Grammar Pre-Test One with Answers
Choose the correct answer.
1. Cynthia's sister needed to go shopping, and Cynthia decided to tag along. Bringing her camera.
*a. fragment
b. complete sentence
Choose the correct answer.
2. He even stopped to pose for her. Putting his hands up on the counter.
*a. fragment
b. complete sentence
Choose the correct answer.
3. She quickly took the picture of the wonderful deli man. Knowing that somehow this was going to be one of her
all-time favorite photos.
*a. fragment
b. complete sentence
Choose the correct answer.
4. They stopped to shop at several stores, including the local delicatessen.
a. fragment
*b. complete sentence
Choose the correct answer.
5. As for himself, Anthony had a few tricks he had learned for saving money, one of them was throwing all of his
small change into a jar.
*a. comma splice
b. fused sentence
c. correct
Choose the correct answer.
6. He also put 15 percent of every paycheck from his part-time job into his savings account, this technique plus his
small-change trick built up his savings surprisingly quickly.
*a. comma splice
b. fused sentence
c. correct
Choose the correct answer.
7. Saying he was sorry, the man abruptly closed the door Sophia didn't know what the man did, but from that time
on, she never heard a sound from the dog again.
a. comma splice
*b. fused sentence
c. correct
Choose the correct answer.
8. When the barking continued, Sophia couldn't stand it any longer, she went across the street to the family's
house.
*a. comma splice
b. fused sentence
c. correct
Grammar Pre-Test One with Answers
Choose the correct answer.
9. I wouldn't be so upset about it except that it is the fifth time I've hit my head on that same shelf.
a. comma splice
b. fused sentence
*c. correct
Choose the correct answer.
10. Melinda told the maintenance people that she would only want hawthorn trees planted at her curb she told
them her reason.
a. comma splice
*b. fused sentence
c. correct
Choose the correct answer.
11. She explained to the maintenance people that all the other types of trees would grow very tall, the telephone
wires, which are twenty-five feet up, would get tangled among the branches.
*a. comma splice
b. fused sentence
c. correct
Choose the correct answer.
12. The town maintenance people told Melinda that they planted the following types of trees: linden, hawthorn,
maple, sweet gum, and flowering pear.
a. comma splice
b. fused sentence
*c. correct
Choose the correctly punctuated sentence.
13. As the body's need for energy increases, there are fewer carbohydrates available to meet that need.
a. As the bodies' need for energy increases, there are fewer carbohydrates available to meet that need.
b. As the bodys' need for energy increases, there are fewer carbohydrates available to meet that need.
*c. no change
Choose the correctly punctuated sentence.
14. It was'nt surprising to archaeologists to learn that some early civilizations scratched lines in sticks and bones to
count the days.
*a. It wasn't surprising to archaeologists to learn that some early civilizations scratched lines in sticks and bones
to count the days.
b. It wasnt surprising to archaeologists to learn that some early civilizations scratched lines in sticks and bones to
count the days.
c. no change
Choose the correctly punctuated sentence.
15. Since ancient times, people have marked the passing of time by following star's and planet's movements.
a. Since ancient times, people have marked the passing of time by following stars and planets movements.
*b. Since ancient times, people have marked the passing of time by following stars' and planets' movements.
c. no change
Grammar Pre-Test One with Answers
Choose the correctly punctuated sentence.
16. Their years' cycle ranged between 260 and 365 days.
a. Their years cycle ranged between 260 and 365 days.
*b. Their year's cycle ranged between 260 and 365 days.
c. no change
Choose the correctly punctuated sentence.
17. Aqueducts, which are manmade systems to transport water, have been around since ancient times.
a. Aqueducts which are manmade systems to transport water, have been around since ancient times.
b. Aqueducts, which are manmade systems to transport water have been around since ancient times.
*c. no change
Choose the correctly punctuated sentence.
18. Just before the aqueduct entered the city the engineers raised it high on arches to create sufficient water
pressure.
a. Just before the aqueduct entered the city the engineers raised it high on arches, to create sufficient water
pressure.
*b. Just before the aqueduct entered the city, the engineers raised it high on arches to create sufficient water
pressure.
c. no change
Choose the correctly punctuated sentence.
19. Rome had eleven major aqueducts, built approximately between 300 BCE and 225 CE.
a. Rome had eleven major aqueducts, built approximately, between 300 BCE and 225 CE.
b. Rome had eleven major aqueducts built approximately between, 300 BCE and 225 CE.
*c. no change
Choose the correctly punctuated sentence.
20. They typically consist of canals, tunnels, pipelines or bridges.
*a. They typically consist of canals, tunnels, pipelines, or bridges.
b. They typically consist of canals, tunnels pipelines or bridges.
c. no change
21. Choose the grammatically correct sentence.
a. In the late twentieth century, as women reentered the workforce in increasing numbers, they were slow to
win promotions and often denied equal pay for equal work.
*b. In the late twentieth century, as women reentered the workforce in increasing numbers, they were slow to
win promotions and were often denied equal pay for equal work.
22. Choose the grammatically correct sentence.
a. It is more likely for a tsunami to happen in the ocean than one occurring inland.
