Grammar Practice Questions 1

Read the following sentences and select the choice that best replaces the underlined grammatical error.

  1. Everyone in the bank-including the manager and the tellers, ran to the door when the fire alarm rang.
  1. tellers: ran
  2. tellers, had run
  3. tellers-ran
  4. tellers’ ran
  5. No change needed
Show Answer
The correct answer is C!

The modifying phrase inserted between subject and predicate should be set off on both sides by dashes, not just one. Non-matching punctuation marks, like a dash before it but a comma after it, or a dash before but a colon after i, are incorrect and asymmetrical. An apostrophe indicates possession and is incorrect in a non-possessive plural noun.

 

  1. To no ones surprise, Joe didn’t have his homework ready.
  1. noones surprise
  2. no-ones surprise
  3. no ones’ surprise
  4. no one’s surprise
  5. No change needed
Show Answer
The correct answer is D!

The modifying phrase inserted between subject and predicate should be set off on both sides by dashes, not just one. Non-matching punctuation marks, like a dash before it but a comma after it or a dash before but a colon after it are incorrect and asymmetrical. An apostrophe indicates possession and is incorrect in a non-possessive plural noun.

 

  1. If he would have read “The White Birds,” he might have liked William Butler Yeats’ poetry.
  1. would have read
  2. could have read
  3. would of read
  4. had read
  5. No change needed
Show Answer
The correct answer is D!

The “if” clause of a past‑unreal conditional needs the past perfect (“had read”). Adding would/could or substituting of for have is wrong.

 

  1. After the hurricane, uprooted trees were laying all over the ground.
  1. were laying
  2. lying
  3. were lying
  4. were laid
  5. No change needed
Show Answer
The correct answer is C!

Lie / lay: trees “were lying,” not “were laying” something else.

 

  1. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)… wrote in his essay “Self‑Reliance” of the need for an individual to develop his capacities.
  1. essay, “Self‑Reliance”
  2. essay: Self‑Reliance
  3. essay, Self‑Reliance
  4. essay; “Self‑Reliance”
  5. No change needed
Show Answer
The correct answer is E!

No punctuation belongs between a noun and its appositive title.

 

  1. The park has been called “a boon to the community” by its supporters and “an eyesore” by its harshest critics.
  1. and, “an eyesore,” by its harshest
  2. and, an eyesore; by its harshest
  3. and‑an eyesore‑by its’ harshest
  4. and‑”an eyesore”‑by its’ harshest
  5. No change needed
Show Answer
The correct answer is E!

The quotation marks give all the punctuation required; extra commas, semicolons, or dashes are incorrect, and its never takes an apostrophe.

 

  1. …effect (“to cause” or “to accomplish).”
  1. "to accomplish)."
  2. "to accomplish").
  3. "to accomplish).
  4. To accomplish.
  5. No change needed
Show Answer
The correct answer is B!

The closing quote belongs inside the parenthesis: “to accomplish”).

 

  1. My class just finished reading‑”The Fall of the House of Usher”, a short story by Edgar Allan Poe.
  1. reading‑”The Fall of the House of Usher”,
  2. reading, The Fall of the House of Usher,
  3. reading “The Fall of the House of Usher,”
  4. reading, “The Fall of the house of Usher,”
  5. No change needed
Show Answer
The correct answer is C!

Short‑story titles belong in quotation marks, and the comma that follows the title goes inside the closing quotation mark. The dash before the title and the comma after the closing quote in (A) are both misplaced; the other choices drop the quotation marks or punctuation that the grammar of the sentence requires.

 

  1. After it was repaired it ran perfect again.
  1. ran perfect
  2. ran perfectly
  3. could run perfect
  4. could of run perfect
  5. No change needed
Show Answer
The correct answer is B!

A verb must be modified by an adverb, not an adjective. The adverb perfectly correctly tells how it ran. Options (C) and (D) add unnecessary modal verbs, and (D) also misuses of for have. Option (E) leaves the original error unchanged.

 

  1. "Are there two E’s in beetle," asked Margo?
  1. there two E’s in beetle," asked Margo?
  2. their two E’s in beetle?" asked Margo.
  3. their two E’s in beetle," asked Margo.
  4. there two E’s in beetle?" asked Margo.
  5. No change needed
Show Answer
The correct answer is D!

In dialogue, the question mark belongs inside the quotation marks because it is part of the quoted question, and the attribution (asked Margo) follows outside the closing quote. Chocies (B) and (C) confuse their/there, (A) leaves the question mark outside the quote, and (E) puts the comma outside but keeps the question mark with the attribution—both wrong.

 

  1. The circus audience received a well‑deserved round of applause for the perfectly timed acrobatic stunt.
  1. audience received a well‑deserved
  2. audience gave a well deserved
  3. audience did receive a well deserved
  4. audience gave a well‑deserved
  5. No change needed
Show Answer
The correct answer is D!

The audience gives applause; it does not receive it. Choice (D) supplies the correct verb gave and retains the needed hyphen in the compound adjective well‑deserved. Choices (B) and (C) omit the hyphen; (A) keeps the faulty verb, and (E) changes both verb and object unnecessarily.

 

  1. Looking directly at me, Mother said, "These are your options: the choice is yours."
  1. Mother said, "These are your options: the choice is
  2. Mother said‑these are your options, the choice is
  3. Mother had said, These are your options; the choice is
  4. Mother had said, "These are your options; the choice is
  5. No change needed
Show Answer
The correct answer is A!

