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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
- Sprache: Englisch
- Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014
Practice makes perfect - and helps deepen your understanding of English Grammar Establishing good Grammar habits will set you up for success. From English class to writing your college essay, from corporatecommunications, to updating your social media sites, good Grammar is essential and now you have 1,001 ways to deepen your understanding and practice your skills. 1,001 Grammar Practice Problems For Dummies takes you beyond the instruction offered in a typical English Grammar course and offers a hands-on understanding of Grammar and its principles. * Gives you a chance to practice and reinforce the skills you learn in a typical English Grammar course * Helps you refine your understanding of English Grammar * Practice problems range in difficulty and include detailed explanations and walk-throughs Whether you're studying Grammar at the high school level or just brushing up on your Grammar skills, 1,001 Grammar Practice Questions For Dummies offers an on-the-go opportunity to succeed.
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1,001 Grammar Practice Questions For Dummies®
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Copyright © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
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Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2013954227
ISBN 978-1-118-74501-4 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-74475-8 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-74474-1 (ebk)
Manufactured in the United States of America
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1,001 Grammar Practice Questions For Dummies®
Visit www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/1001grammar to view this book's cheat sheet.
Table of Contents
Introduction
What You'll Find
How This Workbook Is Organized
Part I: The Questions
Part II: The Answers
Beyond the Book
What you'll find online
How to register
Where to Go for Additional Help
Part I: The Questions
Chapter 1: Time Travel: Identifying the Verb and Choosing the Correct Tense
The Questions You'll Answer
What to Watch Out For
Locating the Verb
Choosing Simple and Perfect Tense Verb Forms
Consistently Choosing the Right Verb Tense
Chapter 2: Taking a Look at Irregular, Helping, and Descriptive Verb Forms
The Questions You'll Work On
What to Watch Out For
Handling Irregular Verbs
Dealing with To Be and To Have
Adding Meaning with Helping Verbs
Creating Questions with Helping Verbs
Detecting and Placing Descriptive Verb Forms
Selecting Tense for Descriptive Verb Forms
Chapter 3: One to Many: Forming Plurals of Nouns and Pronouns
The Questions You'll Work On
What to Watch Out For
Forming Plural Nouns
Sorting Singular and Plural Pronouns
Chapter 4: Identifying Subjects and Perfecting Subject-Verb Agreement
The Questions You'll Work On
What to Watch Out For
Locating the Subject
Fine-Tuning Subject-Verb Agreement
Chapter 5: Coming to a Clear Agreement: Pairing Pronouns and Antecedents
The Questions You'll Work On
What to Watch Out For
Identifying Pronouns and Their Antecedents
Pairing Pronouns and Antecedents Correctly
Avoiding Vague Pronoun References
Chapter 6: Solving the Case (of Pronouns)
The Questions You'll Work On
What to Watch Out For
Sorting Subject, Object, and Possessive Pronouns
Using Subject and Object Pronouns Correctly
Chapter 7: Forming Complete Sentences
The Questions You'll Work On
What to Watch Out For
Recognizing Complete Sentences
Combining Ideas Correctly
Correcting Run-Ons and Fragments
Chapter 8: Moving Beyond the Basics: Adding Descriptions
The Questions You'll Work On
What to Watch Out For
Distinguishing Between Adjectives and Adverbs
Placing Adjectives and Adverbs in Sentences
Dealing with Articles
Hyphenating Descriptions
Chapter 9: Taking the Long View: Descriptive Phrases and Clauses
The Questions You'll Work On
What to Watch Out For
Identifying the Words Being Described
Avoiding Misplaced, Dangling, and Vague Descriptions
Chapter 10: For Better or Worse: Forming Correct Comparisons
The Questions You'll Work On
What to Watch Out For
Creating Comparative and Superlative Forms
Avoiding Incomplete, Illogical, or Vague Comparisons
Chapter 11: Avoiding Capital Punishment: Placing Capital Letters Properly
The Questions You'll Work On
What to Watch Out For
Capitalizing Names, Titles, Relationships, and Ethnicity
Capitalizing Geographical Names, Quotations, and School References
Capitalizing the Titles of Artistic or Scientific Works
Chapter 12: Exercising Comma Sense: Placing Commas Correctly
The Questions You'll Work On
What to Watch Out For
Commas in Lists
Using Commas with Identifying and Extra Information
Creating a Pause in a Sentence
Chapter 13: Little Things That Mean A Lot: Apostrophes and Quotation Marks
The Questions You'll Work On
What to Watch Out For
Creating the Possessive Form of Nouns
Creating Contractions with Apostrophes
Inserting and Deleting Apostrophes
Distinguishing Between Quotations and Paraphrases
Placing Quotation Marks and Other Punctuation
Punctuating Academic Work
Chapter 14: Not Just for Railroad Tracks: Parallelism
The Questions You'll Work On
What to Watch Out For
Identifying Parallel Elements in Lists
Working with Paired Conjunctions
Creating Parallel Comparisons
Keeping Sentences Parallel
Chapter 15: Slimming Down: Cutting Repetition and Wordiness
The Questions You'll Work On
What to Watch Out For
Cutting Repetitive Words and Phrases from Sentences
Writing Concisely
Chapter 16: Aiming for Style: Creating Interesting Sentences
The Questions You'll Work On
What to Watch Out For
Weaving Complex Sentences
Varying Sentence Patterns
Chapter 17: Spotlighting Verbs: Voice and Mood
The Questions You'll Work On
What to Watch Out For
Identifying Active and Passive Verb Forms
Changing Passive Voice to Active
Using Subjunctive Verbs Properly
Chapter 18: Dealing with Electronic Media
The Questions You'll Work On
What to Watch Out For
Presentation Slides
Composing E-Mails, Instant Messages, and Texts
Chapter 19: Choosing Language to Suit Your Audience
The Questions You'll Work On
What to Watch Out For
Identifying Levels of Formality
The Right Words for the Right Time
Chapter 20: Tricky Word Traps
The Questions You'll Work On
What to Watch Out For
Distinguishing between Words Resembling Each Other
Words Incorrectly Seen as Synonyms
Chapter 21: Seeing Double: Confusing Word Pairs
The Questions You'll Work On
What to Watch Out For
Selecting the Correct One- or Two-Word Expression
Eliminating Words that Don't Exist
Chapter 22: Steering Clear of Incorrect Expressions
The Questions You'll Work On
What to Watch Out For
Avoiding Double Negatives and Other Errors
Counting and Measuring Words
Strange Verb Pairs
Part II: The Answers
Chapter 23: Answers
About the Author
Cheat Sheet
More Dummies Products
End User License Agreement
Guide
Table of Contents
Begin Reading
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Introduction
Abestselling book once claimed that anyone hoping to reach the highest level in a particular field must put in 10,000 hours of practice. That's a lot of hours! I'm pleased to inform you that you won't need 10,000 hours to work your way through these 1,001 grammar questions. I'm even more pleased to report that practicing the skills these questions address, even for only a few hours, will improve your grammar. If you already speak and write English well, this book helps you refine your knowledge of proper usage. If English is a language you're still learning, you can concentrate on questions that address basic concepts and gradually work your way to more advanced points.
