11-COMP Midterm Review
Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics Review
I. Directions: Choose the option that has no misplaced or dangling modifier.
1.
A. Filling the shopping cart with D batteries and bottled water, we finally completed our hurricane
preparation.
B. Filling the shopping cart with D batteries and bottled water, our hurricane preparation was finally
complete.
C. Filling the shopping cart with D batteries and bottled water, the completion of our hurricane preparation
soothed our anxiety.
2.
A. Michael rode his bike to the beach, which was squeaky with rust.
B. Squeaky with rust, Michael rode his bike to the beach.
C. Michael rode his squeaky, rusty bike to the beach.
3.
A. After the librarian scolded the noisy teenagers, silence returned.
B. Scolding the noisy teenagers, the library returned to silence.
C. Scolding the noisy teenagers, silence returned to the library.
4.
A. Knocking the baseball into the stands, the fans cheered the homerun.
B. Knocking the baseball into the stands, the homerun was cheered by the fans.
C. When Wesley knocked the baseball into the stands, the fans cheered the homerun.
5.
A. Brushing her long hair, strands fell into the sink where they got washed down the drain and clogged the
pipes.
B. Because Claudine brushed her long hair over the sink, strands got washed down the drain and clogged
the pipes.
C. Falling into the sink, Claudine brushed her long hair, which got washed down the drain and clogged the
pipes.
II. In the space provided, fix the pronoun agreement error
______________1. If every student writes the required 6,000 words for the research essay, they will keep
poor Prof. O’Brien busy grading papers until the end of the semester.
______________2. My weird neighbors believe that the Loch Ness Monster ate Elvis, but he or she
disagrees that space aliens have kidnapped the brain of the President.
______________3. During away games, neither the basketball players nor Coach Jones can get their
beauty sleep because the college vans bounce along on bad shock absorbers.
______________4. Both the living room furniture and the kitchen counter have its surface scarred from
cigarettes that my chain-smoking Aunt Mary carelessly put down.
______________5. Watching the new recruits marching in the hot sun, the two drill sergeants made bets on which
soldier would be the first to vomit their lunch during the strenuous exercise.
III. Write the form of the verb that agrees with the sentence’s subject. USE PRESENT TENSE!
1. to be: Mrs. Mauzy told her student, "There __________ too many subject-verb errors in this essay for it
to pass."
2. to annoy: Each of my brothers __________ me with his bad habits, like nose-picking at the dinner table
and spitting on the sidewalk.
3. to keep: Even though Jose has seen the film at least twenty times, Star Wars always __________ him
on the edge of his seat.
4. to be: Where __________ the gas mask and HAZMAT gloves? It's time to change the litter box.
5. to make: The giant spider in the kitchen, together with the cockroaches in the bathroom, __________
entertaining at my house a potentially embarrassing experience.
6. to disagree: Even after carefully considering the evidence for several days, the jury still __________
about the guilt of the mob kingpin.
7. to arrive: For the trial of the mob kingpin, the sequestered jury __________ in a bulletproof van.
8. to give: Physics __________ Philip many headaches because he has to solve long, difficult word
problems.
9. to be: A vitamin C tablet, in addition to milk jug caps and dead cockroaches, __________ part of the
debris that Sara found when she cleaned under the stove.
10. to see: Neither of the surfers __________ the sharks that wish to make a quick snack of some human toes.
Read each sentence and Identify the comma errors.
1. During lunch, at the campus cafeteria, Mildred noticed the dirty tables, the overworked cashiers, and the
exorbitant price for a watery soda.
A. Should you remove the comma after lunch?
B. Or should you remove the comma after cashiers?
2. Melissa couldn’t study for her comma quiz, because she was joy riding on the Enterprise with Mr. Spock,
whom the US Air Force chased with its fastest jets.
A. Should you remove the comma after quiz?
B. Or should you remove the comma after Mr. Spock?
3. The slimy smelly lettuce on my burrito made me ask the manager to return my 99 cents.
A. Should you add a comma after slimy?
B. Or should you add a comma after burrito?
4. Sitting in the atrium, Marcus chatted pleasantly with a pretty student from his chemistry class, but then
he had to leave suddenly, because he noticed that he had only thirty seconds to get to Professor Spottke’s
English class on time.
A. Should you remove the comma after atrium?
B. Or should you remove the comma after suddenly?
5. To study for his calculus midterm, Brian drank seven cups of strong Turkish coffee which kept him wide
awake for the all-nighter.
A. Should you remove the comma after midterm?
B. Or should you add a comma after coffee?
VOCAB: STUDY THE FIRST FIFTEEN ROOTS ON 11th GRADE VOCAB LIST.