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About This Quiz
Throughout history, language has always changed. Way back in Anglo-Saxon times, there weren't really any rules, and regional differences in spelling and grammar were common. However, as the English language spread across the world and literacy finally expanded beyond the clerical and upper classes, it became increasingly important to standardize at least somewhat.ÂÂ
Enter Doctor Johnson and his dictionary, which finally popularized the idea of a "wrong" spelling or "bad" grammar. From there, it was a short hop and a skip to elementary schools across the world insisting that kids learn how best to structure their sentences.
At its best, grammar is not about excluding anyone on the grounds of their education, and it is certainly not about making anyone feel stupid. It's about conveying meaning in a way that is clear, thoughtful, and accessible. Good grammar is about using the right words in the right way to get an idea across. It varies between cultures and even subcultures, meaning that the best grammarian will know how to code switch rather than slavishly sticking to whatever is considered "proper."
Proper grammar means speaking to the intended audience on their level and giving your thoughts the best chance at truly being heard and understood. It is elegant and inclusive, willing to change with time or yield before common usage. Indeed, the best grammar often lies in knowing exactly when to break the rules, for example, Star Trek's famous split infinitive, "To boldly go where no man has gone before." As Churchill said, speaking to a grammar prude, "This the sort of pettifogging nitpicking up with which I will not put!" So let's make sure you know all the rules because then you'll know when to use them - and when to break the heck out of them!
Which pronoun best completes this sentence: ____ was the first African American president
There
They
He
"Was" or "Were" are the past tenses of the verb "To Be" and it's important to be careful when choosing the correct verb for the subject of a sentence. He/She/It was, You/We/They were.
We
Fill in the correct word, "I" or "me": Dr. Baker thinks ____ should see a specialist about this sore knee.
I
"I" is used as a subject of a sentence, meaning the person performing the verb action referred to.
me
What is the action verb in this sentence: The bluebird in the tree sings beautifully.
Bluebird
The
Sings
An action verb is a word that shows what someone or something is doing.
Beautifully
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What is the correct form of the irregular verb "sleep" in this sentence: I haven't _______ very well lately.
Slept
A regular verb is any verb whose conjugation follows the typical pattern, or one of the typical patterns, of the language to which it belongs. A verb whose conjugation follows a different pattern is called an irregular verb.
Sleep
Sleeped
Slipt
Which is the correct word to use in this sentence: During the storm, _____ tree blew over.
Their
"Their" is a word used to show something owns or has something.
They're
There
Which of the following sentences is written correctly?
Pams favorite food is cheese.
I don't got no cousins.
Rick and Luke gots Mickey Mouse watches.
My sister and I mowed the lawn on Saturday.
"I" and "me" are both pronouns that we use to refer to ourselves. Use "I" when it is the subject of the verb, and use "me" when it is the object of the verb
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What is the correct punctuation mark to use at the end of this phrase: What time is lunch__
.
?
A question mark goes at the end of a question, which a period is at the end of a declarative sentence.
!
Which is the proper noun out of the options below?
Children
Sonia
A proper noun is a name used for an individual person, place, or organization, spelled with initial capital letters.
Days
River
Which of the following is a noun?
Green
Banana
A noun is a word (other than a pronoun) used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things
Eat
Cold
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Which of the following contractions is incorrect?
I couldn't
She wouldn't
He hazn't
A contraction is a shortened version of the written and spoken forms of a word, syllable, or word group, created by omission of internal letters.
They weren't
What is the adjective in this sentence: The happy cheerleader yelled and jumped.
Yelled
Cheeleader
Jumped
Happy
An adjective is a word or phrase naming an attribute, added to or grammatically related to a noun to modify or describe it.
Which of the following is not a complete sentence?
The cloudy skies.
Sentences always begin with a capital letter and end in either a full stop, exclamation or question mark. A complete sentence always contains a verb, expresses a complete idea and makes sense standing alone.
Kim forgot to close the door.
We saw a rainbow.
A butterfly landed on Jane's foot.
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A noun that shows ownership is called a:
Proper noun
Own noun
Pronoun
Possessive noun
In this example, 'cat's' is the possessive noun: The cat’s fur is a matted mess.
Which is the correct word to use in this sentence: I think that _____ leaving on Friday.
Their
They're
"They're" is a contraction meaning "they are."
There
Fill in the correct word, "I" or "me": Can you put away those boxes for ____ please?
I
Me
"Me" is used as an object.
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Which of the following is a run-on sentence?
A stonefish looks like a rock disguise fools other fish.
A run-on sentence contains two or more complete sentences that run together.
A stone fish never goes hungry. Its food comes right to it.
The little fish swims about the eel.
The little fish is like a doctor, and the eel is like a patient.