In addition to 1,001 questions, this book provides answers and explanations, so you know why a particular expression is correct (or incorrect). In the explanations, I stay away from technical terms as much as possible, including only the specialized vocabulary you absolutely need to grasp the underlying logic or traditions of the language. I stay with the simplest terms and define them as they appear, in case you're not familiar with a term or you learned a different one in school. And you may have! Grammarians love jargon. For example, many bloody battles have been fought between those who favor the terms predicate nominative and predicate adjective and those who prefer the label subject complement. (Both apply to a word that follows a form of the verb to be.) Okay, I'm exaggerating a little. Maybe blood hasn't been shed, but an ocean of ink has! My view is that as long as you know proper usage, you can call something a cantaloupe for all I care.
One warning: According to one study, English has nearly a million words that may be combined in varied — and grammatically correct — ways. For each question I provide the most common response, but at times you may come up with another answer that's also acceptable. In such a situation, measure your version by the standards I provide in each explanation, and count yourself “right” if you've followed the rules.
What You'll Find
This book contains 1,001 questions, neatly divided into 22 chapters. I take you through parts of speech (verbs, pronouns, and so forth), parts of a sentence (subjects, verbs, objects, descriptions, and the like), and what English teachers call mechanics (punctuation and capitalization). I also cover the most common mistakes, such as incomplete sentences, commonly confused words, and nonstandard expressions. Each chapter begins with a list of topics, followed by tips and traps — points to remember when you're answering the questions in that chapter. You don't have to complete every question in a section, and you don't have to work on the chapters in order. You're in charge! Select only the topics that stump you, if you want. When you're checking your answers and reading the attached explanations, you may discover other areas worth exploring. For example, suppose you're asked to select the proper pronoun for a sentence. In the answer section, you see that you need a subject pronoun. The problem is that you're not sure how to locate a subject. No worries: Turn to Chapter 4 for practice in finding subjects.
How This Workbook Is Organized
This workbook includes 1,001 questions in Part I and answers to all of them, plus explanations, in Part II.
Part I: The Questions
Here are the topics covered by the 1,001 questions in this book:
Verbs: Chapter 1 deals with locating the verb and selecting the right tense. Chapter 2 covers irregular verb forms, helping verbs, and verb forms that function as descriptions (participles, in grammar terminology). On a more advanced level, Chapter 17 deals with verbs in active and passive voice and subjunctive verbs.Nouns and pronouns: Chapter 3 checks your knowledge of singular and plural nouns and pronouns. The questions in Chapter 6 concern pronoun case — the difference between he, him, and his, for example.Agreement: In grammar, the principle of agreement is that singular pairs with singular and plural with plural. Chapter 4 focuses on subject-verb agreement, and Chapter 5 checks whether pronouns agree with the words they represent, also known as their antecedents.Sentence completeness: The building block of writing is a complete sentence. The questions in Chapter 7 deal with complete (and therefore correct) sentences, as well as run-ons (sentences improperly joined) and fragments (incomplete sentences).Descriptions and complements: Adding to the bare bones of the sentence, the subject-verb pair, are complements and descriptions. In Chapters 8 and 9 you distinguish between an adjective and an adverb, select the correct form, and place it in the right spot. In Chapter 10 you work on comparisons, so that yours are clear and logical.Capitalization: Names, quotations, seasons, titles — Chapter 11 checks whether you understand where to place a capital letter in these situations and many others.Punctuation: Lots of people shudder when they think about punctuation, but the rules actually make sense. In Chapter 12 you practice inserting and deleting commas. Chapter 13 hits you with questions about apostrophes and quotation marks.Parallel structure:Parallel is the word English teachers use to describe balance. In Chapter 14 you work on questions about parallelism, including lists, paired conjunctions (either/or, not only/but also, and so forth), tense, and person.Style: Do your sentences need to go on a diet? Chapter 15 permits you to trim some repetitive or wordy sentences. Chapter 16 prods you to vary sentence patterns.Electronic media: Do you know how to make a grammatically correct presentation slide or bulleted list? Chapter 18 questions you on this topic and tests the appropriate form and language for e-mail and texts. In Chapter 19 you examine formal and informal English and decide when each is appropriate.Word traps: Some word pairs can trick you — accept/except, affect/effect, rise/raise, and so on. In Chapters 20, 21, and 22, you practice choosing the appropriate word so that your writing always expresses your intended meaning.Part II: The Answers
Scheherazade, a legendary Persian queen, told a story each night for 1,001 nights. She had to strike just the right note to keep the king's interest. Mistakes were not an option, because the penalty facing her was execution. Luckily for you, the consequences for mistakes in answering 1,001 grammar questions are not so terrible. In fact, you receive no penalty at all. Instead, you have a chance to read the explanations and learn more about English grammar. Scheherazade, by the way, survived — and so will you!
