UK English Grammar (For Writing Professionals) Test 2015

1. Choose the option that best corrects the sentence structure error underlined in the following sentence.

The martini, very dry, was sipped taciturnly by Sebastian while Wanda, absentmindedly twirling the little umbrella in her cocktail, stared at him maliciously.

Answers:

• The martini, very dry, was sipped taciturnly by Sebastian

• The very dry martini was taciturnly sipped by Sebastian

• Sebastian sipped his very dry martini taciturnly

• Sebastian, who sipped his dry martini taciturnly,

• Sebastian taciturnly sipped his very dry martini

2. Identify the sentence that illustrates correct modifier placement.

Answers:

• Felicity ordered a croissant and a hot cup of tea.

• I wasn't at all hungry, so I only ordered soup and a salad.

• Though Tom has lived there for years, he has hardly any friends.

• We barely have enough time to finish our shopping.

3. Identify the sentence that illustrates clear pronoun reference.

Answers:

• After putting the silverware in the cabinet, Mabel sold it.

• The clowns told the acrobats that they would receive a bonus after the performance.

• Rhonda filed a complaint with the police, but they were unresponsive.

• We called Dr. Arnold's office all day, but he never answered the phone.

4. Choose the option that best corrects the verb tense error in the underlined part of the following sentence.

The detailed mosaic work on the ancient altar is of such high quality and rare beauty that no modern artwork of the same genre had ever come close to matching it.

Answers:

• no modern artwork of the same genre had ever come close to matching it

• it had no equal compared to modern artwork of the same genre

• no modern artwork of the same genre comes close to matching it

• no modern artwork of the same genre will ever have come close to matching it

• no modern artwork of the same genre has ever come close to matching it

5. Identify the sentence that illustrates correct use of modifiers.

Answers:

• Of the two companies, Groose & Grouse is the more reliable.

• I had never seen so much people in one place—it was truly frightening!

• Mt. Kiskayuna is the taller of the three peaks of the mountain range.

• Grandpa always said that he preferred less words and more action.

6. Choose the option that best corrects the pronoun reference error in the underlined part of the following sentence.

When Harold discovered that Robert had misrepresented his qualifications, he was furious.

Answers:

• that Robert had misrepresented his qualifications, he was furious

• that Robert was furious because he had misrepresented his qualifications

• that Robert had misrepresented Harold's qualifications, Harold was furious

• Robert's qualifications, he was furious because they had been misrepresented

7. Choose the option that corrects the parallelism error contained in the following sentence.

Greta is either moving to Germany next month or she will stay in Iceland for another year.

Answers:

• Greta is either moving to Germany next month or staying in Iceland for another year.

• Either Greta is moving to Germany next month, or she is staying in Iceland for another year.

• Either Greta will move to Germany next month or staying in Iceland for another year.

• a and b

• b and c

8. Choose the option that best corrects the verb tense error in the underlined part of the following sentence.

Just as the second act was about to start, the stage manager came out and told the audience that the lead actress fell ill during intermission and needed the aid of a doctor before the show could go on.

Answers:

• that the lead actress fell ill during intermission and needed the aid of a doctor

• that the lead actress fell ill during intermission and had needed the aid of a doctor

• that the lead actress had fallen ill during intermission and needed the aid of a doctor

• that the lead actress has been ill during intermission and would need the aid of a doctor

• that the lead actress was ill during intermission and had been in need of a doctor's aid

9. Choose the option that corrects the parallelism error contained in the following sentence.

Not only does Rachel expect a promotion within the next year but also a significant increase in salary.

Answers:

• Not only does Rachel expect a promotion within the next year, but she also expects a significant increase in salary.

• Rachel expects not only a promotion within the next year but also a significant increase in salary.

• a and b

• None of the above—original sentence has no error

10. Choose the option that best corrects the comparison error in the underlined part of the following sentence.

With so many young adults entering the workforce, few people are surprised that there are larger numbers of unemployed college graduates than twenty years ago.

Answers:

• then there were twenty years ago

• there was twenty years ago

• than there were twenty years ago

• than did occur twenty years ago

11. Identify the sentence that illustrates correct verb tense usage.

Answers:

• Being an accomplished skier herself, Magda understood that Grandma's old trophies captured the moments in which Grandma excelled.

• Sergio told me that he just discovered a secret door under his porch, but I think he knows about it since he moved into the house.

• Because Alma did a great deal of volunteer work for the new library before it opened, she was honoured at a special dinner.

