Only an English Major Can Pass This U.S. Grammar Test!

By: Torrance Grey
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
Only an English Major Can Pass This U.S. Grammar Test!
Image: shutterstock

About This Quiz

Grammar: A word to strike fear into the heart of the average American. (Or joy, but those rare people are called English teachers or copy editors.) For good or ill, we all know we're judged on our grammar. People believe they can learn a lot about your background, your education and even your intellect by whether or not you have a good grasp of grammar.

Though some people use "good grammar" as a catchall term for "good English," there's more to it than that. In writing, your spelling, punctuation and correct capitalization all count. And whether you're speaking or writing, correct word usage counts too. The best example of this is the ongoing culture war over the word "literally," which has come to mean its opposite, "figuratively." For example, "My roommate literally went insane over the cap being left off the toothpaste." (We certainly hope not!) Some dictionaries have given up and accepted the use of "literally" as "figuratively." 

But today, our White Whale is grammar: the parts of speech, subject-verb agreement and verb tenses, voices and moods, and so on. (Words have moods? Who knew?) The questions will start fairly basic but get harder as you go on. So summon your inner Conan the Grammarian, and let's do this!

True or false: All plural nouns end in "s."
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This is only the most common way to change a noun from singular to plural. But "child" becomes "children," "erratum" becomes "errata," and so on.

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Fill in the blank: "There was tension _____ the director and the cast, because of his autocratic ways."
between
among
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Need clarification? Usually, "between" is for two parties, and "among" for three or more parties. However, in the above case, the context clearly implies that the cast is a collective noun, serving as one party, so "between" is correct. If there were many small disagreements, then you'd use "tension among the cast."

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What is a run-on sentence?
an excessively long sentence
a sentence that uses too much hyphenation
a sentence with more than one verb
two sentences that run together, they also can be independent clauses
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

See what we did there? A run-on isn't always as clear as the example above. When you've written a long, complex sentence with several commas separating clauses, read it over carefully to make sure you haven't inadvertently created a run-on.

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Fill in the blank: Both _____ will be at the party.
Jeremys
Jeremies
Jeremy's
none of these are correct
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the rare situation when you'd have to put something like this in writing, the rule is to respect the spelling of the proper noun, "Jeremy." Of course, this is growing more complicated as names get less conventional. "Dennys" looks like an alternate spelling of the singular "Dennis," and so on.

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A verb in its unconjugated state ("to write") is called a/an ______.
base
infinitive
root
stem
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

One way to remember this is that when a verb is in this state, there are "infinite" things you can do with it. (Of course, that's not literally true. There are usually about a dozen ways it can change. But it's just a mnemonic).

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A subject and verb must always _____.
adjoin each other
agree
conflict
rhyme
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Agreement means they have the same person and number (first-person plural or third-person singular, etc). This is why it's jarring to hear "I has a car." Unless you're online, and it's spelled "haz."

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What is a serial comma?
a comma with a serif in certain fonts
a comma that goes before a conjunction, such as "and"
the first comma in a series of adjectives
a comma that sets off an adverb from an adjective
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Fans of the serial comma say that it prevents misunderstandings, like in the sentence, "We welcomed the strippers, Washington and Lincoln," which makes it look like the two ex-presidents *are* the strippers. Opponents of the serial comma say that never in the history of the English language has anyone had to write "We welcomed the strippers, Washington and Lincoln." (We've got to admit, they've got a point.)

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When a noun is a name, it is a _____ noun.
common
specific
proper
patronymic
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Proper nouns are capitalized names, whether of a person, place or thing. The opposite is a "common noun," which is one of a general class of things (e.g., a pencil). Common nouns become proper nouns all the time: "We named our sailboat Destiny."

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According to most grammar teachers, there are how many parts of speech?
five
six
eight
thirteen
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

According the the Chicago Manual of Style, not all grammar experts agree on this classic bit of elementary-school lore. But for our purposes, the parts of speech are nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions and interjections.