Beyond the Book
This book gives you plenty of grammar questions to work on. Perhaps you want to track your progress as you tackle the questions, or maybe you're having trouble with certain types of questions and wish they were all presented in one place. You're in luck. Your book purchase comes with a free one-year subscription to all 1,001 practice questions online. You get on-the-go access any way you want it — from your computer, smartphone, or tablet. Track your progress and view personalized reports showing what you need to study the most. You can study what, where, when, and how you want.
What you'll find online
The online practice that comes free with this book offers the same 1,001 questions and answers that are available here. The beauty of the online problems is that you can customize your online practice to focus on the topics that give you the most trouble. So if you need help forming comparisons or placing commas, just select those question types online and start practicing. If you're short on time but want to get a mixed bag, you can specify the number of problems you want to practice. Whether you practice a few hundred problems in one sitting or a dozen, and whether you focus on a few types of problems or practice every type, the online program keeps track of the questions you get right and wrong so you can monitor your progress and spend time studying exactly what you need.
You can access this online tool using an access code, as described in the next section. Keep in mind that you can create only one login with your access code. After the access code is used, it's no longer valid and is nontransferable, so you can't share your access code with other users after you establish your login credentials.
This product also comes with an online Cheat Sheet that helps you increase your odds of improving your grammar skills. Check out the free Cheat Sheet at www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/1001grammar. (No access code required. You can access this info before you even register.)
How to register
To gain access to the online course, all you have to do is register. Just follow these simple steps:
Find your PIN access code:Print-book users: If you purchased a print copy of this book, turn to the inside front cover of the book to find your access code.E-book users: If you purchased this book as an e-book, you can get your access code by registering your e-book at www.dummies.com/go/getaccess. Go to this website, find your book and click it, and answer the security questions to verify your purchase. You’ll receive an email with your access code.Go to Dummies.com and click Activate Now.Find your product (1,001 Grammar Practice Questions For Dummies) then follow the on-screen prompts to activate your PIN.You can come back to the program as often as you want — simply log on with the username and password you created during your initial login. For Technical Support, please visit http://wiley.custhelp.com or call Wiley at 1-800-762-2974 (U.S.), +1-317-572-3994 (international).
Your registration is good for one year from the day you activate your PIN. After that time frame has passed, you can renew your registration for a fee. The website gives you all the important details about how to do so.
Where to Go for Additional Help
Each chapter begins with short explanations of the tips and traps associated with each topic, and the answer explanations give you still more information about grammar rules. If you need longer explanations and more examples, you may want to check out English Grammar For Dummies, English Grammar Workbook For Dummies, or Grammar Essentials For Dummies, all of which I wrote and Wiley published. My royalty statement and I thank you!
Part I
The Questions
Visit www.dummies.com for great free Dummies content online.
In this part…
You may have a love-hate relationship with answering questions; you enjoy challenging yourself, but you don't like to fail. This part — 1,001 grammar questions — is set up so you won't fail. When you have trouble, you can check the answer and read the explanation in Part II and then return to the questions, better prepared to answer the next one correctly. Specifically, here's what you'll find in this part:
Basic parts of speech and essential elements of a proper sentence (Chapters 1–7)Descriptive elements and mechanics of capitalization and punctuation (Chapters 8–13)Ways to add style to your writing (Chapters 14–17)Considerations when writing for electronic media and varying levels of formality (Chapters 18–19)Commonly misused words and expressions (Chapters 20–22)Chapter 1
Time Travel: Identifying the Verb and Choosing the Correct Tense
In science fiction films, a character can zoom into the past or hop into the future, usually with the help of a machine resembling a giant vacuum cleaner. You time travel too, when you choose verbs for your sentences. Verbs express action or state of being in the past, present, and future. In this chapter you practice locating the verb and selecting the appropriate tense. You also tackle singular and plural forms, plugging the right one into every sentence.
The Questions You'll Answer
Here you find sentences that allow you to sharpen your verb skills in these ways:
Locating the verb(s) in a sentenceSelecting simple past-, present-, or future-tense verbs to fit the meaning of a sentenceChoosing progressive verb forms to indicate ongoing actionPlacing past perfect, present perfect, or future perfect forms where they're neededFinding the right tense to summarize speech and discuss literary or artistic worksExpressing unchangeable facts in present tenseDetermining whether you need a singular or plural formWhat to Watch Out For
Verb tense can be tricky, as can agreement — the matching of singular verbs to singular subjects and plural verbs to plural subjects. When you work through these questions, watch out for these issues:
Zero in on the time period(s) covered in the sentence.Establish a timeline if more than one action or state of being is expressed in the sentence.Stay in the same tense unless the meaning of the sentence justifies a shift.Check whether the subject is singular or plural and match the verb to the subject.Ignore words that resemble verbs but function as descriptions or nouns.Locating the Verb
1–15 Identify the verb(s) in the sentence.
1. Eric and his band played five songs by the Beatles, to the delight of the audience.
2. Maria slipped out of the room quietly at the end of the lecture on the causes of World War I.
3. The twins will be happy on their birthday when they receive your present!
4. Perhaps because of my brother's illness, my dog Tweet seems sad today.
5. The child searched for a tissue but found only a dirty candy wrapper.
6. The screaming figure at the left of the painting represents a mother's grief.
7.Glenn has always carried the sizzling pizza in a special, heat-proof box.
