Grammar Quiz (phrases) – Correct answers are highlighted. Explain the correct
answers using definitions of these terms. Only correct what you missed.
1. In the sentence "Waiting for the late bus, I decided finally to learn how to drive,"
the underlined word is correctly classified as which of the following?
A. participle
B. preposition
C. main verb
D. infinitive
E. noun
2. In the sentence "He was eager to leave for vacation," which of the following is true?
A. “to leave” is a prepositional phrase
B. “was” is an infinitive.
C. “to leave” is an infinitive.
D. “for vacation” is a participial phrase
E. “for vacation” is the main verb
3. In the sentence "I hope to vacation in Canada next year," which of the following is
true?
A. “to vacation” is the main verb
B. “to vacation” is an infinitive
C. “to vacation” is a prepositional phrase.
D. “hope” is an infinitive
E. “in Canada” is the main verb
4. In the sentence "John, who was hired to deal with such problems, was intending to
work on the project today," the underlined phrase is correctly classified as which of
the following?
A. a prepositional phrase
B. an appositive phrase
C. a participial phrase
D. an infinitive phrase
5. In the sentence "Mary, the latest person to be hired, will probably be the first
person to be fired," the underlined phrase is correctly classified as which of the
following?
A. A prepositional phrase
B. A participial phase
C. An appositive phrase
D. All of the above
E. None of the above
6. In the sentence "My father, refusing to believe that someone had stolen his truck
from our driveway, rushed out the front door to check for himself," the underlined
phrase is correctly classified as which of the following?
A. A prepositional phrase
B. A participial phase
C. An appositive phrase
D. All of the above
7. In the sentence "The boy on the bicycle rode through my wife's perennial garden,"
which of the following is true?
A. “on the bicycle” is an appositive phrase
B. “rode” is an infinitive
C. “boy” is the main verb
D. “on the bicycle” is a prepositional phrase
8. The piano as well as the pipe organ ____________ to be tuned for the big concert.
A. has
B. have
9. The mayor together with his two brothers ____________ going to be on the news.
A. are
B. is
10. There ____________ a list of committee members on the head-table.
A. are
B. is
11.
Shelly ate her favorite breakfast before going to school.
Shelly ate toast with peanut butter and honey before leaving.
Which new sentence combines these two sentences by creating an appositive phrase?
A. Shelly ate her favorite breakfast before leaving for school.
B. Shelly ate her favorite breakfast, toast with peanut butter and honey, before
leaving for school.
C. Shelly ate her favorite breakfast before school; it was toast with peanut butter and
honey.
D. Leaving for school, Shelly ate her toast with peanut butter and honey.