1. A kettle is not the term for a group of vultures.
   There is an issue with subject-verb agreement.
2. There is a dangling modifier.
   There is an issue with parallel structure.

A dangling modifier, as you know, is a modifier that is placed too far away from the thing it modifies. The distanced placement creates ambiguity in meaning, sometimes delightfully. But, unless you’re writing poetry, ambiguity is not really what you’re working for. And yes, a kettle is the correct term for a group of vultures in flight.

1. Subject-verb agreement
   Dangling modifier
2. Parallel structure
   Evan is disrupting the meeting with his disgusting eating habits.

This sentence has a classic parallel structure ailment. When listing items, each verb in a list should be in the same form. This shows that all the items in the list carry equal weight. Also, Evan is disgusting and needs to learn how not to disrupt a meeting with his foul eating habits.

1. Comma
   Semicolon
2. Dash
   None

Nope, no punctuation here, though so many adults will insert a comma here because they learned that commas should be placed wherever there is a pause. No, that’s not how you decide. There are rules here. Am I the only one who cares about the rules? And yes, wake is the correct term for vultures feeding.

1. Dangling modifier
   Split appositive
2. Split infinitive
   Sleep apnea

When you have an infinitive, like ‘to fall,’ you should not insert anything in between the ‘to’ and the verb. This splits the infinitive, creating a rift in the order of the universe. Please stop before it’s too late.

1. Compound
   Complex
2. Compound-complex
   Independent clause

As everyone needs to know for daily life, this sentence is compound-complex. A compound-complex sentence can be identified by having more than one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. A prickle of porcupines can be identified at a distance.

1. Use it to contrast with what came before.
   Use it emphasize a point.
2. Use it to prove a point.
   Use it to sound smart, even if you don’t know what it means.

Surely your colleague will appreciate this lesson in proper use of transition. “Nevertheless” is used to demonstrate a contrast with what came before. It’s just like the more common “however,” but it creates a more formal tone.

1. Interjection
   Antecedent
2. Appositive
   Case

As all grammar whizzes know, an appositive is a noun or noun phrase that clarifies another noun. Here, the appositve clarifies who the new president is. Can you work this word into a sentence at your next social gathering?

1. That something ominous is about to happen
   That someone forgot something
2. That an important detail is forthcoming
   That something has been omitted

Of course we do use the ellipsis to indicate that, you know ... But we also know that the formal significance of the three ominous dots is that something has been left out.

1. Was
   Were
2. Had
   Have

Any good grammar whiz enjoys a subject-verb agreement mistake, especially when it’s made tricky by a singular collective noun that describes a group, as in a band of gorillas. Since the word “band” is singular and is the noun, the helping verb “was” takes the singular form.

1. That an action has been completed
   That an action has been completed before something else
2. That an action was done well in the past
   That an action began in the past and continues in the present

If only our perfect actions in the past received their own grammatical term. Alas, no. The past perfect tense refers to an action completed before something else. It seems uselessly specific, until you really need it.

1. A verb that is unwilling to change
   A verb that does not require an object
2. A verb that requires an object
   A verb that shows emotion

Intransitive verbs are those that do not require an object. They do not do something to something else; they do something complete in itself, as in, “The woman roared.” Roared doesn’t need an object, as does a verb like “throw.” You need to throw something; you don’t roar something.

1. Present participle phrase
   Gerund
2. Present progressive
   Appositve

A gerund always ends with -ing, as do present participles of verbs. A gerund, though, acts as a noun, whereas present participles modify nouns or complete progressive verbs.

1. To form a compound word
   To fill space when you’re not sure which punctuation to use
2. To hyphenate a name or number
   To indicate that what follows will give more information about came before

Please do correct anyone who calls a hyphen a dash. It is just wrong, and should be punished. It probably is, in some countries. The dash is properly used to show that more information or clarfication follows.

1. Feet
   Hospital
2. Boy
   Stingrays

Direct objects answer the questions “who?” or “what?” following a verb. In this case, the fever of stingrays stung who? The boy, that’s who. Did you know you would learn so much about animal groups in this grammar quiz?

1. To connect two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction
   To connect two dependent clauses
2. To separate items in a list
   To separate items in a list when there are items separated by commas within a list

Did we get you on this one? The most common (but still misused) use of a semi-colon is to separate independent clauses when there is not a coordinating conjunction. But semicolons can be used to differentiate between items within a list. For example, “he lived in El Paso, TX; St. Louis, MO; and Louisville, KY.”

1. Was
   Were
2. Had
   Has

If you were to answer this correctly, you would likely be familiar with the subjunctive. Many people don’t learn about the subjunctive tense until they take a foreign language in college and have their minds blown with the grammatical complexity of language operating in the hypothetical, only to find out that it exists in English too.

1. It’s
   Its
2. It be
   It were

That’s right. It’s time people knew that hippopotami as a collective have a perfectly apt name. The opportunity to use this term doesn’t come up often; so you’d better seize it when it comes. “It’s” of course uses an apostrophe to show a contraction for “it is” and not to show possession, like other sensible words.

1. Aloted; alot
   alot, allot
2. alloted; a lot
   Alloted; alot

According to Miriam Webster, a “lot” literally can mean a quanity used to measure, a portion of land, or an “object used in determining a question by chance.” So, it makes sense that these homonyms are easily confused—they have related meanings. Since, “allot” can mean to portion out—a task both related to portions and to chance.