8. The puppies, along with the kittens, were displayed in the shop window for all to see.
9. The last meeting of the council was bittersweet, as the members were now scattering for distant destinations.
10. To go faster, try not to look at the keyboard as you type.
11. Smiling, Barbara wrestled with the math problem until she calculated the correct answer.
12. Daniel's pen, having run out of ink, sat on the shelf, unused and forgotten.
13. While copying the letter, Mike stuck his finger in the moving paper tray.
14. Norman has been judged “normal” by his doctor, but his friends view him differently.
15. Sliding down the mountain, the ski instructor guided his students.
Choosing Simple and Perfect Tense Verb Forms
16–55 Select the tense and form of the verb in parentheses that fits the meaning of the sentence.
16. I _____ (to start) my blog a year ago, and I do not intend to stop now.
17. Sheryl and her friend always _____ (to shop) on a Tuesday, when the store offers double discounts.
18. Next year, four boys _____ (to compete) for a single spot on the wrestling team.
19. Emma _____ (to snap) a picture of her brother Eric every year on his birthday, including today.
20.Last week I tossed a bit of my dinner under the table because the dog _____ (to beg) for scraps while I ate.
21. Start working on your lab report as soon as you _____ (to arrive) home.
22. Mr. Martin _____ (to trim) the tree after he had watered it.
23. While Harry _____ (to wash) the clothes, Oliver was brushing the dog's matted fur.
24. Jackie _____ (to learn) Arabic when she lived in Tunisia.
25. Carla _____ (to fill) the gas tank before she realized that her credit card was not in her wallet.
26. By the time George gets home, Maria _____ (to gobble) all the cookies, and George hates all the other snacks.
27. When I _____ (to bake) the cookies, I placed them on the dining room table.
28. Although the king commands instant obedience, his followers sometimes _____ (to disobey).
29. Marlene _____ (to lecture) for two hours before she noticed that several audience members were asleep.
30. I _____ (to live) in this neighborhood for about a year, and despite its problems, I still love my home.
31. The yellow and brown leaves began to fall; the autumn soon _____ (to end).
32. No one _____ (to work) harder than Ellen, who spent eight or nine hours a day on this project for the first two weeks and is now allotting ten or twelve hours a day to it!
33. Jared _____ (to jog) four miles every day as soon as he wakes up.
34.From now on, David _____ (to complete) his homework on time, to avoid detention and poor grades.
35. Elliot always _____ (to return) his library books late, so he pays many fines.
36. While Meredith _____ (to paint) the ceiling, a dog jumped on the ladder.
37. Place the dough in a warm spot, and in a few hours it _____ (to double) in size.
38. It _____ (to rain) every day for a month, including today, but tomorrow's forecast calls for sunshine.
39. The soda had soaked into the carpet by the time the janitor _____ (to arrive) with a mop.
40. Right now, Catherine's friends _____ (to gather) for her surprise party.
41. Once George _____ (to chop) down the cherry tree, the fruit was lost.
42. I paid the electric bill on the 17th, so I _____ (to receive) the next bill in about a week.
43. Although Eddie _____ (to dance) happily, Shirley turned off the music.
44. Clancy never _____ (to brush) his teeth by himself, even though he is five years old now.
45. As we speak, our enemies _____ (to attack) with great force, but we will not surrender.
46. The teacher _____ (to staple) the drawings on the bulletin board so that the parents could admire their children's artwork.
47. By the time Eleanor and Henry are satisfied with the renovation, they _____ (to exceed) their budget by a wide margin.
48.Where the tulips _____ (to bloom), weeds eventually covered every inch of the garden.
49. In Maya's fantasy novel, a wizard's curse _____ (to turn) a little boy into a frog.
50. Amanda and her friends _____ (to study) Chinese for four years by the time they travel to that country.
51. Joe _____ (to practice) karate for many years and still takes an advanced class every Saturday.
52. In Shakespeare's Othello, the title character wrongly _____ (to trust) Iago, one of the most evil villains in literature.
53. LGA Manufacturing has an old-fashioned policy; the company _____ (to market) its products only in a store, not on the Internet.
54. If my dog buries a bone every three days, how many _____ (to bury) by the end of the month?
55. In Dickens’s classic novel Great Expectations, Pip _____ (to learn) the identity of his benefactor in a chilling scene.
Consistently Choosing the Right Verb Tense
56–65 Select the tense and form of the verb in parentheses that fits the meaning of the sentence. Take care to avoid unnecessary shifts from one tense to another.
56. In my dream, a giant dinosaur ran into my dining room, and then he _____ (to stroll) around the room.
57. Perhaps because the president _____ (to campaign) for the mayor, the mayor won by a huge margin.
58. Linda _____ (to enter) the cafeteria and sits next to the most hated teacher in the entire school!
59. The orchestra _____ (to insure) the instruments every year, so no one ever worries about storm damage after the hurricane.
60.Last year I traveled to Europe, but next year I _____ (to tour) Asia.
61. In response to the reporter's question, the zookeeper said that the lion _____ (to be) very friendly.
62. Morty declared that eight added to ten _____ (to equal) eighteen.
63. Arthur told me that he _____ (to need) a loan until payday and asked me to give him $10.
64. Shana reported that at the end of every show, the ballet dancers _____ (to bow) and ignored the boos from the audience.
