'Its' to 'It's' in the third sentence to correct the missing apostrophe in the contraction.
  3. Add a comma after 'job' in the second sentence, and add a comma after 'challenging' in the third sentence to separate the two parts of the sentence connected by 'but.'
  4. Add a comma after 'job' in the second sentence to complete the three-item series, and change 'Its' to 'It's' in the third sentence to correct the missing apostrophe in the contraction. (correct answer)
Explanation: When editing for punctuation, it helps to tackle each sentence separately and ask two questions: Are the items in a list properly separated? and Are contractions written correctly with an apostrophe? Look at the second sentence: "You must learn a new language, find a job and make new friends." This is a three-item series (language / job / new friends). Standard punctuation rules call for a comma after each item except the last — so you need a comma after "language" (already there) and a comma after "job" (missing). Now look at the third sentence: "Its challenging but also very rewarding." Here, "Its" without an apostrophe is a possessive pronoun (like "the dog and its bone"), but the writer means "It is" — a contraction that requires an apostrophe: It's. Answer D makes exactly these two fixes and nothing else, making it correct. Answer A goes wrong in two ways: it suggests adding a semicolon after "language," but semicolons separate independent clauses, not items in a simple list. Also, it only fixes one comma instead of identifying that the existing comma after "language" is already correct and the missing one belongs after "job." Answer B correctly fixes "It's" but adds a comma after "language" — that comma is already present in the original. Adding it again would be redundant and shows a misreading of the passage. Answer C completely ignores the "Its/It's" error, which is a clear punctuation mistake that must be corrected. It also misidentifies where the comma is missing in the second sentence. Study tip: Always re-read the original passage carefully before choosing. Many wrong answers on punctuation questions trick you by "fixing" something that isn't broken or by ignoring an error that's clearly there.

Question 8

A student wants to write a sentence that shows possession for a noun that is already plural and ends in -s. Which of the following sentences uses ONLY the plural possessive apostrophe (apostrophe after the -s) throughout the entire sentence?

  1. The student's papers were graded by the professor, but the students' essays were returned the following week without individual comments.
  2. The students papers' were graded by the professor, and then the students' essays were returned to each person in the class.
  3. The student's papers were graded quickly, and the students's essays were handed back with detailed written feedback on every page.
  4. The students' papers were graded by the professor, and the students' essays were returned with individual comments written on each one. (correct answer)
Explanation: When showing possession for a plural noun that already ends in -s, you simply add an apostrophe after the -s (students'). You do not add another -s after the apostrophe. This question tests whether you can apply that rule consistently throughout an entire sentence — every possessive in the sentence must follow the same plural possessive pattern. Choice D does this correctly. Both "students' papers" and "students' essays" use the apostrophe placed after the -s, signaling that multiple students own the papers and essays. Every possessive in the sentence follows the plural possessive rule, which is exactly what the question requires. Choice A is a trap because it mixes two different possessive forms. "The student's papers" uses a singular possessive (apostrophe before the -s), referring to one student, while "students' essays" uses the plural possessive. Since the sentence doesn't use only the plural possessive form, A is incorrect. Choice B misplaces the apostrophe in "papers'" — putting it after a noun that isn't functioning as a possessive at all. "Papers" here is the subject of the verb "were graded," not a possessor of anything, so no apostrophe belongs there. This is a common error called the unnecessary apostrophe. Choice C introduces "students's," which is never correct in standard English. Plural nouns ending in -s never take an additional -s after the apostrophe. A useful tip: before selecting your answer, underline every apostrophe in the sentence and ask yourself — is this word plural and already ending in -s? If yes, the apostrophe must come after the -s, with nothing following it.

Question 9

Which of the following sentences uses apostrophes correctly in ALL instances?

  1. The children's backpacks were left in the teachers' lounge, and it's clear that someones bag is missing.
  2. The childrens' backpacks were left in the teachers' lounge, and it's clear that someone's bag is missing.
  3. The children's backpacks were left in the teachers' lounge, and it's clear that someone's bag is missing. (correct answer)
  4. The children's backpacks were left in the teacher's lounge, and its clear that someone's bag is missing.
Explanation: Apostrophe questions test two main uses: showing possession and forming contractions. When you see a question like this, check each apostrophe individually — one error disqualifies the whole sentence. Here's how the rules work: For irregular plurals that don't end in s (like children), you form the possessive by adding 's → children's. For regular plurals ending in s (like teachers), you add only an apostrophe after the s → teachers'. For indefinite pronouns like someone, treat them like singular nouns → someone's. Finally, it's is a contraction meaning "it is," while its shows possession — no apostrophe. Answer C — "The children's backpacks were left in the teachers' lounge, and it's clear that someone's bag is missing" — applies every rule correctly. Children's handles the irregular plural, teachers' handles the regular plural, it's correctly contracts "it is," and someone's correctly shows possession. Answer A fails because someones is missing its apostrophe entirely — it needs to be someone's. Answer B writes childrens' with the apostrophe after the s, which would only be correct if the plural were childrens — but children is already plural and doesn't end in s, so the apostrophe must come before the s: children's. Answer D makes two errors: teacher's implies only one teacher owns the lounge (context suggests multiple teachers), and its drops the apostrophe needed for the contraction "it is." Your study tip: always read it's as "it is" out loud — if the sentence still makes sense, the apostrophe belongs there. If not, use its.

Question 10

A student writes: "I recieved your letter last weak and I was very greatful for your kind wirds." How many words in this sentence are spelled incorrectly?

  1. Two words are misspelled: 'recieved' should be 'received,' and 'weak' should be 'week.' The words 'greatful' and 'wirds' are spelled correctly as written.
  2. Three words are misspelled: 'recieved' should be 'received,' 'weak' should be 'week,' and 'greatful' should be 'grateful.' The word 'wirds' is spelled correctly in this context.
  3. Four words are misspelled: 'recieved' should be 'received,' 'weak' should be 'week,' 'greatful' should be 'grateful,' and 'wirds' should be 'words.' (correct answer)
  4. Three words are misspelled: 'recieved' should be 'received,' 'greatful' should be 'grateful,' and 'wirds' should be 'words.' The word 'weak' is used correctly because the student felt weak after reading the letter.
Explanation: When checking a sentence for spelling errors, slow down and examine every word individually — don't stop once you've found one or two mistakes. This question tests whether you can identify all four misspellings hidden in a single sentence. Let's walk through each suspicious word. "Recieved" violates the classic "i before e except after c" rule — the correct spelling is received. "Weak" means lacking strength, but the sentence is talking about a time period, so the correct word is week. "Greatful" looks plausible but is wrong — there is no "great" inside this word; the correct spelling is grateful (think: full of gratitude). Finally, "wirds" is simply a misspelling of words — the i and o have been swapped. That gives you four total errors, making C the correct answer. Choice A claims only two misspellings and incorrectly states that "greatful" and "wirds" are correct — both are clearly wrong spellings. Choice B identifies three errors but insists "wirds" is spelled correctly "in this context," which makes no sense — context never makes a misspelled word correct. Choice D also finds three errors but invents a creative story about the student feeling physically weak after reading the letter to justify "weak" as correct — this is a trap that uses imaginative reasoning to avoid a straightforward mistake. A good study tip: when editing for spelling, read the sentence backwards, word by word. This breaks your brain's habit of autocorrecting familiar-looking words and forces you to see each word on its own.