*b. It is more likely for a tsunami to happen in the ocean than to occur inland.
23. Choose the grammatically correct sentence..
a. Representatives of the airline that had left me stranded in Chicago gave me a choice between a cot in the
terminal and finding a hotel room at my expense.
*b. Representatives of the airline that had left me stranded in Chicago gave me a choice between sleeping on a
cot in the terminal and finding a hotel room at my expense.
Grammar Pre-Test One with Answers
24. Choose the grammatically correct sentence.
*a. Residents of the Tahoe area should be informed not only about the possibility of a tsunami but also about
actions to take if one occurs.
b. Residents of the Tahoe area should not only be informed about the possibility of a tsunami but also about
actions to take if one occurs.
25. Choose the grammatically correct sentence.
*a. Rowling has a wonderful imagination, and her books are terrifically enjoyable.
b. Rowling has a wonderful imagination, and her books were terrifically enjoyable.
26. Choose the grammatically correct sentence.
*a. I don't mind an occasional skunk around my house, but I don't want to encounter one unexpectedly and
frighten it.
b. I don't mind an occasional skunk around my house, but you don't want to encounter one unexpectedly and
frighten it.
27. Choose the grammatically correct sentence.
a. Harry is able to escape from the clutches of his awful relatives and live at the school, where he made friends
for the first time.
*b. Harry is able to escape from the clutches of his awful relatives and live at the school, where he makes friends
for the first time.
28. Choose the grammatically correct sentence.
*a. Neighbors a block away from me discovered a skunk living in their basement; their children quickly spread
the news around the neighborhood.
b. A neighbor a block away from me discovered a skunk living in their basement; their children quickly spread
the news around the neighborhood.
29. Choose the grammatically correct sentence.
*a. Americans seem to be in love with their cars.
b. Everyone in America seems to be in love with their cars.
30. Choose the grammatically correct sentence.
a. According to the Sierra Club, someone who spends a year driving an SUV instead of a car wastes more energy
than if they had left their refrigerator door open for six years.
*b. According to the Sierra Club, driving an SUV instead of a car wastes more energy than leaving a refrigerator
door open for six years.
31. Choose the grammatically correct sentence.
*a. Modeling agencies tend to hire extremely thin models because clothing drapes well on thin bodies.
b. In modeling agencies, they tend to hire extremely thin models because clothing drapes well on thin bodies.
32. Choose the grammatically correct sentence.
a. Child psychiatrists’ reports indicate that they are seeing many anorexic girls and a growing number of anorexic
boys.
*b. Child psychiatrists report that they are seeing many anorexic girls and a growing number of anorexic boys.
Grammar Pre-Test One with Answers
Choose the correct answer.
33. Fables are short stories that (conveys / convey) a moral.
a. conveys
*b. convey
Choose the correct answer.
34. The fable "Belling the Cat" (describes / describe) the long battle between mice and cats.
*a. describes
b. describe
Choose the correct answer.
35. Everyone on the committee (tries / try) to solve the problem.
*a. tries
b. try
Choose the correct answer.
36. After hearing the evidence and the closing arguments, the jury (was / were) sequestered.
*a. was
b. were
Choose the grammatically correct sentence.
37. At the drugstore, I asked quiet for a tan eye patch, but the store had only blue ones.
*a. At the drugstore, I asked quietly for a tan eye patch, but the store had only blue ones.
b. At the drugstore, I asked most quiet for a tan eye patch, but the store had only blue ones.
c. no change
Choose the grammatically correct sentence.
38. He didn't know which would be worser: missing out on the square dancing or getting turned down by Melissa.
a. He didn't know which would be most worse: missing out on the square dancing or getting turned down by
Melissa.
*b. He didn't know which would be worse: missing out on the square dancing or getting turned down by
Melissa.
c. no change
Choose the grammatically correct sentence.
39. I was most embarrassed being seen with an eye patch than with a bruised eye, so at first I wore the patch only
while I was home alone.
a. I was mostly embarrassed being seen with an eye patch than with a bruised eye, so at first I wore the patch
only while I was home alone.
*b. I was more embarrassed being seen with an eye patch than with a bruised eye, so at first I wore the patch
only while I was home alone.
c. no change
Choose the grammatically correct sentence.
40. The next day my eye was still quitely painful, so I went to see my doctor.
a. The next day my eye was still quite painfully, so I went to see my doctor.
*b. The next day my eye was still quite painful, so I went to see my doctor.
c. no change
Grammar Pre-Test One with Answers
Grammar Pre-test One Answer Key
1.
a.
2.
a.
3.
a.
4.
b.
5.
a.
6.
a.
7.
b.
8.
a.
9.
c.
10.
b.
11.
a.
12.
c.
13.
c.
14.
a.
15.
b.
16.
b.
17.
c.
18.
b.
19.
c.
20.
a.
21.
b.
22.
b.
23.
b.
24.
a.
25.
a.
26.
a.
27.
b.
28.
a.
29.
a.
30.
b.
31.
a.
32.
b.
33.
b.
34.
a.
35.
a.
36.
a.
37.
a.
38.
b.
39.
b.
40.
b.