Grammar Flashcards

1. Everyone in the bank-including the manager and the tellers, ran to the door when the fire alarm rang.

Answer: tellers-ran

The phrase 'including the manager and the tellers' is an appositive phrase that adds non-essential information and should be set off by matching punctuation. Since a dash is used before 'including,' another dash is required after 'tellers' to properly enclose the phrase and separate it from the main clause of the sentence. This creates a clear parenthetical interruption.

2. To no ones surprise, Joe didn't have his homework ready.

Answer: no one's surprise

The phrase 'no one's surprise' requires an apostrophe to indicate possession. 'No one' is a singular indefinite pronoun, and its possessive form is 'no one's.' The original 'no ones' is incorrect as it does not show possession, and 'no ones'' would imply a plural possessive, which is not applicable here.

3. If he would have read "The White Birds," he might have liked William Butler Yeats' poetry.

Answer: had read

This sentence uses a third conditional structure, which requires the past perfect tense in the 'if' clause to describe a hypothetical situation in the past. The correct grammatical construction is 'If he had read,' not 'If he would have read.' The past perfect tense (had + past participle) correctly conveys this unfulfilled past condition.

4. After the hurricane, uprooted trees were laying all over the ground.

Answer: were lying

The verb 'laying' is the present participle of 'to lay,' which means to place something down and requires a direct object. However, the sentence describes the trees resting or reclining on the ground on their own. The correct verb for something resting or reclining is 'to lie,' and its present participle is 'lying.' Therefore, 'were lying' is the grammatically correct choice.

5. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), the great transcendentalist philosopher, wrote in his essay "Self-Reliance" of the need for an individual to develop his capacities.

Answer: essay "Self-Reliance"

When a title of a short work, such as an essay, is preceded by a descriptive term like 'essay,' no comma is needed between the descriptive term and the title. The title itself, 'Self-Reliance,' should be enclosed in quotation marks. This punctuation rule ensures clarity and proper formatting for titles.

6. The recently built children's amusement park has been called "a boon to the community" by its supporters and "an eyesore" by its harshest critics.

Answer: and "an eyesore" by its harshest

This sentence presents two parallel direct quotations linked by the conjunction 'and.' No comma is needed before the second quotation ('an eyesore') because it directly follows the conjunction and is part of the parallel structure. Additionally, the possessive pronoun 'its' (meaning belonging to it) is correctly used, not the contraction 'its''.

7. I always have trouble remembering the meaning of these two common verbs, affect (to change" or "to influence") and effect ("to cause" or "to accomplish)."

Answer: "to accomplish").

When a parenthetical phrase contains a quotation, the closing quotation mark should come before the closing parenthesis if the quoted material does not end with a period that belongs to the quote itself. The period for the main sentence then goes *after* the closing parenthesis. Thus, the correct punctuation is '"to accomplish").' to properly end the sentence.

8. My class just finished reading-"The Fall of the House of Usher", a short story by Edgar Allan Poe.

Answer: reading "The Fall of the House of Usher,"

Titles of short works, such as short stories, should be enclosed in quotation marks. When an appositive phrase (like 'a short story by Edgar Allan Poe') follows and describes the title, a comma is needed after the title (and inside the closing quotation mark) to separate it from the appositive. The dash used in the original sentence is incorrect.

9. After it was repaired it ran perfect again.

Answer: ran perfectly

The word 'perfect' is an adjective, but it is incorrectly used here to modify the verb 'ran.' To modify a verb, an adverb is required. The adverbial form of 'perfect' is 'perfectly.' Therefore, 'it ran perfectly' is the grammatically correct construction, as 'perfectly' describes how it ran.

10. "Are there two E's in beetle," asked Margo?

Answer: there two E's in beetle?" asked Margo.

In a direct quotation that is a question, the question mark belongs inside the closing quotation mark because it is part of the quoted material. The sentence itself, which states that Margo asked a question, is a declarative sentence and should end with a period, not a question mark. Additionally, 'there' is the correct word to indicate existence.