1. Except
   Accept
2. Exempt
   Contempt

Accept is the correct form here. The Latin root word here, “cept,” means “taken,” and the prefiix “ac-” means to or towards. So, the hope that a frat will “accept” you is the hope that they’ll take you in. Since “ex-” means out, If they “except” you, they’d literally be taking you out of the list. Fingers crossed!

1. Me
   She
2. I
   Him

“Between you and me” is the correct phrase here. Since the pronoun here is the object of a preposition, it needs to be objective (me), rather than subjective (I). It really helps to have the real grammatical reason when correcting someone; so be sure to remember this rule.

1. Their
   They’re
2. There
   They are

Even though the passive construction here is totally unecessary, the best choice given is “there.” There is used to show location; whereas the other options show possession (their) and what they are doing. Of course, all the writers are squirming with all the other ways this sentence could be made tighter. Sorry.

1. And
   But
2. Or
   Nor

If you’re a negative person, you love two negative indepdent clauses strung together with the uncommon conjunction nor. It can also, as you well know, be used in along with neither, in the high-toned “neither/nor” construction that grammar whizzes love to employ. This aversion to spinach and arugula is the foundation of the next fad diet.

1. 17th-century England
   17th century England
2. Seventeenth-century England
   England in the 17th century.

This tricky rule separates grammar whizzes from non-whizzes. The incorrect choice here is the one that does not hyphenate 17th century when it comes before England. The reason that this is incorrect is because the two words 17th and century are forming an adjective phrase that modifies the noun, England. When you write “England in the 17th century” on the other hand, “17th” modifies “century”, so they are not joined as a compound noun.

1. Colon
   Comma
2. Semicolon
   Exclamation point

A colon is the correct way to introduce a list after a complete sentence. If a list is not preceded by a complete sentence, a colon is not needed. It won’t make you look smarter, more put-together, or better educated to use one.

1. Goodly
   Well
2. Good
   Fair

Bane of grammar whizzes everywhere, good and well are so often confused and mangled, yet they’re so simple to differentiate. Good is an adjective; it describes nouns. Well is an adverb; it describes verbs. Talking about an action or feeling? Use well! Talking about a noun? Use good! Talking about a steak? Use caution.

1. The prepositional phrase should introduce the sentence.
   It uses passive voice rather than active.
2. The subject and verb don’t agree.
   It lays all the blame on Bernie, and it wasn’t his fault.

This sentence is plauged by the other bane of grammar whizzes, the passive voice. The passive voice should be avoided because it deflects the action of a sentence away from the one doing the action. It makes the action seem accidental, even it wasn’t. In this case, Bernie dropped the plate on purpose, and the sentence should show that.

1. You feel like it.
   You don’t want to use a coordinating conjunction.
2. To mix it up
   The sentences are closely linked.

Contrary to student practice, there is a reason for using the semicolon to connect sentences. It’s not like seasoning, to be sprinkled here and there. The purpose of a semicolon when connecting sentences is to show that the two ideas are closely connected, so closely connected that they form one sentence instead of two.

1. An emoji
   An exclamation point
2. A comma after you
   A comma after good

In text speak and social media use, this rule has gone way out the window. When addressing someone, it’s grammatically correct to place a comma between the statement and the person’s name. This seems arbitrary, but it comes in handy when you need to differentiate what you mean from other options, as in the “Let’s eat Granpa” example.

1. A comma only used in Britain
   A comma used to separate dependent clauses
2. A comma used in a series before the conjunction.
   A comma used for emphasis

The raging debate over the usefulness of the Oxford comma continues. Should we use the final comma in a series before the conjunction, or is it redundant? The classic grammar example here is the “A panda walks into a bar eats shoots and leaves” quandary. How do you punctuate this?

1. The -ed ending
   The -ing ending
2. The Bernie 2016 bumper sticker
   The present

The progressive tense shows continuing action, and it can be found by it’s tell-tale -ing ending on the verb. Quite a different ending than the bumper sticker....although, that’s still happening, so maybe not.

1. A hybrid electric car
   Past tense of “to be” + -ing ending
2. Present tense of “to be” + -ing ending
   Past tense of “to be” + -ed ending

The past progressive tense is formed by using the past tense of a “to be” helping verb (was/were) connected with a verb ending in -ing. Hybrid cars are the future, ok?

1. Nine
   Less
2. Fewer
   Purple

So few people use this rule that it’s becoming less common. Few refers to quantity and less refers to size. Be the change you want to see in the world.

1. Are
   Is
2. Was
   Have

Jane and Roger form a compound subject here, so the subject is plural and needs a plural verb to agree with it. Now if they could just agree on the paint color.

1. A
   The
2. An
   She

“The” is the only definite article in the English language. It shows that the thing being referred to is the only one. This is the one thing you should remember about this quiz.

1. Leopards
   Fright
2. Square
   Child

The indirect object indicates who or what has received the action of a verb. It answers the questions “to what” or “to whom.” In this case, the child received the fright (the direct object) given by the leopards. Why the conspiracy? There must be something going on with those leopards that we don’t know about.