Math phobia has a cousin, it’s grammar anxiety. But if you want to know which grammar point you're weak at so you can improve it, then take this test by communications expert and grammarian, Ann Batko. The following sentences cover some of
the most common errors in English. Try to answer them as best as you can! Answers and their corresponding grammar points are found here.
Choose the correct choice in the parentheses.
1. Doris foolishly spent four hours (laying, lying) by the pool
and now looks like a radish.
2. Each of those revolting insects (belong, belongs) to an endangered species.
3. The insects are no longer (lying, laying) on the table because every one of them (have fallen, has fallen) onto the
carpet.
4. Pauline and a man with a large sheepdog (live, lives) in the
apartment above mine.
5. My wife and (I, me, myself) have tickets to the submarine
races tonight.
6. Harry was begging for disaster when he (set, sat) his new
TV on a rickety table, (lay, laid) a glass of milk on the TV,
and left the cat alone in the room.
7. I wish I (was, were) skydiving in the Andes alone with
you.
8. It’s (he, him) who left the laundry out in the rain.
9. We surprised Rudolph and (she, her) with a gala anniversary bash.
10. My grandfather left most of his money to a home for wayward dentists; the rest went directly to my daughter and (I,
me, myself).
11. I gave your car keys to the woman (who, whom) you recently sued.
12. I’ll give your car keys to (whoever, whomever) asks for
them.
13. The machete, (that, which) he’d almost left back at camp,
turned out to be critical when Jim was faced with jungle
growth (which, that) was too dense to get through on his
own.
14. Only Rhonda and the man in the black hat (is, are) doing
the tango.
15. Either Phyllis or Leticia (is, are) staying up all night to finish the project.
16. Either Phyllis or the guys in the billing department (is, are)
going on an emergency coffee run.
17. I want that pastry so (bad, badly) that I can almost taste it.
18. She spent the next six months looking for someone as (different than, different from) Reginald as possible.
19. Wanda correctly (inferred, implied) from Steve’s frantic
signals that he meant to (imply, infer) that she should get
off the train tracks.
20. The motion of the ship had little (affect, effect) on her, but
the sudden appearance of her ex-husband on deck (affected, effected) her dramatically.
21. Her story (composes, comprises) many bizarre episodes,
each (composed of, comprised of) moments more sordid
than the last.
22. To win my love you must meet one simple (criteria, criterion): absolute perfection.
23. We stared (incredibly, incredulously) at the (incredible, incredulous) spectacle of Lulu dancing on the table.
24. I’m going to sell the house and become a cowpoke
(irregardless, regardless) of what you say.
25. Angela kept a (respectful, respective) distance from the
bears and the wolves, (that, which) eventually retreated to
their (respectful, respective) dens.
If you got:
21-25, you're a grammar wizard! Be sure to keep reviewing your grammar lessons so you won't forget them!
15-20, you're upper-intermediate going advanced! You have to study more advanced rules more diligently.
9-14, you're intermediate. Review your fundamentals!
1-9, you still got ways to go, so better schedule your grammar study everyday!
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