• Never having read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, I found myself in a fix when asked to explain why Huck decides to light out for the territory at the end of the book.

• c and d

12. Choose the option that best corrects the pronoun reference error in the following sentence.

There is advice about marketing, which is invaluable, in Kerstall's new book.

Answers:

• Kerstall offers invaluable advice about marketing in her new book.

• With advice about marketing, the help offered in Kerstall's new book is invaluable.

• In Kerstall's new book she offers invaluable advice about marketing.

• In her new book, Kerstall offers invaluable advice about marketing.

13. Identify the sentence that illustrates correct pronoun-antecedent agreement.

Answers:

• If one wants to do well in this job, you should watch, listen, and learn.

• The fine arts gallery will be presenting the works of their students next week.

• When the baby is done with the bottle, it must be sterilized.

• The snow, which was falling gently, melted on my upturned face.

14. Identify the sentence that illustrates correct modifier placement.

Answers:

• Left at home alone, the hurricane terrified the young children.

• No one is allowed to shoot anything on this property except Mr Lang and his sons.

• The speaker with the booming voice was upstaged by a small, meowing kitten.

• Charlie and Sarah asked us to go skiing on the phone last night.

15. Identify the sentence that illustrates correct comparison structure.

Answers:

• Rudy has always liked squid more than Tabitha.

• The countryside of Austria is more beautiful than that of France.

• Reading newspapers is no longer as popular as the Internet.

• Jupiter is larger than any planet in the universe.

16. Identify the sentence that contains a verb tense error.

Answers:

• Some of the people on the Alaskan cruise had never seen snow before.

• Our science teacher told us that the earth revolved around the sun.

• If we don't make a sincere effort to strengthen our skills, we will end up with nothing to show for our hard work.

• No sooner do the rains come than the countryside bears a green mantle.

17. Identify the sentence that contains an error in sentence structure.

Answers:

• As the plane landed I squeezed my husband's hand, who was sitting next to me.

• We realized too late that while our hotel was in Capri, we had disembarked in Malta.

• The island was still far away when I told my father I was tired of swimming.

• We wandered happily among the ancient ruins, frolicked gaily on the shore, and slept peacefully under the stars.

18. Choose the option that best corrects the subject-verb agreement error in the underlined part of the following sentence.

Neither volunteering at the fire department nor fundraising for the theatre and schools has stopped Aunt Marnie to help the animals at the local shelter.

Answers:

• has stopped Aunt Marnie to help

• have stopped Aunt Marnie from helping

• has stopped Aunt Marnie from helping

• has stopped Aunt Marnie helping

19. Choose the option that best corrects the diction errors in the underlined part of the following sentence.

After two thrilling hours at the toy store, Gregory was devastated to learn that he'd have to choose between his eleven action figures; you see, the sign at the check out counter said, "Ten items or less."

Answers:

• between his eleven action figures; you see, the sign at the check out counter said, "Ten items or less."

• among his eleven action figures; you see, the sign at the checkout counter said, "Ten items or less."

• among his eleven action figures; you see, the sign at the checkout counter said, "Ten or fewer items."

• between his eleven action figures; you see, the sign at the check out counter said, "Ten or fewer items."

20. Choose the option that best corrects the subject-verb agreement error in the underlined part of the following sentence.

The stunning beaches, rolling hills, and charming medieval towns of Tuscany explain its popularity with tourists.

Answers:

• explains its popularity

• explain their popularity

• are the reasons for their popularity

• None of the above—the original sentence has no error

21. Identify the sentence that illustrates correct comparison structure.

Answers:

• Did you notice that completing the math questions was much easier than the essay questions?

• My dad's barbecued steaks were always tastier than Uncle Dave.

• Melanie dances as well if not better than most of the girls in the ballet corps.

• There can be no doubt that the people in Janet's office are more astute than those in Jack's.

• a and b

• a and d

22. Identify the sentence that illustrates correct subject-verb agreement.

Answers:

• These solar panels and that potted plant make the studio seem so much airier.

• Amanda is one of those people who loves afternoon football games.

• Either Cassandra or her children is going to Hawaii for the holidays.

• Jack was the only one of the climbers who were injured.

23. Choose the series of pronouns that best completes the following sentence.

Only one of the nurses __________ works in the field hospital is certified, and _________ has been out sick for two weeks.