65. The astronomer told the youngsters that the earth _____ (to revolve) around the sun.
Chapter 2
Taking a Look at Irregular, Helping, and Descriptive Verb Forms
Every year, my students are upset to discover that English has so many irregular verbs. If I were the Queen of Grammar, I'd outlaw irregular verbs. Unfortunately, without them I wouldn't be able to fashion the first sentence of this chapter, because are would be behind bars. So would has! Like it or not, and because I'm not the Queen of Grammar, you and I are stuck with irregulars. Not to worry: In this chapter you practice selecting irregular verbs, changing meaning with helping verbs (should, can, may, do, does, did, and the like), and employing verb forms that can act as descriptions, which grammarians call participles and infinitives and the rest of us call “pains in the neck.”
The Questions You'll Work On
In this chapter, you work on questions that develop these skills:
Using irregular past-tense and participle forms correctlySelecting the proper form and tense of the irregular verbs to be and to haveAdding shades of meaning with the helping verbs should, must, can, could, may, might, and wouldCreating questions with helping verbsIdentifying participles functioning as descriptionsChoosing the best form of participles and infinitives used as descriptionsWhat to Watch Out For
Keep these points in mind when you answer the questions in this chapter:
Check whether the past-tense form or participle is regular or irregular.Choose the correct tense of irregular verbs based on the meaning of the sentence.Employ reading comprehension skills to detect the need for a helping verb expressing obligation, possibility, condition, or ability.Rearrange word order and add helping verbs to create questions.Select present participles or infinitives as descriptions for actions in the past, present, or future.Handling Irregular Verbs
66–90 Choose the proper past, present perfect, past perfect, or future perfect form of the irregular verb in parentheses so that the verb fits the meaning of the sentence.
66. Joe _____ (to catch) the ball as it reached the top of the outfield fence.
67. The car was cruising along the highway smoothly until it _____ (to hit) a huge bump.
68. Dorothy and the baby _____ (to sleep) for two hours when they returned from a visit to Grandma.
69. At the end of the trial the judge _____ (to rise) from her chair and left the courtroom.
70. Last week the Yankees _____ (to beat) their fiercest rivals.
71. From 2010 through 2011, the confused clerk _____ (to put) all the forms in the wrong file cabinet.
72.The helicopter _____ (to fly) straight up into the sky and then headed south.
73. Glenn _____ (to see) the little dog and grabbed her before she could run away again.
74. I didn't know that you _____ (to swim) in the deep water last summer; I thought you were less advanced in your swimming skills.
75. Nelson wouldn't _____ (to get) sick if he had washed his hands more frequently.
76. The bully approached, but because my uncle _____ (to teach) me how to handle difficult people, I wasn't afraid.
77. The doctor _____ (to do) everything in his power; now Allison must wait for the medicine to take effect.
78. Miriam _____ (to let) the dog out for a few minutes, but she will call him inside soon.
79. Although Adam _____ (to find) a good candidate already, the boss continued to interview others for the job.
80. “Who _____ (to begin) the fight, you or your brother?” asked Mother as she separated her battling children.
81. After you _____ (to send) the letter, shred the scrap copies.
82. At first the rain was simply annoying, but when it _____ (to freeze), the streets became very slippery and many pedestrians fell.
83. Albert _____ (to tear) his shirt when he crawled through the obstacle course.
84. “I _____ (to know) it!” exclaimed the detective as the murderer confessed.
85.When she attempted to pay for her coffee, Lee discovered that she _____ (to lose) all her coins because of a small hole in her pocket.
86. By midnight Angie _____ (to sing) that aria enough times to set a world record.
87. In ancient times, murderers were often _____ (to hang) in the public square.
88. The picture _____ (to hang) on the wall for years, but no one noticed it.
89. The janitor _____ (to sweep) the sidewalk before the students arrive, so expect a clean path.
90. The riflemen _____ (to lay) down their weapons but are ready to resume target practice at a moment's notice.
Dealing with To Be and To Have
91–105Select the proper form of the verb to be or to have to fit the meaning of the sentence.
91. The marble statue _____ (to be) on the shelf right now, but earlier it was in the sculptor's studio.
92. Along with Jack, I _____ (to be) bored and decided to watch a different show.
93. The co-presidents _____ (to have) no trouble persuading club members to go out for pizza when they suggest the excursion at the end of the meeting, because everyone will be hungry then.
94. Louisa rejected the sofa when it was delivered because it _____ (to have) a stain on one cushion.
95. Max _____ (to be) sick for the last two days, but the doctor predicts that his temperature will be normal tomorrow.
96.The lottery winners _____ (to be) difficult; they refuse to share their winnings.
97. If the referee and the coach can't agree, our efforts _____ (to be) fruitless because we will forfeit the game.
98. Shelley _____ (to have) difficulty getting up on time ever since her alarm clock broke, but she plans to buy a new one soon.
99. While the elevators were rising, the mechanic _____ (to have) doubts about the strange noises below.
100. We _____ (to be) here, patiently waiting, for more than four hours before Justin arrived.
101. When Doreen _____ (to be) 13, she struggled to start her business, but one day sales began to rise.
102. By the time it opens on Broadway, the show _____ (to have) four different directors.
103. Gina, who _____ (to be) your friend, begs you to forgive her.
104. Doug, who _____ (to be) very immature in those days, used to stick gum under everyone's desk.
105. Sam thought that his mom _____ (to have) a stroke, but fortunately he was wrong; it was just a headache.
Adding Meaning with Helping Verbs
106–120 Choose the verb form that expresses the tense of the verb and the shade of meaning shown in parentheses.
106. Shelly's song _____ (to win, present tense, ability) her an award for “Best New Artist.”
107.Alice _____ (to fly, future, possibility) to Buenos Aires on business next week.
108. Your hands _____ (to be, present, obligation) clean before you perform surgery, Doctor!
109. Because she loves that color, Helen _____ (to choose, present, possibility) only green blocks for her playhouse.
110. On Saturday mornings, the whole family _____ (to attend, past, repeated action) Wendy's softball games and cheer her on.
