"When dawn spreads its paintbrush on the plain, spilling purple... ," Sons of the Pioneers theme for TV show "Wagon Train." Dawn on the mythic Santa Fe Trail, New Mexico, looking toward Raton from Cimarron. -- Clarkphoto. A curmudgeon artist's musings melding metaphors and journalism, for readers in more than 150 countries.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Grammar test

This is the grammar test I gave to 23 students in Media Writing class yesterday. The average grade was 74.3 percent, about 22 right. How well can you do?
(Note: punctuation rules according to American usage, not British).
-->
Choose the correct versions
 1.        a.   There are four boys on the team.
b.   They're are four boys on the team.
c.   Their are four boys on the team.
2.         a.   There team is losing
b.   They're team is losing
c.   Their team is losing
3.         a.  There not very good
b.  They're not very good
c.   Their not very good.
4.         a.   Your in deep trouble if you flunk.
b.   You're in deep trouble if you flunk.
5.         a.   Your grades will flunk you.
b.   You're grades will flunk you.
6.         a.   The effects of flunking are disastrous.
b.   The affects of flunking are disastrous.
7.         a.   Flunking effects your entire life.
b.   Flunking affects your entire life.
8.         a.   The team played very good.
b.   The team played very well.
9.         a.    It's possible you will flunk this.
b.   Its possible you will flunk this.
            c.   Its' possible you will flunk this.
10.       a,   The dog bit its owner
b.   The dog bit it's owner.
c.   The dog bit its' owner.
11.       a.   Its' going to be a rough day for the class
b.   It's going to be a rough day for the class.
c.   Its going to be a rough day for the class.
12.       a.   He was laying on the beach.
b.   He was lying on the beach.
13.       a.   You and me will go to the game.
b.   You and I will go to the game.
14.       a.   The gift was for you and I.
b.   The gift was for you and me.
15. Pick the active voice
a.   The student flunked the test
b.   The test was flunked by the student
16. Pick the passive voice
a.   Obama won the election
b.   The election was lost by Romney.
17.  Pick the linking verb
a.   He is a hard-studying student
b.   He studies hard as a student.
18. Noun-pronoun agreement. Which is correct?
a.     The team held their meeting.
b.     The team held its meeting.
19. Subject-verb agreement. Choose the correct sentence ending below.
More and more people are attending college, but the cost at the country’s elite institutions
a.     have gone up so much that fewer and fewer families can afford to pay tuition without some aid.
b.     having gone up so much, fewer and fewer families can afford to pay tuition without some aid.
c.     going up so much, fewer and fewer families can afford to pay tuition without some aid.
d.     has gone up so much that fewer and fewer families can afford to pay tuition without some aid.
e.     in going up so much, fewer and fewer families can afford to pay tuition without some aid.
Which is punctuated correctly?
20.       a. "You're going to flunk," yelled Clark.
b. "You're going to flunk", yelled Clark.
c. 'Your going to flunk," yelled Clark.
      d. "Your going to flunk", yelled Clark.
21.              a. Clark said, "Stop that right now".
b. Clark said, "Stop that right now."
22. Which is a simple sentence?
a. The boys and girls went to the game, but the parents stayed home.
b. The boys and girls went to the game, although the parents stayed home.
c. The boys and girls went to the game without their parents.
d. None
e. All
23. In this sentence which word is the verb? The streaking Thunder lost their last game of the season.
a.     streaking
b.     Thunder
c.     lost
d.     game
e.     of
24. In this sentence which word is a preposition? The streaking Thunder lost their last game of the season.
a.     streaking
b.     lost
c.     last
d.     game
e.     of
25.Which sentence is guilty of a comma splice?
a.     When I go to a game, I always drink beer.
b.     I went to the game, and I always drink beer.
c.     I went to the game, I drank beer
d.     None
e.     All
26. In this sentence, which word is the adverb? The Black cats howled and scratched ferociously throughout the night.
a.     black
b.     howled
c.     scratched
d.     ferociously
27. While dining at night, the lights along the Baja coastline created a romantic atmosphere perfect for our first anniversary.
a.     Correct
b.     Incorrect
 Select the correct sentence.
28.       a. From one of Aesop's lesser-known fables comes the question, "Who's going to bell the cat?"
b. From one of Aesop's lesser-known fables come the question, "Who's going to bell the cat"?
29.       a. The forest contained over 4,000 acres.
b. The forest contained more than 4,000 acres.
30.       a. The meal consisted of the following: bacon, eggs, hash browns and coffee.
b. The meal consisted of : bacon, eggs, hash browns and coffee.
c. The meal consisted of four items: bacon, eggs, hash browns and coffee.
d. All
e. None


Answers: 1 a. 2 c. 3-4 b b. 5-6 a. 7-8 b. 9 a. 10 a. 11-14 b. 15 a. 16 b. 17 a. 18 b. 19 d. 20 a. 21 b.  22-23 c. 24 e. 25 a. 25 d. 27 b. 28 a. 29 b. 30 c.



No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.