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Question

Select the option that correctly punctuates the given sentence.

I visited Delhi Mumbai and Kolkata last summer.

The correct answer is
I visited Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata last summer.

Punctuating Lists Correctly

The question asks us to identify the correctly punctuated sentence from the given options. The sentence in question is: "I visited Delhi Mumbai and Kolkata last summer." This sentence lists three items (cities). Proper punctuation is crucial for clarity in writing.

Understanding Comma Usage in Series

When you have a list of three or more items in a sentence, you generally use commas to separate them. The standard format is:

  • Item 1, Item 2, and Item 3

In this structure, commas separate the individual items in the list. The comma placed before the conjunction (like 'and' or 'or') connecting the last two items is known as the Oxford comma or serial comma. While sometimes optional depending on style guides, it often enhances clarity.

Analyzing the Options

Let's look at each option to see how it applies the rules of punctuation:

  • Option 1: $I visited- Delhi Mumbai and Kolkata, last summer.$ This option uses a hyphen incorrectly and misses the necessary commas between the cities.
  • Option 2: $I visited: Delhi Mumbai and Kolkata, last summer.$ A colon is used to introduce a list, but it's typically used after a complete independent clause. It's not the correct punctuation here, and commas are still missing between the city names.
  • Option 3: $I visited Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata last summer.$ This option correctly uses commas to separate the items in the list: 'Delhi', 'Mumbai', and 'Kolkata'. This follows the standard rule for punctuating a series.
  • Option 4: $I visited, Delhi Mumbai and Kolkata last summer.$ Placing a comma directly after the verb 'visited' incorrectly separates the verb from its objects (the list of cities).

Determining the Correct Punctuation

The sentence needs commas to separate the cities listed: Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata. Option 3 is the only one that correctly implements this punctuation rule, making the sentence clear and grammatically sound.

Therefore, the correctly punctuated sentence is: I visited Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata last summer.

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Important Questions from Error Spotting

  1. Select the correctly punctuated version of the phrase to fill in the blank and complete the given sentence.

    'spent our holiday in France it was very crowded'

    Rahim, Rajam and I ________.

  2. Choose the one that correctly represents the sentence in direct speech.

    Adit explained that he hadn't had the time to prepare his speech the day before.
  3. Choose the correct idiom for the word highlighted in bold.

    "The builder hired several carpenters and electricians to work on the building, but he left them in the lurch when it came time to pay them."
  4. Read the given statements and conclusions carefully. Decide which of the given conclusions is true based on the statements.
    Statements:
    $Z < S < E = J, J \geq T > G = V$
    Conclusions:
    I. $V < E$
    II. $T > Z$

  5. In the following question, a sentence is given with four words marked as (A), (B), (C) and (D). These words may or may not be placed in the correct order. Four options with different arrangements of these words have been provided. Mark the option with the correct arrangement as the answer. If no rearrangement is required, mark option (5) as your answer.

    Although(A) she actsspending(B) , the teenager really does enjoy uninterested(C) time with her younger(D) sister.

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