Grammar and Mechanics (Conventions of Standard English) Flashcards

Choose the correct verb: "Neither the teacher nor the students ___ ready for the fire drill."

Answer: were

With neither/nor, the verb agrees with the closer subject, "students," which is plural.

Choose the correct verb: "Each of the boys ___ his own lunch on field trip days."

Answer: brings

"Each" is a singular subject, so it takes the singular verb "brings."

Which pronoun correctly completes the sentence? "The secret stays between you and ___."

Answer: me

"Between" is a preposition, so it takes the objective pronoun "me."

Which sentence uses a collective noun correctly in standard American English?

Answer: The committee has made its decision.

In American English, a collective noun acting as one unit takes a singular verb and singular pronoun.

Choose the correct word: "To ___ should I address the permission slip?"

Answer: whom

"Whom" is the object of the preposition "to."

Which sentence uses pronouns correctly?

Answer: Ms. Lee and I graded the tests.

"I" is the subjective pronoun needed for a compound subject, and reflexive "myself" needs an antecedent.

Choose the correct verb: "The number of students in after-school tutoring ___ increasing."

Answer: is

"The number" is singular and takes "is," while "a number" would take a plural verb.

Which sentence uses a semicolon correctly?

Answer: I studied all week; I passed the test.

A semicolon joins two independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction.

Which phrase correctly shows possession by more than one child?

Answer: the children's books

"Children" is an irregular plural not ending in s, so add an apostrophe and s.

Which of the following is a comma splice?

Answer: The bus was late, we missed the assembly.

A comma splice joins two independent clauses with only a comma.

Which sentence uses a colon correctly?

Answer: Bring three items: a pencil, an eraser, and a ruler.

A colon should follow a complete independent clause that introduces a list.

Choose the correct word: "The classroom hamster ran back to ___ cage."

Answer: its

"Its" is the possessive pronoun, while "it's" means "it is."

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

Answer: When the bell rang, the students left quickly.

A comma follows an introductory dependent clause.

Which sentence follows standard American punctuation for quotations?

Answer: Mr. Ruiz said, "Line up at the door."

In American English, periods and commas go inside closing quotation marks, and a quoted full sentence begins with a capital.

Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?

Answer: Walking into the classroom, the smell of paint was strong.

The opening phrase has no logical subject because the smell was not walking.

Which sentence has correct parallel structure?

Answer: Students like reading, writing, and drawing.

Items in a series should share the same grammatical form.

Which of the following is a sentence fragment?

Answer: Although the students waited quietly.

"Although" makes the clause dependent, so it cannot stand alone.

Choose the correct verb: "By the time we arrived, the movie ___."

Answer: had started

The past perfect shows an action completed before another past action.

Choose the correct verb form: "She has ___ a thank-you letter to the principal."

Answer: written

"Written" is the past participle of the irregular verb "write" and follows "has."

Which sentence uses lie/lay correctly?

Answer: The dog is lying on the rug.

"Lie" means to recline and takes no object, so "is lying" is correct.