Answers:

• who, she

• whom, she

• which, that

• that, which

24. Read the following passage and identify the type of sentence structure error it contains.

Surprisingly, everyone at the pot-luck dinner thought Melina's everyday Jell-O salad was tastier than Frank's spectacular, towering Twinkie cake. In a fit of pique, Frank told each guest that their opinions mean nothing to him; then he grabbed his cake, flung a Twinkie or two at the crowd, and slammed out the door.

Answers:

• Comparison

• Pronoun-antecedent agreement

• Diction

• Parallelism

• Verb tense shift

• b and e

• b, c, and d

25. Choose the verb tense that best completes the following sentence.

Sarah was so late arriving home that Mike ____________ to bed.

Answers:

• had already gone

• has already gone

• already went

• will already have gone

26. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence.

Three essential components of a correct comparison between two or more items are  _______________ .

Answers:

• pertinence, relativity, and parallel structure

• completeness, logic, and parallel structure

• relativity, logic, and pertinence

27. Identify the sentence that is written in active voice.

Answers:

• A disembodied grin was left hanging in the air when the Cheshire Cat disappeared.

• Fourteen songs have been written about her by her ex-boyfriend.

• The four finalists in the ballroom dancing competition will be honoured by the judges at tonight's dinner.

• The supervisor has told us seven times not to unplug all the computers—why do we keep doing it?

28. Choose the series of verbs that best completes the following passage.

"I heard you ___________ much better since you ___________ that medication," said Randolph. "Not really," _________ Monica. "Now my insomnia ___________ by nightmares."

Answers:

• were sleeping, took, replied, was replaced

• had been sleeping, started to take, replies, is replaced

• were sleeping, started to take, replied, is replaced

• have been sleeping, started taking, replied, has been replaced

29. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence.

In the sentence "To know him is to love him," the phrase "to know him" is _____________ .

Answers:

• the subject of the sentence

• an infinitive phrase acting as a noun

• the predicate of this sentence

• a and b

30. Choose the series of verbs that best completes the following passage.

Sally's chronic carelessness ________ her in the hospital again. This time she _______ run over by a tractor as she ________ peacefully in a wheat field.

Answers:

• landed, had been, was snoozing

• has landed, was, snoozed

• is landing, has been, snoozed

• has landed, was, was snoozing

31. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence.

The general rule in grammar is to place modifiers _______________ .

Answers:

• as close as possible to the beginning of the sentence

• immediately before the words they modify

• as close as possible to the words they modify

• immediately after the words they modify

32. Identify the sentence that is written in active voice.

Answers:

• When I loaned my bike to Thomas, it was red; when Thomas returned the bike to me, it had inexplicably been painted yellow by him.

• A note had been written in the snow by the stranded skiers, but no one saw it in time.

• The waiter cleared our plates before we had even finished dessert.

• The artist's use of vibrant colours was always remarked upon by the art critics.

33. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence.

An antecedent is _______________ .

Answers:

• an independent clause

• the noun a pronoun stands for

• a rule of precedence for compound nouns in a sentence

• the beginning of a sentence

34. Choose the option that best completes the following sentence.

Neither Alice nor Amy mentioned Alan's arrogant behaviour _________________.

Answers:

• lest he'd lose his temper

• lest he lose his temper

• lest he loses his temper

• less he lose his temper

35. Which of the following sentences contains a pronoun-antecedent agreement error?

Answers:

• The news of her crushing defeat has lost much of its sting by now.

• Either the Minister of Education or her secretaries will eat their lunch in the office today.

• Helmut believes that anyone who betrays their family is a good-for-nothing wretch.

• A number of volunteers are offering their help to find the missing bear.

36. Choose the series of words that correctly completes the following passage.

Stanley worked five hours ________    ________ last week in order to ________ the company's software. The new _________ is really great! I'm going to _________ some cake and champagne for him. Would you ________ the table in the conference room?

Answers:

• overtime, everyday, up grade, set up, pickup, setup

• overtime, every day, upgrade, setup, pick up, set up

• over time, everyday, upgrade, setup, pickup, set up

• overtime, everyday, up grade, set up, pick up, setup

37. Choose the series of modifiers that best completes the following sentence.

_________ enough, even though we mixed all those _________ ingredients together, the cake turned out remarkably ________; however, it did smell _________ while it was baking.

Answers:

• Strange, strange, good, strange

• Strangely, strange, well, strange

• Strangely, strange, well, strangely

• Strangely, strangely, good, strange

38. Complete the following sentence by choosing the verbs that agree with the subject.

The clown with his accompanying unicyclists _________ surprised to find that the elephants or the zebra ________ chewing on his rubber noses in the dressing room.

