1. Which of the following
sentences illustrates incorrect pronoun usage?
Answers:
•
The wet dog shook itself off, wagged its tail, and proceeded on its way.
•
Don't take the silver goblet out of its protective case or you'll ruin it.
•
You should wear that jacket to their wedding because it's the nicest one you
have.
•
It's not too late to answer their ad for a waitress, is it?
• None of the above
2. Rearrange the following words to create the most logical and grammatically correct sentence.
with can't phone . on Whenever always to the time spend I speak I my friend , him
Answers:
• Whenever I always phone on my
friend to speak, I can't spend the time with him.
• Whenever I spend time on the
phone to him, I can't always speak with my friend.
• Whenever I speak to him, I can't
always spend time with my friend on the phone.
• Whenever I can't speak to him on
the phone, I always spend time with my friend.
• Whenever I can't spend time
with my friend, I always speak to him on the phone.
3. Complete the following sentence by choosing the phrase with the best word order from the options given.
Those who are not wise ____________ .
Answers:
• do not need be necessarily stupid
• need not necessarily be stupid
• need not to be necessarily stupid
• does not need to be necessarily
stupid
4. Read the following question and choose the response that uses the correct corresponding verb tense.
Will you be going to the company picnic this year?
Answers:
• Yes, I will have always gone
every year.
• No, unfortunately I didn't have
time this year.
• Yes, and I plan on swimming,
fishing, and eating all day!
• I might go if I had known about
it sooner.
5. Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following sentence.
Whiskey, my pet squirrel, jumped ________ my head and ________ the windowsill.
Answers:
• over, onto
• through, into
• from, under
• into, onto
6. Which of the following sentences illustrates correct usage of articles and conjunctions?
Answers:
• Celine lives on Arthur Street;
however, she works on Beatrice Boulevard.
• I would eat a peach every day if
I could, nor the doctor told me I couldn't.
• Will Gertrude play the piano or
an harp at the concert?
• Although she is angry at them,
neither her son and her father will be at the party.
7. Which of the following sentences does NOT illustrate correct verb and verb tense usage?
a. Frank and Marjorie have opened a new chocolate shop on the corner.
b. By the time I get there, all the best candy will have been eaten already.
c. They was going to sell pastries as well, but then decided against it.
d. Have you ever wondered how many jelly beans there are in the world?
8. Which of the following sentences illustrates proper sentence structure?
Answers:
• Everyone knows that a mango is
much sweeter to an orange.
• I saw the girl with my own eyes
who said she had been abducted by aliens.
• Either one of you should try and
to fix their broken fence.
• The queen had hardly finished
her speech when the people began to disperse.
9. Choose the series of pronouns that best completes the following sentence.
Don't ________ think Larry should call ________ wife if ________ is going to be late for dinner?
Answers:
• you, his, he
• we, your, his
• he, his, he
• you, his, himself
10. Choose the series of articles and conjunctions that best completes the following sentence.
Neither we ________ Sal, our neighbor, could understand ________ it had been our dog Rover or Sal's
cat's kittens _________ had destroyed all the flower beds in the middle of _______ night.
Answers:
• nor, whether, that, the
• or, if, who, the
• and, whether, than, a
• nor, if, that, a
11. Choose the series of pronouns that best completes the following sentence.
After realizing that our hosts hadn't actually invited ______ to ______ party, ______ excused ______ from
the table and slipped out the back door.
Answers:
• us, their, we, ourselves
• ourselves, theirs, we, us
• them, our, they, themselves
• us, our, we, himself
12. Choose the series of pronouns that best completes the following sentence.
That house used to be ______ , but ______ have given it to ______.
Answers:
• my, I, her
• mine, me, her
• mine, I, her
• myself, she, her
13. Choose the series of adjectives and adverbs that best completes the following sentence.
While __________ of our relatives live on the __________ hill in the county, __________ of our friends
live in the __________ __________ areas of the valley.
Answers:
• more, windy, many, most,
protection
• most, windier, more, most,
protective
• many, windiest, most, more,
protected
• many, winding, more, most,
protected
14. Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?
