Basic Grammar Practice Questions

1. She picked the blue dress because she

thought it was ________ than the green dress.

A. more prettier
B. prettier
C. pretty
D. prettiness
1. B: Prettier is the comparative form of the
adjective pretty. Adding “more” to a
comparative already ending in “-ier” is
redundant and ungrammatical. Pretty, the
original form of this adjective, is not a
comparative and does not agree with the
construction “…than the green dress.” “Pretty”
could only be used in this sentence with “more”
(i.e. “more pretty”). “Prettiness” is a noun, not
an adjective, and hence cannot modify another
noun.
2. She felt ill and wanted to ________ down.

A. lay
B. laid
C. lie
D. lain
2. ans: C
3. Which of the following sentences is
grammatically correct?

A. Owing to her tardiness she was given

detention.
B. Owing to her tardiness; she was given
detention.
C. Owing to her tardiness: she was given
detention.
D. Owing to her tardiness, she was given
detention.
3. D: When a dependent or subordinate clause
comes before an independent clause, the two
clauses are separated with a comma. Without
any punctuation separating its clauses, this
sentence is incorrect. Using a semicolon is
incorrect; a semicolon is used to separate two
independent clauses (as in this sentence). Colons
are used to introduce lists of items following
complete sentences, to introduce a sentence (or
sentences in some cases) that explains or
illustrates the preceding sentence, and in
business letter salutations. A colon should not be
used in this sentence.
4. Which of the following sentences is
grammatically correct?

A. The student, who is limping; had a broken leg

last summer.
B. The student who is limping, had a broken leg
last summer.
C. The student who is limping had a broken leg
last summer.
D. The student, who is limping, had a broken leg
last summer.
4. C: When someone is specifically identified,
the description in the relative (adjective) clause
is non-essential, and is set off by surrounding it
with commas (“Pat, who is limping, had a broken
leg last summer”). In the example given,
“student” is a general term and the specific
student is not identified. Therefore, the
description is essential and no commas are
used. Using a semicolon is incorrect. Using one
comma is incorrect since no commas are needed
in this sentence.
5. Knowing correct grammar will help you write
________.

A. good
B. well
C. goodly
D. clear
5. B: This sentence could be completed with a
noun used as a direct object (e.g. “…help you write
books”). However, no noun choices are offered.
The correct answer, then, must be an adverb
indicating how the person being addressed in the
sentence will write. “Well” is correct. “Good” is an
adjective, not an adverb. “This is good writing” is
grammatically correct, but “to write good” is not.
“Goodly” was an archaic form of the adjective
“good” that is no longer used, but it is not an
adverb. “Clear” is also an adjective. The adverb
form (“to write clearly”) would be correct, but “to
write clear” is not.
6. Which of the following sentences is the
clearest?

A. I had 30 years of driving experience when I

first had an accident.
B. I had been driving for 30 years when I finally
had the accident.
C. I was driving for 30 years when I got into an
auto accident.
D. I drove for 30 years and then I got into my
first accident.
6. A: This is the only sentence that clearly
expresses the correct meaning. The other
choices make it sound as if the writer drove
continuously for 30 years before getting into an
auto accident.
7. Which of the following sentences is
grammatically correct?

A. I don’t want to have to repeat this twice. You

better reconsider this again.
B. I don’t want to have to repeat this. You had
better reconsider.
C. I don’t want to have to repeat this again. You
better think twice and reconsider.
D. I don’t want to have to repeat you better
think twice before reconsidering.
7. B: Because the word “repeat” is used in the sentence,
“twice” is redundant. “Repeat this twice” would literally
mean to say it three times. The phrase “you better” (A,
C, and D) is ungrammatical. When giving advice about a
specific situation and implying “or else,” the auxiliary
verb “had” is used together with the adverb “better”
plus the main verb (“reconsider” in this example).
“Repeat this again” is similar to “repeat this twice” in
that it is also redundant. The phrase “…think twice and
reconsider” is redundant as well. Choice D lacks
punctuation or a connector like “that” between the two
clauses. Additionally, the meaning of the phrase “think
twice before reconsidering” is unclear. It sounds
contradictory and does not make sense.
8. Which of the following sentences is the
clearest?

A. The doctor in his office has photos of his

children at different ages.
B. The doctor has photos at different ages of his
children in his office.
C. The doctor has photos in his office of his
children at different ages.
D. In his office at different ages, the doctor has
photos of his children.
8. C: The photos are of the doctor’s children; the
children are at different ages in different photos;
and the doctor has these photos in his office.
Choice C is the only one that clearly expresses all
of this information. The other choices all have
misplaced modifiers. “In his office” does not
modify the doctor (as it does in choice A) but
the photos. “At different ages” does not modify
the photos (as it does in choice B) or the doctor
(as it does in choice D) but the children.
9. Which of the following sentences is
grammatically correct?

A. The other witness, which was my brother,

arrived later.
B. The other witness, whom was my brother,
arrived later.
C. The other witness, what was my brother,
arrived later.
D. The other witness, who was my brother,
arrived later.
9. D: The relative/adjective clause modifying
“witness” should be introduced with the
pronoun “who” since it refers to a person. A
common mistake is to use “which.” Using
“which” is more appropriate when referring to a
thing. The pronoun “whom” is only used as an
indirect object (e.g. “My brother, with whom I
spoke, arrived later”) or as a direct object (e.g.
“My brother, whom I saw, arrived later”).
“What” is not used to introduce a relative
clause; it is used to introduce a nominal or noun
clause (e.g. “I know what you did”).
10. This matter is strictly between ________.

A. her and me
B. she and I
C. her and I
D. she and me
10. A: The personal pronouns here are objects
modifying the verb “is.” They are connected by
the preposition “between.” In such prepositional
phrases as “between you and me” or “between
her and me,” the pronoun is always objective.
“Her” and “me” are objective (used as objects);
“she” and “I” are subjective (used as subjects). An
easy test is to remove one of the pronouns: you
wouldn’t say “between I” but “between me”
(even though “between” makes no sense with
either word), just as you wouldn’t say “without I”
but “without me.” You wouldn’t say “with she”
but “with her.”