It’s another new year, and all of us at GrammarBook.com hope yours is off to an inspired start—including looking forward to another full year of mastering American English.
At the start of each new year, we review what we’ve explored with you during the previous twelve months of discussion and study. The 2022 master quiz includes twenty-five items that touch upon topics from different GrammarBook articles throughout the year. Here’s where you can find out how much you’ve learned!
Consider each question, determine your answers, and then check them against the answer key that follows. Each question’s answer also includes a link to the source article if you would like to refresh your knowledge of the subject.
We wish you good luck with the quiz. May it be proof of how you continue to develop as a communicator who cares about precision and eloquence.
1. Determine if the following is a complete sentence or a run-on sentence. If it is a run-on sentence, identify the problem (comma splice or fused sentence) and suggest a proper revision.
The book is on the table please bring it to me.
2. Is the underlined noun countable or uncountable?
We’ll want to consider Maria’s feelings before we tell her that.
3. Are the numbers in the following sentence ordinal or cardinal?
The Realtor’s listings this quarter include 28 single-family homes, 15 condominiums, and 11 multi-family properties.
4. Identify the correlative conjunctions in the following sentence and determine if they are parallel or not parallel. If not, make them parallel.
You can see as many monkeys as giraffes at the zoo.
5. Does the following sentence have a dangling infinitive phrase? If yes, revise the sentence to make it clear.
To enter the sweepstakes, all requested information must be provided by the contestant.
6. Identify if the pronoun is reflexive or intensive:
The girls said they would paint the bedroom themselves.
7. Punctuate the sentence with either a colon or a semicolon according to what is correct:
Maribel likes marigolds Giulianna prefers roses.
8. Change the sentence from positive to negative by properly using a negative correlative pair including nor.
The dress you are wearing is expressive and stylish.
9. Complete the sentence with the proper form of begin (begin, began, begun):
The media-usage survey ________ last summer to measure what has been gaining the people’s attention.
10. Identify the infinitive in the following sentence. Revise the sentence if it would benefit from not splitting the infinitive. If the split infinitive properly serves the sentence, leave it as it is.
Fantasia wants to at the start of the year try the new nutrition plan.
11. Identify if the sentence has a misplaced modifier. If it does, revise it. If it does not, leave the sentence as it is.
The waiter gave the bottle to the man that had been reserved.
12. [If I was / If I were] a housefly, I wouldn’t land very often.
13. Please [bring / take] that stapler to Raphael.
14. Identify the possessive-case word and specify if it is a noun, pronoun, or adjective:
They said they’ll purchase our trailer for the price we’re asking.
15. Identify any instances of the use of the imperative mood:
I feel like seeing a movie. Let’s see what’s playing. Call Joel and Karen too!
16. Is this sentence declarative or not declarative?
Please stop banging those pots and pans!
17. Would the scope of disease for the following affected area be endemic, epidemic, or pandemic?
A cluster of small towns
18. Identify the homophones and determine if they are correct or incorrect in their applications. If any are incorrect, provide the correct homophone.
The affect of the situation is that I’m even more resolved to not let it effect me.
19. Is the following sentence exclamatory?
Jamaal insists that we join them at the retirement party.
20. Identify each use of the subjective case:
The Chakrabartis have asked if the guests of honor will be Dembe and I.
21. Insert commas wherever they belong with the word which. If a use of which does not require a comma or commas, leave it be.
Tristao has the lantern which is 100 years old and he will show it to us this afternoon.
22. Identify any interjections:
Holy cow! You just found two thousand dollars? Terrific!
23. What are the subject complements?
Violet seems aloof, but after she gets to know you awhile, she becomes relaxed and congenial.
24. Which words are in the nominative case?
If Shakir is the new performing magician, Liliana will be his assistant.
25. Identify the object complement:
They found Barney the dog sleeping beneath the blanket in the laundry basket.
1. The book is on the table please bring it to me. run-on sentence (fused)
Some possible revisions:
The book is on the table. Please bring it to me.
The book is on the table; please bring it to me.
The book is on the table: Please bring it to me.
Run-On Sentences 1-19
2. We’ll want to consider Maria’s feelings before we tell her that. uncountable noun Types of Nouns 2-2
3. The Realtor’s listings this quarter include 28 single-family homes, 15 condominiums, and 11 multi-family properties. cardinal numbers
Ordinal vs. Cardinal Numbers 2-16
4. You can see as many monkeys as giraffes at the zoo. parallel
What Are Correlative Conjunctions? 2-23
5. To enter the sweepstakes, all requested information must be provided by the contestant. Yes dangling infinitive phrase
Revision: To enter the sweepstakes, the contestant must provide all requested information.
Dangling Infinitives 3-9
6. The girls said they would paint the bedroom themselves. intensive
What Are Intensive Pronouns? 3-16
7. Maribel likes marigolds; Giulianna prefers roses. semicolon
Colon vs. Semicolon 4-20
8. The dress you are wearing is neither expressive nor stylish.
Using Nor Properly 4-27
9. The media-usage survey began last summer to measure what has been gaining the people’s attention.
Began vs. Begun 5-11
10. Fantasia wants to at the start of the year try the new nutrition plan. Revise
Fantasia wants to try the new nutrition plan at the start of the year.
What Are Split Infinitives? 5-18
11. The waiter gave the bottle to the man that had been reserved. Revise
The waiter gave the bottle that had been reserved to the man. or
The waiter gave to the man the bottle that had been reserved.
Misplaced Modifiers: What They Are and How to Fix Them 6-1
12. If I were a housefly, I wouldn’t land very often.
If I Was vs. If I Were 6-15
13. Please take that stapler to Raphael.
Bring vs. Take: What’s the Difference? 7-27
14. They said they’ll purchase our trailer for the price we’re asking. possessive adjective
What Is the Possessive Case? 8-10
15. I feel like seeing a movie. Let’s see what’s playing. Call Joel and Karen too!
Imperative Mood Explanation and Examples 8-24
16. Please stop banging those pots and pans! not declarative
Declarative Sentences: Usage and Examples 9-7
17. A cluster of small towns endemic
Endemic vs. Epidemic vs. Pandemic 9-14
18. The affect of the situation is that I’m even more resolved to not let it effect me.
Both are incorrect.
Correct: The effect of the situation is that I’m even more resolved to not let it affect me.
What Is a Homophone? (Examples and Usage) 9-21
19. Jamaal insists that we join them at the retirement party. not exclamatory
Exclamatory Sentences: Usage and Examples 9-28
20. The Chakrabartis have asked if the guests of honor will be Dembe and I.
Subjective Case: Usage and Examples 10-5
21. Tristao has the lantern, which is 100 years old, and he will show it to us this afternoon.
When to Use (and Not Use) a Comma Before Which 10-26
22. Holy cow! You just found two thousand dollars? Terrific!
Interjections: What They Are and Examples 11-2
23. Violet seems aloof, but after she gets to know you awhile, she becomes relaxed and congenial.
Subject Complements: Usage and Examples 11-9
24. If Shakir is the new performing magician, Liliana will be his assistant.
Nominative Case: Usage and Examples 11-30
25. They found Barney the dog sleeping beneath the blanket in the laundry basket.
Object Complements: Usage and Examples 12-7
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