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What is wrong with the clause "The cake's design was quite unique"?
"The" should be "A"
"cake's" should be "cakes' "
"unique" takes no modifying adverb
something like a cake design can never be judged unique
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Unique" is one of a class of adjectives called "uncomparable" adjectives. Some grammarians get very bent out of shape about phrases like "very unique" or "somewhat unique." However, an adverb that is a simple amplifier may be acceptable: "Wow, that cake's design is truly unique."

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Under what circumstances can a noun be used as a verb?
when no adequate verb exists
when it's a common noun
when the noun is more than 500 years old
there is no hard-and-fast rule on this
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Language, including grammar, is a matter of cultural consensus. So "I phoned on Wednesday" is entirely common. But some people still prickle with irritation at "I office out of my home." Tread carefully here!

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Which of these sentences contains a gerund?
I have been sleeping less lately.
He wrote "Sleeping" on a note on the door.
Sleeping is essential for mental health.
none of these are gerunds
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the first two examples, "sleeping" is a simple present participle. (In the second, it's implied; the note indicates "(I am) sleeping"). But in the third, a present-participle form is used as a noun: the definition of a gerund.

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What does an adverb modify?
adjectives
verbs
other adverbs
all of these
only #1 and #2
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

You probably learned first that adverbs modify verbs, while adjectives modify nouns. But your teacher should have gone on to explain that adverbs can be added to adjectives or even other adverbs. Example: "He said this almost hastily." The adverb "hastily" influences "said," but "almost," another adverb, influences "hastily."

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What is the opposite of a count noun?
a nonspecific noun
a mass noun
a noncount noun
either #2 or #3
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Both of these terms are acceptable. When "straw" refers to the stuff in barns, it's a mass noun. But an individual bale of straw is a count noun.

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Does English have gender in nouns?
yes
no
sometimes, but not as much as certain other languages
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

English uses gendered nouns for animals (steer versus cow) and certain professions, like "actor" and "actress." Some of these are on the way out -- women who act are increasingly calling themselves "actors."

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Active and passive are the two kinds of _____.
gerund
tense
mood
voice
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Voice" tells you whether the subject of a clause was the actor or was acted upon. Put in other terms, passive voice is the one you slip into when you don't want to be blamed for something: "The window was broken with a baseball," not, "I broke the window with a baseball."

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Which of these is NOT an example of a grammar error?
"I ate four cookie."
"He lives in Jackson; Mississippi."
"We has ten minutes to spare."
"She is laying on the couch."
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Misuse of a semicolon is a punctuation error, not a grammar error. Though many people use "grammar" as a catchall term, there are several ways to be incorrect in speech or writing: spelling (that one's just for writing); punctuation (see above); grammar (most everything else in this quiz) and usage (confusing "aspire" with "inspire.") We've included a few punctuation questions in this quiz when the punctuation has a close relationship to the grammar, as it often does.

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Which of these sentences is correct?
I love the poet Maya Angelou.
Maya Angelou, the poet, is one of my favorites.
Maya Angelou was a big influence on me.
all of these are OK
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The rule of thumb here: Only use a comma where you'd hear a pause in speech. The only one that fits, above, is the second example. You'll see some writers thrown in commas anytime there's an appositive noun (a noun that redefines a proper noun; here, "the poet") and would insist the first example needs a comma, but it really isn't necessary.

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What kind of adjective or adverb is a step down from a superlative?
a comparative
an ulterior
a specific
a superior
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

As the name suggests, a comparative makes a comparison. The slogan of the Olympics is made of three comparatives, "faster, higher, stronger," indicating that the important thing for athletes is to do better than they have before, not necessarily to be the best.

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True or false: The subject of a sentence can never be its last word.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Of course it can! "At the end of the road was the mansion" is a perfectly understandable sentence. And that's our last word on the subject!

