Senior English Grammar Test

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Multiple Choice

Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

Combining Sentences

Read each group of sentences in italics. Then select the letter of the choice that best combines each group of sentences without changing the original meaning.

The morning sun fell across her bed. The sun gently woke her up. The sun coaxed her to begin the day.

a.	Having fallen across her bed, the morning sun was gently waking her up after it coaxed her to begin the day.
b.	The morning sun fell across her bed, gently waking her and coaxing her to begin the day.
c.	Falling across her bed, the morning sun was gently waking her up, and then it coaxed her to begin the day.

Identifying Words Modified by Phrases

Select the letter of the choice that correctly identifies the word that is modified by the underlined phrase.

As a result, he meets people from many different neighborhoods.

a.	people
b.	meets

Identifying Fragments and Run-ons

Select the letter of the best correction for each fragment or run-on below.

"Whiteland" seems a more fitting name, most of the island is covered with ice and snow.

a.	"Whiteland" seems a more fitting name, since most of the island is covered with ice and snow.
b.	"Whiteland" seems a more fitting name and most of the island is covered with ice and snow.
c.	"Whiteland" seems a more fitting name, most of the island, is covered with ice and snow.

Perhaps Eric first saw Greenland in midsummer, it was really green.

a.	Perhaps Eric first saw Greenland in midsummer it was really green.
b.	Perhaps Eric first saw Greenland in midsummer when it was really green.
c.	Perhaps Eric first saw Greenland in midsummer; it being really green.

Principal Parts of Verbs

Select the letter of the verb form that correctly completes each sentence. The required tense is in parentheses.

The hot, tired worker ____ three large glasses of water. (past form of drink)

a.	drunk	c.	drinking
b.	drinks	d.	drank

The children are sad that their father, ____ away on business, cannot attend the school play. (present participle of be)

a.	been	c.	being
b.	was	d.	were

Verb Tenses

Select the letter of the verb form that correctly completes the sentence. The required tense is in parentheses.

He ____ in South Carolina several times. (present perfect)

a.	was	c.	had been
b.	has been	d.	was being

The banks hope that next year they ____ more money to investors. (future progressive)

a.	have been lending	c.	had lent
b.	will lend	d.	will be lending

Mood of Verbs

Select the letter of the sentence in which the mood of the underlined verb is correct in contemporary formal English.

a.	If I were rich, I’d start my own business.
b.	If I was rich, I’d start my own business.

Subject-Verb Agreement—with Prepositional Phrases and Linking Verbs

Select the letter of the verb that correctly completes each sentence.

10.

The food on most flights ____ both appealing and tasty.

a.	is
b.	are

Subject-Verb Agreement—in Inverted Sentences

Select the letter of the verb that agrees with the subject.

11.

Above each row of seats ____ oxygen masks.

a.	is
b.	are

12.

There ____ no empty seats on this flight.

a.	is
b.	are

13.

In the sky ____ contrails from other aircraft.

a.	appear
b.	appears

Subject-Verb Agreement—with Special and Compound Subjects and Intervening Expressions

Select the letter of the verb that agrees with the subject.

14.

The boy, accompanied by his father, ____ going to the movies.

a.	is
b.	are

Subject-Verb Agreement—with Indefinite Pronouns and in Adjective Clauses

Select the letter of the verb that agrees with the subject.

15.

In his comedy routines, David frequently employs hyperbole, one of the figures of speech that ____ in common use today.

a.	is
b.	are

16.

This is the only one of those video games that ____ easy to learn.

a.	is
b.	are

Using the Correct Case of Personal Pronouns

Select the letter that indicates the correct form of the pronoun in each sentence below.

17.

Because of ____ our team scored five goals.

a.	he and I
b.	him and me

Using Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns

18.

Select the letter of the sentence in which the underlined pronoun is used correctly.

a.	I reminded me that what I was seeing was real.
b.	I reminded myself that what I was seeing was real.

19.

Select the letter of the sentence in which the underlined pronoun is used correctly.

a.	The two people Ivan chose were Toni and I.
b.	The two people Ivan chose were Toni and myself.

Using Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Select the letter that indicates the correct possessive pronoun in each sentence below.

20.

The voters in the district cast ____ ballots in the primary election.

a.	their
b.	its

21.

Later the Women’s Club conducted a straw poll among ____ members.

a.	its
b.	their

Using Clear Pronoun Reference

Select the letter that indicates the correct noun or pronoun in each sentence below. If both choices are correct, select the pronoun.

22.

Valerie would like to hear Christine sing, but ____ has to work during the concert.

a.	she
b.	Valerie

The Three Degrees of Comparison

Select the letter that indicates the correct form of the modifier in each sentence.

23.

The weather this week has been ____ than it was last week.

a.	more worse
b.	the worst
c.	worse

24.