Answers:

• were, were

• was, was

• were, was

• was, were

39. Identify the sentence that contains a verb tense error.

Answers:

• Oh, how the queen wished that she had not married the king!

• Jethro has lost his keys and does not remember where he last saw them.

• The hunter claimed that he killed more than a hundred lions in his life.

• Siobhan has been playing the harp for the last three years—and, boy, her fingers are tired!

40. Choose the series of verbs that best completes the following sentence.

__________ a picky eater my whole life, I ________ I wouldn't like those fried fish lips.

Answers:

• To be, had to know

• Having been, knew

• Having been, had known

• Being, knew

41. Choose the series of verbs that best completes the following passage.

Garrett ___________ ostracized by the other penguins for so long that he no longer noticed the way they _________ him. For their part, the others _________ Garrett _________ a rogue.

Answers:

• has been, shun, believe, to be

• had been, shunned, believed, to be

• was, shunned, believed, was

• had been, shun, believe, is

42. Read the following passage and identify the type of sentence structure error it contains.

"That moose stood smack-dab in the middle of the road," recounted our neighbour, Griffin, from his hospital bed. "I have only three choices: to hit the brakes and hope for the best, to swerve into the trees and hope for the best, or running him over and hoping for the best. Guess which one I chose?"

Answers:

• Run-on sentence

• Diction

• Faulty modifier

• Parallelism

• Verb tense shift

• d and e

• All of the above

43. Choose the series of verbs that best completes the following passage.

Honestly, I _______________ to tolerate that know-it-all air of yours. _________ me __________ my condolences to your wife, who _________ to listen to your incessant lecturing for many years to come.

Answers:

• have never been able, Allow, to renew, will have

• am never able, Allow, to renew, will have

• had never been able, Allowing, has renewed, must

• have never been able, Allow, to renew, has

44. Complete the following sentence by choosing the pronouns that agree with the antecedents.

Although both did a good job in ____________ contemporary pieces, the taller dancer showed more flair in ___________.

Answers:

• her, hers

• her, theirs

• their, hers

• his or her, theirs

45. Read the following passage and identify the type of sentence structure error it contains.

Even if you hide the marmalade in the remotest corner of the house, you can be sure that Carlotta will nose it out, devour it, and hide the evidence before you know what hit you.

Answers:

• Misplaced modifier

• Pronoun reference

• Subject-verb agreement

• Parallelism

• Verb tense shift

• None of the above

46. Identify the sentence that contains a faulty comparison.

Answers:

• Several people less qualified than Alistair have been promoted over the last few months.

• As far as I'm concerned, reading a good book is still preferable to surfing the Internet.

• Betty thinks that working late hours every day is better than early mornings.

• Studies show that people who have money enough to meet their needs are more satisfied with their lives than those who have excessive wealth.

47. Choose the series of pronouns that best completes the following sentence.

Agatha agreed with John and ____________ even though _______ had previously clashed with _____________ on the subject.

Answers:

• myself, we, her

• I, she, us

• I, we, us

• me, she, us

48. Choose the series of modifiers that best completes the following sentence.

We heard your performance was really __________ last night and felt __________ that we had missed it.

Answers:

• well, bad

• good, badly

• well, badly

• good, bad

49. Read the following sentence and identify the type of sentence structure error it contains.

At the ripe old age of three, my father gave me my first ride on a motorcycle.

Answers:

• Dangling modifier

• Pronoun-antecedent agreement

• Diction

• Comparison

• Verb tense shift

50. Identify the sentence that illustrates proper sentence construction.

Answers:

• We got really lucky with our new bakery. It's clean, recently refurbished and conveniently located.

• Either people go to school to learn something of just to enjoy socialising.

• Either people go to school to learn something new or just to enjoy socializing.

• Sharon asked the grocer if the cheese was fresh and could she have a taste.

51. Which of the following sentences contains a subject-verb agreement error?

Answers:

• Helga and her sisters were certain that the daffodils would bloom in time for the fair.

• Artie's favourite chair, together with all his silverware and tennis rackets, was destroyed in the fire.

• In these caves lives some of the most fascinating species of bats.

• Your proclamations, like your audacity, are overwhelming.

52. Which of the following statements is true?

Answers:

• A modifier adds information to another element of the sentence.

• A modifier can be an adjective, adverb, clause, or phrase.

• Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.

• Adjectives modify nouns, pronouns, and adverbs.