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Is it ever acceptable to write, for example, a novel in the second person?
yes
no
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Technically, this isn't a grammar question - it's a point of literary style. And though you may find it hard to believe, entire novels have been written with "you" as the main character, even though the writer is obviously referring to an imagined character that is not a stand-in for the reader. The point of this is... well, we're still trying to figure that one out.

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What part of speech shows position or relation of one thing to another?
adverb
pronoun
preposition
verb
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Grammar teachers sometimes introduce this concept using "Preposition Mountain." Things can be "on" the mountain, "behind" the mountain, "over" the mountain, and so on. It's later on that students learn prepositions that are less "geographic," like "despite."

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Which part of speech often stands alone?
adverb
interjection
preposition
noun
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Hey!" and "Whoa!" can be sentences unto themselves. Sometimes adjectives work this way, too. "Cool!" stands in for "(That is) cool!"

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What part of speech is "which"?
an adjective
a noun
a pronoun
a conjunction
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There are several different kinds of pronouns. "Which" is a relative pronoun, one that links a subordinate clause to the main one: "The book which I was reading is still on the plane."

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What is the subject of the sentence "Go away!"
Go
away
You
I
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the imperative mood, the subject is often implied. This sentence means "(You) get out!"

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Which of these is an example of a superlative?
finest
easier
rarely
Well done!
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A superlative is an adjective or adverb that implies a top tier. It's the highest degree.

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In the sentence "We will go to the beach tomorrow," what part of speech is "tomorrow"?
a noun
an adjective
an adverb
a preposition
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Not all adverbs have an "-ly" construction. "Tomorrow" influences "go," the verb, so it's an adverb.

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Which of these phrases correctly uses the subjunctive mood?
If I was a boy
If I were a European
If he was here ....
Will you pass the ... ?
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The subjunctive mood conveys uncertainty or possibility, and requires "were," not "was," to bring across that uncertainty. (Sorry, Beyonce fans, but the song title "If I Was a Boy" is not, technically speaking, grammatically correct).

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In the sentence "She told you she can fly a Cessna," what part of speech is "can"?
an adverb
a conjunction
a preposition
a verb
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Can" and "will" and similar words are "auxiliary verbs." They are also called "modal verbs" by the old-fashioned.

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Which of these is a type of "mood"?
indicative
future
past perfect
both #2 and #3
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sorry, but "both" is not always the right choice! "Future" and "past perfect" are tenses, not moods.

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Which endings mark a verb as a participle?
just -ed
-er and -ed
-ar, -er, and -or
-ing and -ed
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Walking" and "walked" are past and present participles. The first marks an action as in progress, the second as complete - and this holds true whether the action is in the past, in the future, or merely speculative. "If that were true, she would have been walking for three hours" indicates an action in progress, in the past, that might not have happened at all! When you think about it, it's amazing how easily we use and understand such constructions.

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Which of these is a second-person pronoun?
I
me
we
you
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"You," whether singular or plural, is the second person. "I" or "me" is the first person, and "he/she/they" the third.

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Which of these is an example of suspensive hyphenation?
swim- or bathing-suits are required
I was swimsuit-clad
I put on my not-quite-dry swimsuit and went back to the lake.
"swim-suit" becoming "swimsuit" over time
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Suspensive hyphenation means a hyphen hangs off the end of an adjective when there's more than one hyphenated word in a list. Another example: "Semi-, quasi- and halfway-prepared applicants will be turned away."

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In which mood is the following sentence: "Has the cat been fed?"
indicative
subjunctive
imperative
questions do not have mood
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Though some of you might have guessed subjunctive, questions are indicative. It helps to think of it this way: The cat has either been fed or not; both of those are facts. The question seeks to ascertain that fact; therefore, indicative.

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Things that are discrete and can be counted are _____ nouns.
count
itemize
numbered
specific
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

What you see is what you get: they can be counted, therefore, "count nouns." A count noun can be singular or plural -- "straw" and "straws" are both count nouns, unless you're referring to the hay-like stuff in barns. Then, it's not.

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