111. The workers _____ (to pave, past, obligation) the street more smoothly, but they did a sloppy job.
112. Margaret _____ (to jump, past, ability) over the fence easily, but instead she waited patiently for the guard to open the gate.
113. Enter the house quietly because the baby _____ (to be, present, possibility) asleep.
114. The mathematician was told that she _____ (to calculate, present, obligation) the odds of failure before making a recommendation.
115. The sheriff _____ (to arrest, present, obligation) Josephine for murder, as he has collected an overwhelming amount of evidence of her crime.
116. If he graduates from high school with honors, Walter _____ (to enroll, future, ability) in college and continue on the path to success.
117. Seven hours ago, Otis said that he _____ (to prepare, past, possibility) dinner, but we are still waiting, hungrier than ever.
118. “You _____,” (to continue, present, permission) remarked the teacher as the student hesitated.
119.If it had not rained, Sam _____ (to go, past, condition) for a walk.
120. With a sharp pencil, Eliza _____ (to poke, past, repeated action) through the flimsy paper and then ask for a new sheet to write on.
Creating Questions with Helping Verbs
121–130: Change the underlined portion of the sentence, as needed, to turn the statement into a question. Note: The period at the end of the sentence has been replaced by a question mark already.
121.Mary owns a small but valuable art collection?
122.Bert was carrying a large carton of crayons to the daycare center?
123.Jefferson will attend the committee meeting this afternoon, despite his busy schedule?
124.Eugene has too many video games, according to his friend James?
125. After he had chewed his gum for an hour, Steven blew an enormous bubble?
126.The wire between the fenceposts sags so low that cattle cross easily from one field to the next?
127.Deborah is not interested in reading that poem aloud?
128.You will have eaten by the time George arrives at the restaurant?
129.Ellie went to the skating rink when it was closed?
130.The winning essay compared face-to-face communication with social media relationships?
Detecting and Placing Descriptive Verb Forms
131–140 In the sentence, which word or words function as descriptive verb forms (participles) and not as verbs?
131. In the flowing stream, Hank found a little paper boat.
132. Tom, pleased with his high test score, will celebrate with his family this evening.
133. In the last scene of the play, Daniel walks rapidly toward the setting sun.
134. Confused, Eliza is sorting through the instructions for her new computer and printer.
135. The mountains rising majestically in the background are a symbol of nature's power.
136. The printed word, carrying meaning for centuries, will never be obsolete.
137. “I have done my homework!” screamed Andrew, tired of his mother's nagging.
138. The research was done by laboratories around the world, all funded by one generous donor.
139. Amelia is performing in the play, although she hates the conceited director, who, hired under a long-term contract, does whatever he wishes.
140. The snake, sunning itself on the rock, slithered away when hikers came near him.
Selecting Tense for Descriptive Verb Forms
141–150 Which form of the verb in parentheses works best as a description in the sentence?
141. _____ (to prepare) the room for redecoration, Vincent discovered a crack that grew longer with every tug of the wallpaper he was removing.
142._____ (to speak) with intense emotion, the actor recites his lines every night without a trace of boredom.
143. _____ (to water) the plants during vacations, Caroline installed an automatic sprinkler.
144. The mayor, _____ (to vow, to fight) crime, will increase the number of police officers.
145. The cat raked sharp claws across the new desk _____ (to stand) in the corner of the living room.
146. His funds _____ (to exhaust), Nelson called home and begged for a loan from his parents.
147. Annie walked ten miles _____ (to visit) her Aunt Marie.
148._____ (to walk) the entire shoreline this morning, Ed can assure the reporters at tonight's news conference that all the beaches are ready to reopen.
149. Barbara and Arnie, _____ (to confer) already, will need no introduction when they attend the next meeting.
150. “It's great _____ (to meet) you!” exclaimed Paul as he shook hands with his new tennis partner, who had never seen Paul before in his life.
Chapter 3
One to Many: Forming Plurals of Nouns and Pronouns
According to one website, as of January, 2013, the English language was made up of 1,019,729.6 words. I don't believe that anyone actually knows — or can know — how many words are in any language. (And what on earth is 0.6 of a word?) So you can forget about numbers when you study proper English, with one huge exception: You have to pay attention to singular and plural forms of nouns and pronouns. In this chapter, you practice with nouns, turning one (the singular form) into many (the plural form). You also sort singular and plural pronouns, so that you can match them appropriately with the words they represent.
The Questions You'll Work On
In this chapter, you work on questions that cover the following concepts:
Forming plurals of common and proper nouns, both regular and irregularCreating plural forms of hyphenated and compound wordsTackling difficult pronouns such as everything, one, either, all, some, that, which, who, and so forthWhat to Watch Out For
Keep these points in mind when you're answering the questions in this chapter:
Most nouns form the plural by adding the letter s. For nouns ending in ch, sh, x, s, and z, add es.Nouns ending in a y change the y to i and add es if the letter preceding the y is a consonant (any letter except a, e, i, o, or u).Add s or es to the most important word in a hyphenated or compound noun.These pronouns are always singular: one, everyone, everything, everybody, no one, nothing, nobody, someone, something, somebody, either, neither, each, other, and another.These pronouns are always plural: few, both, several, and many.Relative pronouns (that, which, who) are singular if they refer to singular nouns or pronouns and plural if they refer to plural nouns or pronouns.These pronouns can be either singular or plural: all, any, most, some, and none. If one of these pronouns refers to a plural (for example, all of the shows, in which all refers to shows), the pronoun is plural. If the pronoun refers to a singular (for example, most of the air, in which most refers to air), the pronoun is singular.Forming Plural Nouns
151–165 What is the correct plural form of these nouns?