• a, b, and c

• a, b, and d

53. Choose the series of pronouns that best completes the following sentence.

I met some tourists, ________ of ________ were university students, at my friend's house.

Answers:

• none, which

• several, whom

• some, who

• some, which

54. Identify the sentence that illustrates proper sentence construction.

Answers:

• I had begun scarcely eating when a fly landed in my soup.

• His conduct was so enigmatic that I failed to find any explanation for it.

• Don had just stepped out of the car when he turns to see Fido running to greet him.

• Neither sickness will keep me away from the festivities, nor a snowstorm.

• a and b

• a and c

55. Read the following passage and identify the type of sentence structure error it contains.

Mr Grink, who was walking along the boulevard dressed in an impeccable tuxedo, was blissfully unaware of the black clouds of discontent that were gathering menacingly behind him.

Answers:

• Comma splice

• Pronoun reference

• Misplaced modifier

• Subject-verb agreement

• Verb tense shift

56. Which of the following sentences uses correct diction?

Answers:

• Emma said the reason she's moving is because the neighbours are too noisy.

• Let's work together to try and correct the problem, shall we?

• Regardless of his position in the company, I find his behaviour really aggravating.

• We didn't receive any of our packages on time on account of the snowstorm.

• a and d

• None of the above

57. Choose the series of pronouns that best completes the following sentence.

The ideological chasm that stretches between __________ and __________ is impassable.

Answers:

• him, I

• him, me

• he, I

• he, me

58. Which of the following sentences contains a pronoun error?

Answers:

• Francine objected loudly to us buying a new boat.

• His complaining about every little thing made him unpleasant to be around.

• You see, we sailors really love the sea.

• I do not like your arriving ten minutes after class has started.

59. Complete the following sentence by choosing the verbs that agree with the subject.

The arrangements for the reception, which _______ handled exclusively by Brown & Mangle, _________ an utter disaster.

Answers:

• was, was

• was, were

• were, were

• were, was

60. Identify the sentence that illustrates correct verb tense usage.

Answers:

• In Austen's novel, Marianne Dashwood makes a spectacle of herself at the ball and is quickly spirited away by her sister.

• My favourite part of The Wizard of Oz is when the house fell on the witch.

• In Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, Claudio accuses Hero of wanton behaviour and, as a result, almost lost his chance at love.

• Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath tells the story of the Joad family and the many harsh obstacles they faced.

61. Complete the following sentence by choosing the pronoun that agrees with the antecedent.

When Crenshaw finally appeared on stage and saved the day, the audience roared _________ approval.

Answers:

• their

• its

• his

• one's

62. Choose the series of verbs that best completes the following sentence.

_______________ Bertha's eyes to limpid pools of light, Benny sat smugly back in his wing chair and ___________ for Bertha ___________ with delight at his poetic prowess.

Answers:

• Having compared, waited, to swoon

• Comparing, was waiting, swooning

• To compare, waited, to swoon

• Having compared, was waiting, to swoon

63. Which of the following sentences contains an error in diction?

Answers:

• He had a large amount of ammunition left, but only a small amount of bullets.

• Being that I hadn't eaten since breakfast, I started to feel lightheaded.

• Did you get a discount on that scarf or did you get it for free?

• Though I'm loathe to admit it, I rather liked his performance art piece.

• a and d

• All of the above

64. Choose the option that best corrects the comparison error in the underlined part of the following sentence.

Although Merlin was renowned for his superb wizardry and general sagacity, Mingo, his unheralded apprentice, was every bit accomplished and intelligent like Merlin.

Answers:

• accomplished and intelligent as Merlin

• as accomplished and intelligent like Merlin

• as accomplished and intelligent as Merlin

• accomplished and intelligent than Merlin

65. Read the following passage and identify the type of sentence structure error it contains.

Terrified, the key dropped from the pale maiden's hand. Bluebeard advanced slowly, a diabolical grin stretching across his face. "I told you not to open that door," he growled. "Please, sir," begged the maiden, "if you'll forgive me I promise never to reveal what I saw when I opened that door. Oh, how I wish I never did it!"

Answers:

• Comma splice

• Pronoun-antecedent agreement

• Misplaced modifier

• Passive voice

• Verb tense

• b and d

• c and e

66. Identify the underlined part of the sentence below.

Although she pretends otherwise, Martha can't stand the haughty people at her country club.

Answers:

• Simple subject

• Simple predicate

• Predicate

• Direct object

• Object complement