11. The circus audience received a well-deserved round of applause for the perfectly timed acrobatic stunt.

Answer: audience gave a well-deserved

Audiences typically *give* applause, rather than *receive* it from themselves. Therefore, 'audience gave' is the more appropriate verb choice. Additionally, 'well-deserved' is a compound adjective modifying 'round' and should be hyphenated for correct grammar. These corrections make the sentence both grammatically sound and semantically accurate.

12. Looking directly at me, Mother said, "These are your options: the choice is yours."

Answer: Mother said, "These are your options; the choice is

The correct answer uses a semicolon to separate two independent clauses within the direct quotation: 'These are your options' and 'the choice is yours.' A semicolon is appropriate here because both clauses are complete sentences and are closely related in meaning. This punctuation choice effectively links the two distinct but connected thoughts spoken by Mother.

13. Porcupine is from Latin porcus, "pig," and spina, "spine."

Answer: porcus, "pig," and spina, "spine."

The original sentence is grammatically correct and requires no changes. It properly uses italics for the Latin words `porcus` and `spina` to denote foreign terms. Commas correctly set off the definitions 'pig' and 'spine,' which clarify the meaning of the Latin words, and quotation marks are used appropriately for these definitions.

14. Seeing the dolphins, some sharks, a killer whale, and a Moray eel made the visit to the marine park worthwhile.

Answer: a killer whale, and a moray eel made the visit

The original sentence incorrectly capitalizes 'Moray eel.' 'Moray' is an adjective describing the type of eel, not a proper noun requiring capitalization. The corrected option properly uses lowercase for 'moray,' adhering to standard capitalization rules for common nouns and their modifiers.

15. Still, the fact that a planet exists outside our solar system encourages hope that other solar systems exist, and in them, perhaps, a planet that supports life.

Answer: that a planet exists outside our solar system encourages hope that other solar systems exist, and

The original sentence is grammatically correct and requires no changes. The subject 'fact' correctly takes the singular verb 'encourages,' maintaining subject-verb agreement. The clauses are properly connected, and the parenthetical phrase 'perhaps' is correctly set off by commas, ensuring clarity and proper flow.

16. Mail-order shopping can be convenient and timesaving with appropriate precautions, it is safe as well.

Answer: can be convenient and time-saving;

The original sentence contains a comma splice, incorrectly joining two independent clauses with only a comma. The correct answer resolves this by replacing the comma with a semicolon, which is appropriate for connecting two closely related independent clauses. Additionally, 'time-saving' is correctly hyphenated as a compound adjective modifying 'shopping.'

17. Among the many fields of science, no matter what turns you on, there are several fields of study.

Answer: science, no matter which you choose,

The original sentence uses an informal and less precise phrase, 'no matter what turns you on.' The corrected option replaces this with the more formal and appropriate 'no matter which you choose.' This change improves the sentence's tone and clarity, making it suitable for a broader range of contexts.

18. The fact that boxing is known to cause head injuries and brain damage should lead us to inform the public and push for a ban on boxing.

Answer: should lead us to inform

The original sentence is grammatically correct and requires no changes. The modal verb 'should' correctly expresses a recommendation or obligation regarding the action. The infinitive phrase 'to inform' properly follows the verb 'lead,' maintaining correct verb usage and sentence structure.

19. The first part of the test was on chemistry, the second on mathematics, and the third on english.

Answer: on mathematics, and the third on English.

The original sentence incorrectly uses a lowercase 'e' for 'english.' 'English' is a proper noun, as it refers to a specific language, and therefore must always be capitalized. The corrected option properly capitalizes 'English,' adhering to standard grammar rules for proper nouns.

20. The Diary of Anne Frank showed a young girl's courage during two years of hiding.

Answer: shows a young girl's courage

When discussing the content or ongoing impact of literary works like 'The Diary of Anne Frank,' the present tense is generally preferred. The original sentence uses the past tense 'showed,' but the diary continues to 'show' or reveal Anne Frank's courage to readers today. Therefore, the present tense verb 'shows' is more appropriate to describe the enduring nature of the diary's message.