151. stitch, telephone, tax
152. dye, splash, sandal
153. tomato, catch, mug
154. monkey, turkey, baby
155. zoo, success, edge
156. child, woman, man
157.deer, elephant, month
158. light, batch, biography
159. microphone, jelly, virus
160. delivery, essay, wife
161. Smith, Jones, O'Toole
162. leaf, pitch, copy
163. son-in-law, kangaroo, tooth
164. alumnus, mass medium, Woods
165. species, statistic, vice president
Sorting Singular and Plural Pronouns
166–195 Identify the singular (S) and/or plural (P) pronouns in the sentence.
166. Isaac asked his aunt to reduce her workload, but she refused.
167. As the children opened their presents, they told Santa how great his selections were.
168. We must apply sunscreen to our arms, according to my mother.
169. “Where is your sneaker?” asked the babysitter as he searched the room I share with my little sister.
170.“Your yoga class will be delayed an hour,” I announced when the students had gathered in front of their lockers.
171. A friend of mine wants to go on vacation with them, but they prefer to travel by themselves.
172. The cookies are in his pocket; I saw them myself.
173. The football coach remarked, “Everyone is counting on you,” but I was too stressed to play.
174. Something is wrong with the computer, because it blinks constantly and flashes a warning sign every hour.
175. Several of the engineers have examined the platform and declared it safe, but when someone screamed, everyone ran.
176. One of the books has an index, but those on the top shelf do not, so we use them infrequently.
177. Both of us entered the international math competition; however, no one from our country won.
178. Neither of my uncles attended the graduation ceremony, so the principal mailed a diploma to each of them.
179. The talk show host directed the question to her audience, but someone on stage answered it anyway.
180. All of the birds flew to the pond, but most of the water had evaporated, and they soon left.
181. Either of the restaurants is fine with me, if anyone would like to stop for a snack.
182.Arthur located most of the films, but a few were hard to find, so we had to substitute others.
183. The hungry man asked me to give him some of my sandwiches.
184. Someone rang the bell, but no one was there when Judy opened the door, expecting to see her brother.
185. Everyone was required to bring his or her swimsuit to camp, but Anna forgot to pack hers.
186. All of the orange juice spilled, but no one wiped the table until Billy called the manager and asked for her help.
187. Each of Bobby's bicycles is missing one wheel, but Bobby thinks both of the bikes can be repaired.
188. Much of Gene's trouble stems from his reliance on everyone's admiration.
189. Sharla and Alex like one tattoo but hate the other; they have mixed opinions about mine, a blue star.
190. The shoes that Mark bought weren't comfortable, but they were more stylish than anything else he purchased yesterday.
191. Someone who should know better washed my best pair of pants in hot water.
192. The branches that tapped on the window made too much noise, so I cut them off.
193.While she waited to hear the winner's name announced, Lulu, who had bought three lottery tickets, crossed her fingers for luck.
194. The envelope and writing paper, which were stored in the desk, are hers, but the stapler is theirs.
195. The doctor treated eight patients who were stricken by the same disease, which was fatal for nearly all of them.
Chapter 4
Identifying Subjects and Perfecting Subject-Verb Agreement
What are you talking about, at this exact moment? That's the subject of your conversation. While I'm on the subject of subjects, I must mention that every sentence has a subject — the who or what being discussed. The most important aspect of subjects is agreement: not smiling and saying, “Yes! Yes!” but rather ensuring that a singular subject pairs with a singular verb form and a plural subject pairs with a plural verb form. In this chapter, you find the subject and then play matchmaker between subjects and verbs. (If you have trouble identifying the verb, turn to Chapters 1 and 2 for extra help.)
The Questions You'll Work On
In this chapter, you work on questions that cover the following concepts:
Finding the subject in statements, questions, and commandsIdentifying compound subjects and pronouns acting as subjectsChoosing the correct verb for every subject-verb pairWhat to Watch Out For
Keep these points in mind when you're answering the questions in this chapter:
To find the subject, first locate the verb(s) in the sentence. Ask who? or what? is performing the action or is in the state of being expressed by the verb.Don't be fooled by location. Most subjects appear before the verb, but some follow the verb. Use your reading comprehension skills to answer the who? or what? questions.Most subjects and verbs show up with descriptions attached. Ignore distracting words or phrases and concentrate on the real subject-verb pair.Verb forms used as descriptions or as nouns may resemble verbs without functioning as the verb in the sentence. When you ask who? or what? to find the subject, be sure you're working from the real verb.The subject in a command may be an understood, but not stated, you.Pronouns acting as subjects can be tricky. Check out Chapter 3 for help distinguishing singular and plural pronouns.Locating the Subject
196–215 Identify the subject(s) in the sentence.
196. The plastic tip of the shoelace slowly slipped through the hole as Juan marched down the street.
197. Marina and Tom are in the grocery store on the corner of Appleton Avenue.
198. Eight security cameras constantly swiveled in their holders on the ceiling of the jewelry store.
199. In the garden behind the house, the bride and groom solemnly recited their vows.
200. Only one girl in the crowd of 200 fans actually got an autograph.
201. Jumping on the trampoline is fun for Lily and Jane during the long weeks of summer vacation.
202.Stop talking back to the teacher now!
203. Henry distributed sheets of paper to whoever needed some.
204. Does the new brand of peanut butter taste odd to you?
205. There on the shelf sat four large statues of historical figures.
206. Above the clouds and far from the violent storm, the plane flew safely toward its destination.
207. The bus full of delighted tourists slowly circled the famous monument.
208. Each of the coffee cups has a small crack near the rim.
209. Both of the parakeets happily land on my finger for a bit of birdseed and a bite of lettuce.
210. Allison and her former friend Pete parted angrily, snarling at each other and walking in opposite directions.
211. Grandpa, who loves hockey, was the goalie on his college team.
212. Either the apartment with a terrace or the townhouse will surely please that buyer.
213. The dog that I believe should win the contest is over there.
214. Courtney, along with her mother, spoke politely to the mayor about the need for longer library hours.
215. The fire truck, which is heading to a blaze downtown, speeds through the intersection.
Fine-Tuning Subject-Verb Agreement
216–240 In the context of the sentence, what form of the verb (V) in parentheses is correct, and what is the subject (S) of that verb?