Life in the United States is ____ than that in many other countries.

a.	better
b.	best
c.	more better

Incomplete Comparisons

Select the letter that indicates the correct form of the comparison in each sentence.

25.

Jaime had more fun in Los Angeles than ____ .

a.	anywhere
b.	anywhere else

Good or Well; Bad or Badly

Select the letter that indicates the correct modifier in each sentence.

26.

You look as though you won’t be able to play ____ today.

a.	good
b.	well

Double Negatives

Select the letter that indicates the correct modifier in each sentence.

27.

He has done ____ work around the house today.

a.	no
b.	any

Identifying Rules for Correct Usage

Select the letter of the choice that identifies the correct rule.

28.

Use advice (instead of advise) when you want a

a.	noun.
b.	verb.

29.

Use immigrate (instead of emigrate) to mean

a.	"to leave a country or region."
b.	"to enter a country to settle there."

30.

Use continuous (instead of continual) to

a.	refer to an action that occurs repeatedly.
b.	describe an uninterrupted action or space.

Identifying Preferred Usage

Select the letter of the choice that correctly completes the sentence.

31.

We had to travel several miles ____ into the Arkansas Ozarks to locate the Buffalo River.

a.	further
b.	farther

32.

Many of these developers find it hard to ____ the strict rules that the government has placed on construction in the area.

a.	accept
b.	except

33.

The reason for these strict rules is ____ environmentalists do not want to see the Buffalo River area lose its charm and beauty.

a.	because
b.	that

Capitalization of Proper Nouns and Proper Adjectives

34.

Select the letter of the sentence in which all capitalization is correct.

a.	In state governments in the South, African Americans never gained control during Reconstruction.
b.	In State governments in the south, African Americans never gained control during reconstruction.

Capitalizing Proper Nouns and Proper Adjectives

35.

Select the letter of the word group that is SPELLED correctly.

a.	the civil rights act
b.	the Civil Rights Act

End Punctuation

Select the letter that indicates the correct end punctuation.

36.

When did he find that the falls were really only 187 feet

a.	high?
b.	high.

Colons, Semicolons, and Commas

Select the letter that indicates the correct punctuation.

37.

Diamonds come in different ____ blue, pink, green, and yellow.

a.	colors:
b.	colors,

Dashes, Parentheses, Brackets, and Ellipses

Select the letter that indicates the correct punctuation.

38.

The directions said, “Add two cups of ____

a.	milk . . . Stir in flour.”
b.	milk. . . . Stir in flour.”

Quotation Marks and Italics

Select the letter that indicates the correct type style and punctuation.

39.

Stephen Crane wrote the novel The Red Badge of Courage and the short story ____

a.	“The Open Boat.”
b.	The Open Boat.

Apostrophes and Hyphens

Select the letter that indicates the correct punctuation.

40.

My cousin is an extremely ____ child.

a.	well-behaved
b.	well behaved

Words in Context

Select the letter of the answer that gives the correct meaning of the underlined word, based on its context.

41.

Years of practice and study had enabled her to become proficient in speaking Japanese.

a.	skilled	c.	comfortable
b.	average	d.	wary

42.

The mother of that capricious child has her work cut out for her; she can never tell what her child’s next whim or fancy will be.

a.	even-tempered	c.	unpredictable
b.	clever	d.	innocent

43.

Although Joanna no longer wanted the merchandise, the mail-order company refused to rescind her order of last week, much to her dismay.

a.	cancel	c.	withhold
b.	contract	d.	honor

Identifying the Correct Spelling of Words When Suffixes Are Added

Select the letter of the choice that identifies the underlined word that is spelled correctly.

44.

I pounded out the piece on the piano from ____ to end.

a.	beginning
b.	begining

45.

The doctor recommended not ____ the joint until the pain subsides.

a.	flexxing
b.	flexing

46.

____ from the radio towers makes our television reception poor.

a.	Interferrence
b.	Interference

47.

What she did was more than bold or impudent; it took real ____.

a.	brazenness
b.	brazeness

Identifying the Correct Spelling of Words That Are Commonly Misspelled

48.

Select the letter of the choice that identifies the word that is spelled correctly.

a.	adolesent
b.	adolescent

49.

Select the letter of the choice that identifies the word that is spelled correctly.

a.	seized
b.	siezed

50.

Select the letter of the choice that identifies the word that is spelled correctly.

a.	releive
b.	relieve

Matching

Identifying Subjects and Predicates

Select the letter of the choice that best identifies the underlined sentence part.

a.	simple subject	d.	complete predicate
b.	simple predicate	e.	compound subject
c.	complete subject	f.	compound predicate

51.

The Kalahari Desert is a desert plateau in the nations of Botswana and Namibia in southern Africa.

52.

The Bushmen, Khoisan-speaking people, live within this area.

53.