Answers:
• 'Come here, she said, and let me
get a good look at you.'
• Come here she said, and let me
get a good look at you.
• "Come here," she said.
"and let me get a good look at you."
• "Come here," she
said, "and let me get a good look at you."
15. Which of the following sentences illustrates the proper use of apostrophes?
Answers:
• Helga borrowed her friend's
skates for the day; however, she failed to return them.
• Thousand's of bargains are
available during the holiday season, but I cant find time to shop.
• The koala bear closed it's eyes
and fell fast asleep.
• Although I like the Joneses, I'm
angry at them for breaking all of Ralphs' tools.
16. Choose the series of verbs that best completes the following passage.
I find it very hard to remember _________ letters that are entrusted to me. In fact, I remember _________ to
do so dozens of times!
Answers:
• to mail, forgetting
• mailing, to forget
• to mail, to forget
• mailing, forgetting
17. Choose the series of adjectives and adverbs that best completes the following sentence.
We were surprised when the ________ parade ________ turned into a ________ party!
Answers:
• dull, suddenly, wild
• duller, all of a sudden, wilder
• dullest, suddenly, wildest
• dull, sudden, wild
18. Choose the option that correctly changes the original sentence from active voice to passive voice.
ORIGINAL SENTENCE:
That tall man is carrying a lot of lumber.
REWRITTEN SENTENCES:
Answers:
• The tall man carries a lot of
lumber.
• Is being carried by that tall
man, the lumber.
• The lumber is carried by the tall
man.
• A lot of lumber is being
carried by that tall man.
19. Change the following sentence from a quotation to indirect speech.
"Sharon must go to the bank today," said Albert.
Answers:
• Albert says Sharon will have to
go to the bank today.
• Albert said Sharon has to go to
the bank today.
• Albert says Sharon must go to the
bank today.
• Albert said Sharon had to go
to the bank that day.
20. Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following sentence.
The deer ran quickly _______ the trees, its hooves pounding _______ the forest floor.
Answers:
• amid, from
• over, at
• through, on
• throughout, on
21. Which of the following
sentences illustrates the proper use of parallel construction?
a. Arthur failed when he tried to open the lock with a
key, but succeeded when he tried to open it with a hammer.
b. We painted the conference room yellow, hung a poster on the wall, and are rearranging the chairs.
c. No one in the room knew that the doors had been locked and that policemen will be running up the stairs.
d. Andrea is incapable of walking and to talk at the same time
b. We painted the conference room yellow, hung a poster on the wall, and are rearranging the chairs.
c. No one in the room knew that the doors had been locked and that policemen will be running up the stairs.
d. Andrea is incapable of walking and to talk at the same time
22. Which of the following sentences illustrate(s) the proper use of commas?
Answers:
• Randy wanted to end the meeting,
but Amy wanted to prolong it.
• After pouring herself a glass of
water in silence, Nicky answered my question.
• The committee, which had failed
to come to a consensus decided to meet again on Tuesday.
• Mr. Bridges is never home on the
weekends, he always goes to his home in the country.
• a and b
• All of the above
23. Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following passage.
Although Marvin said he had hidden the keys _______ the flower pot, we were unable to find them
_______ the dark. In the end, we waited for him at the coffee shop ___________ the corner.
Answers:
• under, in, around
• in, with, at
• around, at, on
• beside, from, around
24. Which of the following sentences does NOT illustrate correct verb and verb tense usage?
Answers:
• These repetitive and misleading
guidelines could easily be interpreted in several different ways.
• Clarabelle's mother absolutely
hated nicknames and always calls her daughter by her full name.
• The Imagist movement in poetry is
commonly regarded as having begun in the early twentieth century.
• We all danced across the lawn and
lifted Zoe above our heads in triumph.
25. Choose the series of verbs that best completes the following sentence.
Alison regrets _________ you with her remarks; she never meant _________ so.
Answers:
• to hurt, doing
• to hurt, to do
• hurting, doing
• hurting, to do
26. Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following sentence.
Jack, leaning casually ________ the tree, watched as Sally walked slowly ________ him.
