Grammarly Certified Advanced Grammar and Language Specialist Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield Grammarly Certified Advanced Grammar and Language Specialist facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Which sentence contains a faulty pronoun reference? → Lisa told Maria that she had been promoted.
2. Which phrase should be avoided in professional business writing because it is a cliché? → Going forward, we will synergize our core competencies.
3. Which is an example of passive voice that could weaken a business proposal? → Mistakes were made during the implementation phase.
4. Which style convention does Grammarly most often enforce for American English formal writing? → Oxford (serial) comma is recommended before the final item in a series
5. What is the difference between 'complement' and 'compliment'? → Complement = something that completes or enhances; compliment = an expression of praise.
6. Which sentence correctly uses parallel structure? → He enjoys reading, writing, and painting.
7. Which punctuation mark indicates omission of letters in a contraction? → An apostrophe
8. Which sentence demonstrates correct use of a restrictive clause (no commas needed)? → The report that I submitted yesterday was approved.
9. What is the most precise word to replace 'a lot of' in formal writing? → Many, numerous, or substantial (depending on context)
10. Which editing level would most appropriately address an essay's unclear or underdeveloped thesis? → Developmental editing
11. Which sentence demonstrates correct syntax? → The dog quickly ran after the ball.
12. Which sentence contains an error in pronoun case? → The winner was him.
13. Which of the following is a redundant phrase? → All of the above
14. What does the word 'enervate' mean? → To weaken or sap energy from
15. Which sentence uses 'apprise' correctly? → I will apprise you of any changes to the schedule.
16. Choose the word that means 'a person who doubts accepted beliefs.' → Skeptic
17. In copy editing, what does 'querying the author' mean? → Leaving a comment or question for the author about a specific word, fact, or passage
18. What is the difference between 'continuous' and 'continual'? → Continuous = uninterrupted; continual = recurring at intervals.
19. When writing percentages in formal prose, which format is preferred? → Spell out 'percent' and use numerals for the number (e.g., 25 percent)
20. Identify the error in subject-verb agreement: 'The data shows that our revenue has increased.' → Both A and B are acceptable depending on style guide
21. What is the correct format for an ellipsis indicating omission in the middle of a quoted sentence? → Three dots with spaces ( . . . ) or (…)
22. Identify the correct use of a semicolon. → I brought a jacket; it might rain.
23. Which sentence is a comma splice? → The project is finished, we can submit it now.
24. In a business report executive summary, what should appear first? → Conclusions and key recommendations
25. Which sentence correctly uses a possessive apostrophe for a plural noun ending in 's'? → The students' essays were collected.
26. What type of clause is underlined: 'Although it was raining, we went for a walk.'? → Dependent clause
27. Which sentence correctly uses 'who' versus 'whom'? → Who did you speak with about the project?
28. What error appears in: 'I should of submitted the report yesterday'? → 'Of' should be 'have' — 'should have' is the correct modal phrase
29. Which correctly italicizes a title per standard style conventions? → She read Pride and Prejudice over the weekend.
30. Which sentence uses 'comprise' correctly? → The United States comprises 50 states.