Instructions: Read the sentences in the English grammar quiz below. Then correct the error, if any, in the underlined part of each sentence. You will see your score when you have finished the quiz.
More English Grammar Quiz Questions
Students will see question on many different aspects of grammar on their English grammar quiz or standardized test, but by far the most troublesome are those on dangling modifiers, parallelism, coordination, and subordination.
Dangling Modifiers
When you are writing a phrase to describe something in your sentence, be sure the phrase is in the correct place.
When you put the modifier in the wrong place, you will make a mistake that is called a “dangling modifier.”
Look at the example that follows.
Example:
Which is the best decision regarding the underlined portion of the sentence below?
In addition, waves of motion travel out from the epicenter, where they cause widespread destruction to an entire geographical area.
A. Leave it as it is now.
B. Change it to “causing widespread destruction to an entire geographical area.”
C. Place it at the beginning of the sentence.
D. Delete it and put a period at the end of the new sentence.
Tip:
This is a question on identifying problems in modifier placement. When using modifying phrases or clauses, be sure you make clear which word or phrase you are modifying. In this sentence, the waves cause the destruction. Note that the destruction does not occur in the epicenter.
Answer and explanation:
The correct answer is B. The action of the waves causes the destruction. The sentence as originally written suggests that the damage occurs only in the epicenter. So we need to use the word “causing” after the comma instead of the word “where.”
Parallelism
Parallelism is also called parallel structure. This means that when you list items in a sentence, the words in the list need to be the same form.
Example:
Which is the best decision regarding the underlined portion of the sentence below?
My depression and anxiety led to a year of worry and doubting myself.
A. Leave it as it is now.
B. of worry and self-doubt.
C. of: worry and doubting myself.
D. of worrying and self-doubt.
Tip:
This is a question on parallel structure. “Parallel structure” means that you need to use the same parts of speech when you list items in a series. So, all of the items need to be nouns or verbs, for example. In this sentence, “worry” is a noun and “doubting” is a verb.
Answer and explanation:
The correct answer is B. In this sentence, we are listing two concepts, but “worry” is a noun and “doubting” is a verb. Answer B is the best because “worry” and “self-doubt” are both nouns.
Subordination and coordination
For serval questions on your English grammar quiz or test, you will be asked to combine two sentences in the most effective way. Combining sentences in this way involves subordination and coordination.
What is coordination?
“Coordination” generally means that you are combining two or more similar ideas within a single sentence. The word “and” is often used to coordinate sentences. You also need to be sure that you know how to punctuate the sentence correctly. Remember that a comma is needed after the word before the word “and” when there is a grammatical subject after the word “and.”
What is subordination?
You also need to be confident about how to subordinate sentences correctly for the exam. “Subordination” means that you are combining different ideas within a single sentence. In contrast to coordination, the ideas are not given equal weight or emphasis in a subordinated sentence. Instead, one idea is given more emphasis.
Example:
Which choice best combines the sentences below at the underlined portion?
I then narrowed down my options to nine or ten different colleges. I also requested financial aid and scholarship information from the colleges I had chosen.
A. colleges. and I also requested financial aid and scholarship information from the colleges I had chosen.
B. colleges, and requested financial aid and scholarship information from the colleges I had chosen.
C. colleges and requested financial aid and scholarship information from them.
D. colleges, and requested financial aid and scholarship information from them.
Tip:
Be sure you know how to coordinate and subordinate sentences and punctuate them correctly for the exam.
Answer and explanation:
The correct answer is C. Answer choice C is more concise than the other choices. It also does not have an unnecessary comma like the other choices. No further comma is needed because this new part of the sentence does not use the word “I” again as a grammatical subject.
What other aspects of English grammar will I see on my quiz or test?
You will need to practice all of the other English language skills that are covered on the ACT and other English tests, including:
Punctuation
Punctuation questions test your knowledge of punctuation usage at the end of sentences, as well as within sentences.
In addition, these questions cover how punctuation affects the expression of specific ideas within a sentence or of the general meaning of a sentence.
Sentence Structure
These questions cover your understanding of where to place clauses and phrases within sentences.
Grammar and Usage
These questions assess subject/verb agreement, placement of modifiers, verb formation, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns.
You won’t need to do things like memorize and identify verb tense.
Instead, you will usually just need to correct some errors in a sentence.
Texts on Your English Grammar Quiz or Test
Some English tests, like the ACT, SAT, and GED, will contain three to five texts.
The passages will be from a variety of subjects and academic disciplines.
So, you may see passages from the humanities, the social sciences, the natural sciences, and business studies or journalistic texts.
Multiple-Choice Questions
For these types of standardized tests, there will be multiple-choice questions at the end of each one of the passages.
In the texts, parts of each passage will be underlined, and you will be asked questions about the correctness or appropriateness of those parts.
Remember that you will need to choose the best answer from the multiple-choice responses based on the information provided in each question.
How can I improve my grammar?
The more exercises that you complete, the better at English grammar you will become.
If English is not your native language, you may want to take a course at a college or university to improve your English language skills.
Try our essay writing exercises