Answers:
• against, toward
• toward, against
• upon, past
• off, beside
27. Read the following question and choose the response that uses the correct corresponding verb tense.
Does Jack wear that furry hat often?
Answers:
• No, he just liked to wear it for
fun sometimes.
• Yes, but don't said anything about
it to him.
• Yes, and it can so annoying!
• No, he only wears it when his
ears are cold.
28. Choose the series of verbs that best completes the following sentence.
If Harry __________ to the party too early, don't let him in; he __________ outside like everyone else.
Answers:
• gets, will have to wait
• got, waits
• gets, is waiting
• has gotten, must be waiting
29. Complete the following sentence by choosing the phrase with the best word order from the options given.
The excited children, who had run toward the loud _____________ .
Answers:
• music and then told the others
about the ice cream truck outside
• music, are telling to the others
about the ice cream truck outside
• ice cream truck to tell the
others about the music outside
• music, told the others about
the ice cream truck outside
30. Choose the series of articles and conjunctions that best completes the following sentence.
_______ she was feeling ill, Teresa wanted to eat only _____ apple _____ some soup.
Answers:
• Yet, the, or
• After, an, and
• Because, an, or
• If, a, and
31. Which of the following sentences illustrates correct verb and verb tense usage?
Answers:
• Did Annabel knowingly lie on
the witness stand?
• We think the judge will have
noticed something strange in her behavior.
• The lawyers had decided to keep
her testimony a secret.
• Somehow, all of the newspapers
gotten hold of the story.
32. Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following sentence.
Jeremy drove his motorcycle _______ the bridge, _______ the hill, and _______ the diner before finally
parking it _______ two police cars.
Answers:
• beside, among, behind, near
• beneath, over, under, on
• across, down, past, between
• under, around, through, into
33. Which of the following sentences illustrates correct verb and verb tense usage?
Answers:
• Until the snow is melting, the
train is not able to move.
• Until the snow does not melt, the
train will not be able to move.
• Until the snow melts, the
train will not be able to move.
• Until the snow will melt, the
train will not be able to move.
34. Which of the following sentences illustrates proper sentence structure?
Answers:
• Walking down the street, my eyes
were drawn to a diamond in a store window.
• A small red car pulled up behind
the woman with tinted windows.
• The man in the black cape
mounted his powerful stallion and rode away.
• The cats chased the birds around
the yard with the yellow beaks.
35. Change the following sentence from a quotation to indirect speech.
"I'm not feeling well," Agatha said.
Answers:
• Agatha has said that she doesn't
feel well.
• According to Agatha, she isn't
feeling well.
• Agatha said she wasn't feeling
well.
• Agatha says she isn't feeling
well.
36. Choose the series of articles and conjunctions that best completes the following sentence.
I think Fran could be ______ great public speaker, _______ she is still too shy to try it.
Answers:
• the, although
• a, but
• an, however
• a, and
37. Which of the following
sentences illustrates coned pronoun usage?
a. To whom are your employees going
to report while you’re gone?
b. Each monkey had its own bunch of bananas to munch on.
c. Neither of us had any idea that the Robinsons were selling their beach house.
d. Delilah congratulated herself on a job well done.
e. All of the above
b. Each monkey had its own bunch of bananas to munch on.
c. Neither of us had any idea that the Robinsons were selling their beach house.
d. Delilah congratulated herself on a job well done.
e. All of the above
38. Choose the series of pronouns that best completes the following sentence.
_______ is the name of the opera, and _______ role did you say Maria would play?
Answers:
• This, which
• Who, that
• What, which
• Which, what
39. Choose the series of prepositions that best completes the following sentence.
Charlotte knew ___________ the secret investigation _________ her past, but she closed her eyes to
it and pretended it wasn't happening.
Answers:
• of, about
• on, of
• about, to
• of, after
40. Choose the series of pronouns that best completes the following sentence.
Victor, who stole _______ ideas and used them to make _______ a millionaire, never once
offered _______ a word of thanks.
Answers:
• our, himself, we
• their, them, himself
• your, us, you
• our, himself, us