The punctuation mark indicating a pause between parts of a sentence is called a:
Hyphen
Comma
Commas are also used to separate items in a list and to mark the place of thousands in a large numeral.
Semicolon
Apostrophe
Which of the following contractions is incorrect?
They'd
Would've
Is'nt
That is a contract of "is not" and should be correctly spelled "isn't."
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Which is the common noun in this sentence: "Barry will go to the park on Sunday."
Barry
Go
Park
A common noun is a noun that's not the name of any particular person, place, or thing.
Sunday
A word that modifies a verb, adjective, another adverb, determiner, noun phrase, clause, or sentence is called a:
Conjunction
Adverb
Adverbs typically express manner, place, time, frequency, degree, level of certainty, etc., answering questions such as how?, in what way?, when?, where?, and to what extent?.
Verb
Which is the correct word to use in this sentence: Josh's family went ______ last summer.
Their
They're
There
"There" tells where.
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Which is the conjunction in this sentence: The heater was on, and he was sweating like a baked ham.
Was
And
A conjunction is a part of speech that connects words, sentences, phrases, or clauses.
He
Like
Which is the preposition that best completes each sentence: I can't wait ______ the next show.
Until
A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a pronoun or a noun and another word in the sentence.
Alongside
On
Which sentence properly uses a compound predicate?
The actors talk before the opening.
She wanted but didn't get more funding.
A compound predicate contains two or more simple predicates that have the same subject.
The teacher persuaded us to read the novel.
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Which of the following is the antecedent in this sentence: Mrs. Scott was happy because she bought a new dog.
Mrs. Scott
An antecedent is the noun or nouns that a pronoun replaces.
Happy
Bought
Which of the words in this sentence is a preposition: Audrey and Norah played together nicely in the living room.
Audrey
Played
Nicely
In
A preposition is a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause
Which sentence properly uses a compound subject?
Mom will watch Ethan swim.
Some joggers and a dog run on the sand.
The compound subject is two or more simple subjects that have the same predicate.
A pebble got in my shoe while I walked on the beach.
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Which is the correct word to use in this sentence: I went _____ the store for some milk.
To
"To" is a preposition.
Two
Too
What is the proper noun in the following sentence: This train goes to Paris.
This
Train
Paris
A proper noun is a noun that in its primary application refers to a unique entity.
Which of the following is an example of a compound complex sentence?
Even though he prefers to eat with a fork, he chooses to use chopsticks in Chinese restaurants; however, he doesn't find them easy to use.
I usually use a pick whenever I play the guitar, or I just use my fingers.
We decided that the movie was too violent, but our friends thought we were wrong.
All of the above
A compound complex sentence is made from two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.
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Which of the following sentences is written correctly?
Last summer my sister and i learning how to jump rope.
I tried and tried all summer and got really good at jumping rope.
"I" is always capitalized.
when i go to school this year i will be the best rope jumper
Which is the correct word to use in this sentence: We _____ the soccer game!
One
Won
"One" is a number, while "won" is a verb.
Which of the following words is not a noun?
Hospital
Grapes
Cold
Nouns = people, place, or thing!
Hen
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Which of the following is an example of an interjection?
Oy!
An interjection or exclamation is a word used to express a particular emotion or sentiment on the part of the speaker (although most interjections have clear definitions).
Fast
But
They
The word "fall" in this sentence is an example of which part of speech? In the fall, the leaves look so colorful and pretty.
Pronoun
Verb
Adjective
Noun
Depending on the context, the word "fall" can be a verb or a noun.
Which of the following is an example of a gerund?
Ask
Asked
Asking
A gerund is a verb form that is derived from a verb but that functions as a noun, in English ending in -ing
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The opening sequence of the Star Trek tv series contains this phrase "to boldly go where no man has gone before" which violates which grammatical construction:
Adverbial phrase
Split infinitive
In the English language, a split infinitive or cleft infinitive is a grammatical construction in which a word or phrase divides the to and the bare infinitive of the to form of the infinitive verb. Usually, it is the interrupting adverb or adverbial phrase which comes between to and the verb.
Dangling participle
Which of the following is not a complete sentence?
Fed the hummingbirds.
Remember: a complete sentence tells a complete thought, begins with a capital letter, and ends with an end mark.
He ate his lunch.
Where is she?
Which of the following sentences contains a participle phrase?
I like apples.
Glazed with barbecue sauce, the rack of ribs lay nestled next to a pile of sweet coleslaw.
A participle phrase users a word formed from a verb (e.g., going, gone, being, been) and used as an adjective (e.g., working woman, burned toast) or a noun (e.g., good breeding) such as "glazed" in the correct answer above.
Jeremiah risked his life to save his children.
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You Got:
/40
n/a