Some Bushmen hunt and gather food.

54.

Others work as farmers or cattle ranchers.

55.

The hunters and gatherers maintain a nomadic lifestyle similar to the one followed by Bushmen families for centuries.

56.

A Bushmen family, consisting of about twenty-five persons, moves from place to place within its own territory.

57.

The women and children gather plants and berries for their families to eat.

58.

The men hunt animals with bows and arrows for part of their food supply.

59.

In recent years, the number of Bushmen has dwindled considerably, with only a few thousand still following traditional ways.

60.

Many have assimilated into white and Bantu agricultural society and are working as hired hands.

Identifying Direct Objects, Indirect Objects, Object Complements, and Subject Complements

Select the letter of the choice that correctly identifies the underlined complement.

a.	direct object
b.	indirect object
c.	object complement
d.	predicate nominative
e.	predicate adjective

61.

The onset of winter gives skiers a wonderful feeling of anticipation about participating in their favorite pastime.

62.

Both novice and expert skiers consider the skiing at Butternut Ridge challenging.

63.

Many consider this basin their favorite ski resort.

64.

This week’s snow has given the valley an enchanting glow.

65.

The beginners at Butternut Ridge call their gentle, smooth slope Bunny Hill.

66.

There, beginners practice turns and stops.

67.

The harder trails beckon the more expert skiers.

68.

The cashier in the equipment room gives every athlete a coded map of the ski trails at the resort.

69.

The code renders the hardest trails at Butternut Ridge black on the map.

70.

Skiers use the map to discover which trails match the level of their skiing ability.

71.

The ski lift at Butternut Ridge is a graceful contraption swooping upward to the top of the slope.

72.

The lift may be a little frightening at first.

73.

After two or three trips, however, the lift becomes an old friend.

74.

After a full day on the slopes, skiers often grow sleepy around a crackling fire in the cozy lodge.

75.

Their stories are a mixture of bravado and good-natured humor.

Identifying Functions of Phrases

Select the letter of the choice that correctly identifies the function of the underlined phrase in each sentence.

a.	subject
b.	adjective
c.	adverb
d.	predicate nominative
e.	direct object

76.

My hobby is collecting stamps.

77.

Stamp collecting is fun for children and adults alike.

78.

Many collectors try to acquire stamps in special areas.

79.

For example, I keep sports stamps in my collection.

80.

Which of my stamps do I like most?

81.

Some people prefer collecting coins.

82.

Collectors engaging in their hobbies are never bored.

83.

Another hobby I enjoy is collecting baseball cards.

84.

Many collectors speak in an excited manner when discussing their collections.

85.

Collecting things is a favorite hobby of Americans.

Short Answer

Diagraming Simple Sentences

Select the letter of the position that each numbered word should occupy in the diagram below the sentence.

86.

The brain’s outer surface is hardly smooth.

87.

The brain’s outer surface is hardly smooth.

88.

The deep folds give the cortex a ropelike appearance.

89.

The brain’s left hemisphere controls speech development.

90.

A brain injury can render a person speechless.

91.

A brain injury can render a person speechless.

Diagraming Simple Sentences with Phrases

Select the letter of the position that the numbered phrase should occupy in the diagram below the sentence.

92.

I ordered materials to use in the craft school from a supplier in Minnesota.

93.

Recruiting students should be no problem at this time.

Diagraming Sentences with Clauses

Select the letter of the position that each numbered clause should occupy in the diagram below the sentence.

94.

The clock that we bought at the auction is identical to the one that my great-grandfather owned.

95.

When he was young my great-grandfather bought the clock from a man who imported rare timepieces.

Essay

96.

Writing Sample

Write a brief narrative entitled “A Day in the Life of ___” in which you relate events of a particular day in your life. It may be an ordinary, humdrum day or an exciting, action-filled day. The narrative might be part of a humorous letter you would write to a friend. Include each of the eight parts of speech.

97.

Writing Sample

Write a narrative paragraph about a school activity in which you participated prior to this year. Then write a paragraph about something you are doing at school now. Include several complex sentences. Make sure the verb tenses in your sentences are compatible.

98.

Writing Sample

Write a brief newspaper editorial (six to ten sentences) in which you endorse a particular candidate for a specific office in an election campaign. Give reasons for your endorsement. Try to persuade your classmates to support your choice. Demonstrate your mastery of pronoun usage by including a variety of personal and indefinite pronouns in your article.

99.

Writing Sample

Write a two-paragraph review to be published in the school literary magazine. Compare one writer with another or one literary work with another. Discuss both similarities and differences, and use modifiers correctly to make comparisons.

100.

Writing Sample

A younger student has asked you for help with word definitions. Write a brief essay explaining how an analysis of word parts—the prefix, the suffix, and the word’s root—can help a person guess the meanings of unfamiliar words. Include an example of each word part.