Mini-Test 1 for Grammar Items 3 through 14

1. (A) should be is. Use a singular verb when a [verb + ing] is the subject.
2. (B) should be too much. As used in this sentence, time is a non-count noun.
3. (C) should be us. It is the object of the preposition for.
4. (B) should be herself. The subject is she; the reflexive pronoun must agree with subject.
5. (C) should be when we have to. This is an embedded question; question word + subject +
verb.
6. (D) should be hasn’t either. Subject + auxiliary (negative) + either.
7. (B) should be a new car in the morning. Subject/verb/complement/modifier.
8. (D) should be the others or the other ones. Other is an adjective when it appears before a
noun and cannot be plural.
9. (D) should be read. Use the simple past with the past perfect.
10. (B) should be have been. Have been agrees with plural subject many theories.
11. (C) should be smells. Use the simple present tense for present time with stative (linking)
verbs.
12. (A) should be had eaten. Use the past perfect for the past action that happened first.
13. (A) should be finished. Use the simple past because last night is a specific time in the
past.
14. (C) should be themselves. Theirselves is NEVER correct.
15. (B) should be any more. Another cannot be used with non-count nouns such as
homework.
16. (A) should be taking. Use the gerund [verb + ing] after a preposition.
17. (A) should be your. Use the possessive adjective before the gerund.
18. (D) should be hasn’t it. The auxiliary in the main sentence is has.
19. (D) should be John does too or so does John. See the affirmative agreement rule.
20. (A) should be being. Enjoy + gerund.
21. (D) should be to find. Decide + infinitive.
22. (A) should be him to take. Persuade + complement pronoun + infinitive.
23. (D) should be I. Use subject pronouns after the verb be.
24. (B) should be is. Is agrees with the singular subject the work.
25. (D) should be has finished. There were two actions in the past. First he finished the
conference, then he went fishing.
26. (A) should be play. Play (the plural form of the verb) agrees with the plural subject Peter
and Tom.
27. (A) should be was. The singular was agrees with the singular subject a time.
28. (A) should be was drinking. This is the pas progressive:
{was/were} + [verb + ing]
29. (B) should be our friends in Boston yesterday. Subject/verb/complement/modifier.
30. (B) should be outdoors last night. Modifier of place + modifier of time.
31. (A) should be that. Homework is a non-count noun and cannot be used with the plural
those.
32. (B) should be a little. Coffee is a non-count noun and cannot be used with few.
33. (B) should be children. The plural of child is children.
34. (C) should be an honest man. Use the article an before words beginning with a vowel
sound.
35. (D) should be neither are they or they aren’t either. See the rule for negative agreement.
36. (D) should be so is John. Is agrees with the auxiliary is in the main sentence.
37. (D) should be can hardly. Hardly is negative and is always used with a positive verb.
38. (B) should be a university. The article a is used before words that begin with a consonant
sound.
39. (C) should be in taking. Use the gerund after a preposition.
40. (C) should be hardly ever. Hardly is a negative word and cannot be used with another
negative.
41. (A) should be we. We students is the subject of the sentence.
42. (B) should be not to remove. See the rule for negative indirect commands.
43. (A) should be he. Use subject pronouns after the verb be.
44. (B) should be the car costs. This is an embedded question; question word + subject +
verb.
45. (D) should be so did Jean. Did agrees in tense (past) with the main sentence verb studied.
46. (A) should be seen. This is past perfect. Had + [verb in past participle].
47. (D) should be isn’t there. When there appears in the subject position of a sentence, it is
also used in the tag question.
48. (B) should be to vote. Decide + infinitive.
49. (B) should be of going. Think of or think about + [verb + ing]; NEVER use think +
infinitive.
50. (B) should be his going. Use a possessive adjective and gerund after a preposition.