View source for Help:Introduction to the Manual of Style/Manual of Style quiz

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Can you spot the error in these passages?


Many athletes have recently started using the new training regime despite concerns from researchers about its effectiveness.
{{editing exercise
|1=Solution
|2=Avoid [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers#Statements likely to become outdated|statements likely to become outdated]] like "recently". Instead, use a construction like {{xt|In {{CURRENTYEAR}}, many athletes started using the new training regime}}.
}}

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[[Herbal tea]]s are not made from the leaves of the tea plant, ''[[Camellia sinensis]]''. Therefore, they are not technically teas, they are tisanes.
{{editing exercise
|1=Solution
|2=This passage includes a [[Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style#Semicolons|comma splice]], an instance where a comma joins two independent clauses. It could be fixed by changing the last comma to a semicolon: {{xt|Therefore, they are not technically teas; they are tisanes.}}
}}

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When the centre was established, its official colors were green and gold. Three years later, the trustees, supported by President Wales, voted to change them to blue and white.
{{editing exercise
|1=Solution
|2=This passage [[WP:ENGVAR|mixes varieties of English]]: "centre" is spelled using British English, but "colors" is American English. This could be resolved either by changing {{!xt|centre}} to {{xt|center}} or by changing {{!xt|colors}} to {{xt|colours}}.
}}

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The [[incubation period|time from exposure to onset of symptoms]] is typically less than a week but may range from 2 to 9 days.
{{editing exercise
|1=Solution
|2=This passage incorrectly uses [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers#Numbers as figures or words|numerals]]. {{!xt|2}} and {{!xt|9}} should be written out as {{xt|two}} and {{xt|nine}} instead.
}}

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In spring, [[American Black Bear]]s emerge from hibernation having lost around a third of their body weight. Their metabolic rate remains at a reduced level for up to 21&nbsp;days afterwards.
{{editing exercise
|1=Solution
|2=This passage features [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Capital letters|incorrect capitalization]]. It's {{xt|American black bear}}, not {{!xt|American Black Bear}}.
}}

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[[Samuel Clemens]] (November&nbsp;30,&nbsp;1835&nbsp;-&nbsp;April&nbsp;21,&nbsp;1910), better known as Mark Twain, was famous for his wit. He once wrote to a journalist that “the report of my death was an exaggeration.”
{{editing exercise
|1=Solution
|2=There are two subtle punctuation errors here. First, the dates [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Dashes|should be joined by an en-dash]] ({{xt|–}}), not a hyphen ({{!xt|-}}). Second, the quote [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Quotation marks|should use straight quote marks]] ({{xt|"..."}}), not curved ones ({{!xt|“...”}}).
}}

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[[Centrifugal force]] can cause the [[vestibular system]] to give you a false sense of which way is down.
{{editing exercise
|1=Solution
|2=This passage [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Second-person pronouns|uses {{!xt|you}} inappropriately]]. It could be fixed by switching to {{xt|give one a false sense}}.
}}


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[[Category:Wikipedia quizzes]]