gammar practice test 1

The ______________ includes the verb and all the words that tell us what happened in the sentence.

complete predicate

A verb tells us what a ______ is doing

noun

Articles are considered a type of adjective because they describe the nouns that they precede. In English, there are only three articles: _____, ______, _____.

the, a, and an.

A verb is a ____________.

word or phrase that is used to express action or a state of being.

When do you use fewer and less?

"Fewer" refers to things that can be counted. Use "fewer" before plural nouns (fewer than sixty kinds of wine). "Less" refers to degree or amount. Use "less" before singular nouns (I drink less wine than my friends).

To lay means

(laid in the past tense) is to put someone or something down. I will lay out the clean sheets. I laid out the clean sheets.

To lie means

(lay in the past tense) is to be in a horizontal position on a surface. I need to lie down. Yesterday I lay down under the mango tree.

How do you make a noun possessive? What is the exception of a noun that is already plural ?

Add 's to the end of the noun. ( cars → cars') However, if the noun is already plural and already ends in "s" then only add the apostrophe. (child → child's children → children's )

_____ is normally used as a verb that means "to influence or to change".

Affect

Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct? Flying over the city, all of the cars and buildings seem small. All of the cars and buildings looked so small while we were flying over the city. All of the cars and buildings, while flying over the city, looked so small. Flying over the city, all of the cars and buildings looked so small.

Answer: All of the cars and buildings looked so small while we were flying over the city. (The incorrect answer choices make it sound like the cars and buildings were flying in the air.)

Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct? I went home at midnight, Jason and Steve stayed for another drink. I went home at midnight; Jason and Steve stayed for another drink. I went home at midnight and Jason and Steve stayed for another drink. I went home at midnight but Jason and Steve stayed for another drink.

Answer: I went home at midnight; Jason and Steve stayed for another drink.

Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct? The woman was sold a jacket by the clerk with blue stripes. The clerk sold the jacket to the woman with blue stripes. The clerk sold the jacket with blue stripes to the woman. The clerk sold the jacket to the woman, which had blue stripes.

Answer: The clerk sold the jacket with blue stripes to the woman. In this example, "with blue stripes" modifies "the jacket" so we must place the modifier as close as possible to "the jacket".

Which of the following sentences contains a predicate adjective? The jacket is beautiful, you should buy it. My oldest son is in the military. I can′t believe the president is your cousin. That bald man was my teacher in high school.

Answer: The jacket is beautiful, you should buy it. This is because "beautiful" is an adjective that describes the subject and follows the linking verb "is."

Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct? While waiting for the bus, the girl saw a pony eating grass. While waiting for the bus, a pony was seen eating grass by the girl. The girl saw a pony eating grass while she waited for the bus. The girl saw a pony eating grass while waiting for the bus.

Answer: While waiting for the bus, the girl saw a pony eating grass.

Which word in the following sentence is a preposition? We arrived at the airport yesterday morning. at yesterday We airport

Answer: at A preposition is a word that shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to some other word in the sentence. The word "at" shows the spatial relationship between "arrived" and "the airport".

Which word in the following sentence is a verb? I prefer quiet restaurants rather than crowded ones. quiet rather prefer ones

Answer: prefer A verb is a word or phrase that is used to express action or a state of being. The word "prefer" expresses the action of choosing something over something else.

Which word in the following sentence is a preposition? The cat was sleeping under the table. sleeping under the cat

Answer: under The word "under" shows the spatial relationship between "cat" and "table".

________ are expressions or ideas that have lost their originality or impact over time because of excessive use.

Clichés

Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct? Having eaten dinner, Jane relaxed and turned on the TV. The man was wearing a green hat on his head, which was clearly too small. Leaving the coffee shop, my delicious latté fell and spilled all over the floor. The kind teacher handed snacks out to all the students that were in Ziploc bags.

Having eaten dinner, Jane relaxed and turned on the TV. The errors in two of the answer choices involve a type of misplaced modifier known as a dangling participial phrase. A participial phrase is a phrase that functions as an adjective that modifies the noun that directly precedes or follows the phrase. When the phrase directly precedes or follows a noun that it does not modify we call this a dangling participial phrase.

Examples of linking verbs:

He is an electrician. Dinner smells good. She appears tired.

Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct? He studied hard, she studied harder. He studied hard; she studied harder. He studied hard but she studied harder. He studied hard she studied harder.

He studied hard; she studied harder.

Which of the following sentences contains a direct object? I have to read a lot of reports before the meeting. The whole class went to the concert. Sandra is a heavy sleeper. I am going to run in the morning.

I have to read a lot of reports before the meeting. "I have to read" (what do I have to read?) "reports." "Reports" is the direct object.

Please check on the patient in room 38. interrogative exclamatory declarative imperative

Imperative

What's the difference between a predicate nominative and predicate adjective?

In a predicate nominative, the complement following the linking verb, is a noun. In a predicate adjective, the complement following the linking verb is an adjective. ( describes the subject)

Which of the following sentences contains an indirect object? The farmers have harvested the corn. I have never been to Australia. The bathroom is at the end of the hall. Joseph texts his girlfriend every day.

Joseph texts his girlfriend every day.

Which of the following sentences is grammatically incorrect? Carol missed the party, but her sister told her all about it. This summer, my boyfriend and I are going to Thailand to visit his grandmother. Maya and Laura go to the gym together every Wednesday, but she′s started to go on Saturdays too. I don′t enjoy spicy food, it makes me drink too much water.

Maya and Laura go to the gym together every Wednesday, but she′s started to go on Saturdays too. Every pronoun must have a clear antecedent to avoid making the sentence confusing. In "Maya and Laura go to the gym together every Wednesday, but she′s started to come on Saturdays too", who has started to come on Saturdays, Maya or Laura?

