High Order Thinking Skills (HOTs) - 5 - Class 9 MCQ

The correctly punctuated sentence is c) She will arrive at seven o'clock.
Here is an analysis of each option:

a) Where are my keys she asked. This sentence uses direct speech but is missing the necessary punctuation. It should be written as: "Where are my keys?" she asked.

b) How were you today? , he inquired. In American English, punctuation marks inside quotation marks are placed inside the closing quotation mark. The comma after the question mark is incorrect. The sentence should be written as: "How were you today?" he inquired.

c) She will arrive at seven o'clock. This is a simple, declarative sentence that is punctuated correctly. The word o'clock is a contraction of "of the clock," so it correctly uses an apostrophe.

d) When will they be here he wondered. This sentence uses indirect speech and is missing the necessary punctuation. It should be written as: "When will they be here?" he wondered. 

The word "beautiful" describes the dress, hence it is functioning as an adjective.

Explanation:

• "Whether" is used to introduce alternatives, especially when there is doubt or a choice between two options.

• The sentence shows indecision between two alternatives, so "whether" fits best in this context.

So the complete sentence is:

"He couldn't decide whether to go to the beach or stay at home."

The sentence "She likes to read books and watch movies." is correctly punctuated. Here’s why:

• Correct Structure: The sentence uses a simple structure, joining two activities with "and." This is appropriate and clear.
• No Comma Needed: There is no need for a comma before "and" in this case, as both activities are part of the same subject.
• Clarity: It clearly expresses two hobbies without confusion.

In contrast, the other options contain punctuation errors that disrupt clarity.