216. Every morning Anna _____ (to open, present tense) the gate and _____ (to allow, present tense) her poodle to play in the yard.
217. On the way to work, Clare and David always _____ (to share, present perfect tense) funny stories about their boss.
218. The large-sized bottle of my favorite shampoo _____ (to be, past tense) on sale last week.
219. Alicia and I _____ (to plan, present progressive tense) a talent show to raise money for needy children.
220. The Cub Scouts _____ (to place, past progressive tense) candy apples in small, sticky piles in preparation for the Halloween party.
221. _____ (to be, past tense) Hank pleased when he _____ (to read, past tense) your letter?
222. The best exhibits in the museum _____ (to seem, present tense) more crowded lately.
223. Matthew and I _____ (to sing, past progressive tense) every single song until our voices _____ (to break, past tense) from overuse.
224. _____ (to have, present tense) you any extra icing for my birthday cake?
225. Through the dark, damp tunnel _____ (to crawl, present tense) the chipmunks, eager to reach the picnic tables.
226. Ham and cheese _____ (to be, present tense) my favorite sandwich, but salad _____ (to be, present tense) a more nutritious choice.
227.“Your problem _____ (to be, present tense) 17 unexcused absences,” commented the teacher as she explained why the student was scheduled for detention.
228. Politics _____ (to influence, present tense) much of the debate on that issue, but the senators from that state always _____ (to vote, present tense) according to their consciences.
229. John, not his friends, _____ (to go, present progressive tense) to attend the ceremony.
230. Any of the solutions he _____ (to offer, present tense) to the panel _____ (to be, present tense) acceptable.
231. _____ (to be, present tense) the House of Representatives in session now?
232. Most of the salt in those diets _____ (to come, present tense) from natural sources.
233. Two or three of the plants with red leaves _____ (to droop, present progressive tense) to the ground because of the drought.
234. The study of economics _____ (to seem, present tense) interesting, but I have never taken any courses about this subject.
235. Two hours of homework _____ (to be, present perfect tense) my usual amount, but I _____ (to expect, present tense) to spend more time on my studies next year.
236. Every girl and boy in the kindergarten _____ (to play, present tense) with the plastic blocks, not the wooden ones.
237.That little girl _____ (to be, present tense) the only one of the dancers who _____ (to make, present tense) friends easily.
238. A thousand dollars _____ (to be, present tense) too much to pay for that broken-down car, which _____ (to look, present tense) like a rusty bucket.
239. Neither Ginger nor her aunts _____ (to have, present tense) keys to the house, but the landlord _____ (to be, present tense) able to supply an extra set.
240. Shelby _____ (to sell, present progressive tense) me one of the cars that _____ (to be, present tense) energy efficient.
Chapter 5
Coming to a Clear Agreement: Pairing Pronouns and Antecedents
Pronouns are like socks. They have to fit perfectly, because if they don't, you spend the day walking around with a lump around your toes or pulling up a too-short heel. They also have to match: no green and blue mixing allowed! Pronouns are stand-ins for other nouns or pronouns — their antecedents. Don't worry about the terminology. Just be sure to select the correct pronoun. In this chapter you find practice for every situation likely to arise in matching pronouns to antecedents correctly and clearly.
The Questions You'll Work On
In this chapter, you work on questions that develop these skills:
Identifying pronouns and their antecedentsPairing singular and plural pronouns with the appropriate antecedentsMatching the gender of pronouns and antecedentsEnsuring that the antecedent of every pronoun is clearWhat to Watch Out For
Keep these points in mind when you're answering the questions in this chapter:
To determine whether you're using the proper pronoun, first identify the antecedent.Singular pronouns take the place of singular nouns or other singular pronouns.Plural pronouns take the place of plural nouns or other plural pronouns.Match masculine pronouns to masculine nouns, and feminine pronouns to feminine nouns. Use neuter pronouns for objects and ideas (it, those, and the like).Some personal pronouns refer to the speaker (I, me, we, and so forth) or to the person addressed (you, your, for example). These pronouns have no antecedent in the sentence. Other pronouns that refer to an undetermined person or thing (such as whatever or something) may also lack an antecedent in the sentence.Pronouns must express only one meaning. If the reader can't grasp the pronoun-antecedent relationship, you have to reword the sentence.Identifying Pronouns and Their Antecedents
241–250 Identify each pronoun in the sentence as well as the word(s) the pronoun replaces (the antecedent). Note: More than one pronoun may refer to the same antecedent, and sometimes a pronoun has no antecedent in the sentence.
241. Martin told his players they had to work harder.
242. Mary and her uncle watched their favorite show at his house.
243. In his sonnets, Shakespeare inspires readers to think deeply about the meaning of their lives.
244. My dog wants to chew on his bone, but I can't find it.
245.Whoever broke the window should pay for it!
246. The motorcycle that Jean built from a kit won the race, which was sponsored by a local bank.
247. None of the computer programs work until someone enters a password and username.
248. John, who needs a shave, broke his own razor and then borrowed mine.
249. What you want is impossible, but I will try to do everything anyway!
250. The dentist to whom Mary entrusted her teeth took good care of them.
Pairing Pronouns and Antecedents Correctly
251–260 What are the correct pronouns for each blank in the sentence? The intended meaning of each pronoun appears in parentheses.
251. Sara was delighted to receive the book and read _____ (book) aloud to _____ (Sara's) friends.
252.