______________ are words or phrases that are not located properly in relation to the words they modify (describe). To fix a ________, we need to place the modifier next (or as close as possible) to the word or phrase that it modifies.

Misplaced modifiers

_____ is a swear or curse word.

Profanity

_____ sentences are when two or more complete sentences are written as one sentence.

Run-on

_______ is language that is often used in texts and emails and consists of abbreviations, slang, emoticons, and acronyms (e.g. brb)

Textspeak

What is a simple predicate ?

The verb or the verb phrase that the subject "does" in the sentence.

Which of the following sentences contains a predicate nominative? The class is nervous about the upcoming test. The boy ran to the mailbox. Nurses use math every day in their profession. We are students at the local university.

We are students at the local university.

What is a direct object? And how can you identify it ?

a person or thing that is receiving the action done by the verb ( action). To identify it, ask "who?" or "what?" after the verb ( or simple predicate).

A noun is _________.

a person, place, thing, or idea.

This decision will _____ our working relationship, but I hope we can remain friends. affect or effect ?

affect

The complete subject is made up of .....

all the words that tell who or what the sentence is about.

An ______ is a word that combines with a noun.

article

An interrogative sentence

asks a question

Run-on sentences can be fixed by adding a

dash (-), a semicolon (;), or a colon (:) between the two sentences. You could also add a coordinating conjunction with a comma (, but) or make them two separate sentences with a period (.).

What type of sentence is this? I checked on the patient in room 38.

declarative

A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought. Every sentence must have a subject and a predicate. There are four types of sentences:

declarative, interrogative, imperative, exclamatory

The decision made by the management team has had an _____ on my workload. affect or effect ?

effect

_____ may be used as a noun or a verb. As a noun, it means "result or outcome".

effect

A _________ is a mild, indirect, or vague term that has been substituted for one that is considered harsh, blunt, or insensitive.

euphemism

A ________cis a mild phrase used as a substitute for something that seems to blunt or harsh (e.g. "pass away" instead of died).

euphemism

These are examples of what? "Letting someone go" instead of firing someone "Bought the farm" instead of died "Over the hill" instead of old

euphemisms

What type of sentence is this? We forgot to check on the patient in room 38!

exclamatory

We offer no ______ than sixty kinds of wine at the restaurant. less lesser fewer few

fewer

How do you find the predicate? first, find the verb or verb phrase. Then include all of the words after the verb that tells us what happened in the sentence.

first, find the verb or verb phrase. Then include all the words after the verb that tells us what happened in the sentence.

A collective noun is a noun that denotes a ___________ (e.g. crowd, group, committee, team, pack) but almost always requires a singular verb.

group of individuals Example: The Emperor′s army is winning the battle.

It′s incredible that Statistics 101 is the ______ class I′ve ever taken. most hard hardest more hard harder

hardest

Sam′s herd of sheep __________ struggling because of the drought. has been have been doesn′t be were

has been ( collective noun almost always needs a singular verb )

Which word or phrase in the following sentence is a direct object? Charlie forgot his green coat at the hospital. Charlie his green coat forgot his green coat hospital

his green coat A direct object is a person or thing that is receiving the action done by the verb. To identify a direct object, ask "who?" or "what?" after the verb. The verb in this sentence is "forgot." What did he forget? "his green coat."

What type of sentence is this? Please check on the patient in room 38.

imperative

What type of sentence is this? Did you check on the patient in room 38?

interrogative

The Emperor′s army ______ winning the battle. are be were is

is Remember that army is a collective noun, denoting a group of individuals. It almost always requires a singular verb.

examples of linking verbs are:

is, was, smells, appears, etc. A verb linking the subject to the adjective or noun.

The library has lost many of _____ books since Mr. Peters became the new director. they′re it′s their its

its The antecedent is "library," which is a singular noun, so we must use the singular possessive "its" instead of the plural possessive "their".

She _____ all the ingredients on the counter before she started to cook. lied lay laid lain

laid

A __________ describes the subject's state of being or condition. It is not an action verb. One way to think of a ______ is that it is a verb you could replace with "is" and still have the sentence make sense.

linking verb

An imperative sentence

makes a command or request

A declarative sentence

makes a statement

An exclamatory sentence

makes an exclamation

A _____________ is a noun or pronoun that follows a linking verb and helps to explain or rename the subject, which is why we can also call a ___________ a subject complement.

predicate nominative

A _____________ is a word that shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to some other word in the sentence.

preposition

Which word or phrase in the following sentence is a direct object? "Sarah realized she didn′t know much about engines." know much about engines realized Sarah she didn′t know much about engines

she didn′t know much about engines

The _________ is the person, place, thing, or idea that is doing or being something.

subject

A predicate is the part of the sentence that tells what the____________________________. It includes the verb and all the words that modify the verb.

subject does or what is done to the subject.

A subject must agree with its verb in number. This means ..

that if the subject is plural, the verb must ALSO be plural. example: My uncles, who used to work in the limestone quarry, have now started their own business.

A direct object is a person or thing that is receiving ......

the action done by the verb. To identify a direct object, ask "who?" or "what?" after the verb.

A sentence can be divided into what two parts ?

the complete subject and the complete predicate. Every word in the sentence belongs either in the complete subject or complete predicate.

Which word or phrase in the following sentence is the predicate? The biggest trees were cut and sent to the furniture factory. sent to the furniture factory were cut were cut and sent to the furniture factory The biggest trees

were cut and sent to the furniture factory ( this includes the verb and all the words that modify the verb)