The speaker’s words form a complete sentence containing a colon, so the quotation mark should open before the words and close after the final word that belongs in the quotation. The other choices either drop needed quotation marks, use dashes instead of standard punctuation, or change tense unnecessarily.

 

  1. Porcupine is from Latin porcus, "pig," and spina, "spine."
  1. porcus, "pig," and spina, "spine."
  2. Porcus‑pig and spina, "spine."
  3. Porcus‑pig, and Spina, "spine."
  4. Porcus‑Pig‑,Spina‑spine.
  5. No change needed
Show Answer
The correct answer is E!

The original sentence already punctuates the Latin roots correctly: each foreign word is in italics, followed by a comma and its English gloss in quotation marks. The alternates either replace the italics with dashes, capitalize inconsistently, omit needed commas, or scatter punctuation marks in the wrong order.

 

  1. Seeing the dolphins, some sharks, a killer whale, and a Moray eel made the visit to the marine park worthwhile.
  1. a killer whale, and a Moray eel made the visit
  2. a killer whale, and a moray eel made the visit
  3. a killer whale and a Moray eel makes the visit
  4. a killer whale and a moray eel made the visit
  5. No change needed
Show Answer
The correct answer is D!

Because the introductory participial phrase begins with a gerund (Seeing) that takes a series of objects, no comma should appear before and when only two final items are linked (a killer whale and a moray eel). Option (D) keeps parallel structure and correct capitalization of the common noun moray eel. Options (A) and (B) insert an unnecessary comma, (C) and (E) use the singular verb makes, which disagrees with the compound subject Seeing … made.

 

  1. Still, the fact that a planet exists outside our solar system encourages hope that other solar systems exist, and in them, perhaps, a planet that supports life.
  1. that a Planet exists out side our solar system encourages hope that other solar systems exist and
  2. could be that a planet exists outside our solar system encourages hope that other solar systems exist, and
  3. that a planet exist outside our solar systems encourage hope that other solar systems exist, and
  4. that a planet does exists out side our solar system encourages hope that other solar systems exist, and
  5. No change needed
Show Answer
The correct answer is E!

The sentence is already grammatical: the singular verb encourages agrees with the singular subject fact, capitalization and spacing are correct, and the coordinating conjunction and properly links two parallel clauses. Each alternative introduces either capitalization errors, verb‑subject disagreement, awkward wording, or unnecessary spacing.

 

  1. Mail‑order shopping can be convenient and timesaving with appropriate precautions, it is safe as well.
  1. can be convenient and timesaving
  2. can be convenient and timesaving;
  3. should be convenient and time saving;
  4. can be convenient and time‑saving;
  5. No change needed
Show Answer
The correct answer is D!

Two independent clauses need a semicolon, and the compound adjective time‑saving requires a hyphen. Choice (B) fixes only the semicolon, (C) and (E) omit the hyphen or add an unnecessary comma, and (A) leaves a comma splice.

 

  1. Among the many fields of science, no matter what turns you on, there are several fields of study.
  1. science, no matter what turns you on,
  2. Science, no matter what turns you on,
  3. Science, no matter which you chose,
  4. science, no matter which you choose,
  5. No change needed
Show Answer
The correct answer is D!

The sentence begins with the preposition Among; therefore the common noun science should be lowercase. The clause “no matter which you choose” is the clearest, most concise parenthetical. Alternatives introduce capitalization errors, informal wording (turns you on), or nonstandard spelling (chose instead of choose).

 

  1. The fact that boxing is known to cause head injuries and brain damage should lead us to inform the public and push for a ban on boxing.
  1. could lead us to inform
  2. should of led us to inform
  3. will lead us to inform
  4. should have led us to inform,
  5. No change needed
Show Answer
The correct answer is E!

The forceful verb phrase should lead us to inform is appropriate: the known danger indicates a moral obligation. Choice (A) weakens the statement, (B) misuses of for have, (C) predicts the future rather than urging action, and (D) changes tense and adds a comma that fragments the sentence.

 

  1. The first part of the test was on chemistry, the second on mathematics, and the third on english.
  1. on mathematics, and the third on english.
  2. on mathematics; and the third on English.
  3. on Mathematics; and the third on English.
  4. on mathematics, and the third on English.
  5. No change needed
Show Answer
The correct answer is D!

This is a series with the same preposition understood before each object (on). The comma before and sets off the final element, and the language name English is capitalized. The semicolon in (B) and (C) unnecessarily separates elements of the same series; (A) leaves English lowercase; (E) uses a colon incorrectly.

 

  1. The Diary of Anne Frank showed a young girl’s courage during two years of hiding.
  1. showed a young girl’s courage
  2. shows a young girl’s courage
  3. did show a young girls courage
  4. has shown a young girl’s courage
  5. No change needed
Show Answer
The correct answer is B!

When discussing literature, standard convention is to use the present tense (shows) to describe what the work does. Choice (A) uses the past, (C) is wordy and drops the apostrophe, (D) shifts to the present perfect for no reason, and (E) also omits the apostrophe.

 

  1. In August my parents will be married for twenty‑five years.
  1. will be married for twenty‑five years.
  2. shall have been married for twenty‑five years.
  3. will have been married for twenty‑five years.
  4. will be married for twenty five years.
  5. No change needed
Show Answer
The correct answer is C!

The future perfect (will have been married) expresses an action that will be completed by a specific future time (August). Choice (A) is simple future and suggests the marriage will occur then; (B) uses the more formal shall but is still future perfect—acceptable but less common; (D) drops the hyphen and misleads about duration, and (E) omits been, making the verb incomplete.