Title: Grammar Basics
Course: Question Banks

Q: The plural of child is ________ because it is a(n) ________.
- childs, regular plural. (Incorrect. The plural of child is not childs. It follows an irregular plural ending.)
- children, regular plural. (Incorrect. Children is the correct plural form of child, but it does not follow an accepted or standard pattern of pluralizing.)
- childrens, irregular plural. (Incorrect. Childrens is not the correct plural form of child. Remember that irregular plurals do not follow the same pattern that most regular plurals use.)
- children, irregular plural. (Correct. Children is the plural form of child, and it is irregular because it follows an irregular plural ending -en.)
A: children, irregular plural.

Q: Your friend wonders why doctor is written in lowercase, but Doctor Lund is uppercase. What should you tell him?
- Doctor Lund is a concrete noun, and doctor is an abstract noun. (Incorrect. Both of these words are concrete nouns, because concrete nouns are nouns that you can see, touch, or sense. These two words are different types of nouns.)
- Doctor Lund is a noun, and doctor is a pronoun. (Incorrect. Both of these words are nouns, but they are different types of nouns.)
- Doctor Lund has an irregular plural, and doctor has a regular plural. (Incorrect. These words are the same, and would have the same plural if they were pluralized. They are different types of nouns.)
- Doctor Lund is a proper noun, and doctor is a common noun. (Correct. A proper noun is referring to a specific person or place or thing, while a common noun is referring to a general class or type of things. Common nouns are always lowercase, while proper nouns are capitalized.)
A: Doctor Lund is a proper noun, and doctor is a common noun.

Q: What type of word identifies an idea?
- adjective (Incorrect. Adjectives are used to describe nouns, not to identify ideas.)
- adverb (Incorrect. Adverbs are used to describe verbs or adjectives, but not to identify ideas.)
- verb (Incorrect. Verbs are used to express the action in the sentence, not to identify ideas.)
- noun (Correct. Nouns identify things, which category includes people, places, and ideas (such as love, truth, or beauty).)
A: noun

Q: The correct plural form of the word “half” is
- halfs. (Incorrect. The word “half” follows a regular plural pattern, which requires a different ending.)
- halfes. (Incorrect. The word “half” follows a regular plural pattern, which requires a different ending.)
- halvs. (Incorrect. The word “half” follows a regular plural pattern, which requires a different ending.)
- halves. (Correct. The word “half” follows the regular plural pattern of most words ending in -f, where you change the -f to -v and add -es.)
A: halves.

Q: Which of the following is a compound noun?
- October (Incorrect. October is a proper noun as the name of a month, but it is not a compound noun.)
- independence (Incorrect. “Independence” is a noun with a prefix, but that does not make it a compound noun. A compound noun is the result of joining two nouns together to form a new word, and it acts as one word.)
- thunder (Incorrect. “Thunder” is not a compound noun. A compound noun is the result of joining two nouns together to form a new word, and it acts as one word.)
- basketball (Correct. A compound noun is the result of joining two nouns together to form a new word, and it acts as one word. “Basketball” is formed by combining “basket” and “ball,” so it is a compound noun.)
A: basketball

Q: In the sentence, “The team celebrated its triumphant win,” is the noun team considered singular or plural, and why?
- Team is singular because there is only one. (Incorrect. There is technically only one team, but it is actually a collective noun which is made up of individuals, so it acts differently than a standard singular noun. It is important to notice how the group is acting in the sentence to decide whether it is singular or plural.)
- Team is plural because it is made up of a lot of individual people. (Incorrect. “Team” is a collective noun which is made up of individual people, but collective nouns can be plural or singular depending on how the group is acting. In this case the team is acting as a single unit.)
- Team is plural because the group of people is acting separately in this sentence. (Incorrect. “Team” is a collective noun which is made up of individual people, but collective nouns can be plural or singular depending on how the group is acting. In this case the team is acting as a single unit and not acting separately; they are all celebrating together.)
- Team is singular because the group of individual people is acting as one unit. (Correct. “Team” is a collective noun which is made up of individual people, and in this sentence, the team is acting as a unit. Therefore the word “team” is singular in this sentence.)
A: Team is singular because the group of individual people is acting as one unit.

Q: In the sentence “It really was okay with her and I,” is the pronoun I used correctly?
- Yes, the use of I as a direct object is commonly heard and correct. (Incorrect. I is always used as a subject-case pronoun, and cannot be placed in a sentence as the object of a sentence. That means it must always be the one doing the action, not the one having the action done to it.)
- No, it’s not the sentence’s subject, so it should be myself. (Incorrect. Myself is a reflexive pronoun and should only be used when the subject and the object of the sentence are the same. The subject of this sentence is it, so the object cannot be myself.)
- Yes, the use of I when combined with her makes for a compound pronoun and is acceptable. (Incorrect. Her and I have different pronoun cases, so they do not go together as a compound pronoun. Her is an object-case pronoun, meaning it has the action done to it, and I is a subject-case pronoun, meaning that it should be the one doing the action.)
- No, it’s not the sentence’s subject, so it should be me. (Correct. These pronouns are in the position of being the object of the sentence. Her and me are both object-case pronouns, so they go together as a compound pronoun here.)
A: No, it’s not the sentence’s subject, so it should be me.

Q: What is the name of the part of speech that stands in place of a noun?
- participle (Incorrect. A participle is a word formed from a verb, like “burned” or “running,” and is not used to stand in place of a noun.)
- gerund (Incorrect. A gerund is a word derived from a verb, like “asking,” but which is used as a noun, such as “Do you mind my asking you?” It is not used to stand in place of a different noun.)
- verb (Incorrect. A verb expresses the action of the sentence, and is not used to stand in place of a noun.)
- pronoun (Correct. A pronoun replaces a noun, which is called the antecedent, to prevent the noun needing to be repeated over and over again.)
A: pronoun

Q: Which of these is a third-person singular pronoun?
- me (Incorrect. “Me” is a singular pronoun, referring to only one person, but it is a first-person pronoun, meaning that the speaker is the subject or object of the sentence.)
- we (Incorrect. “We” is a first-person pronoun, which is when the speaker is the subject, and it is plural, which means it refers to more than one person.)
- they (Incorrect. “They” is plural, referring to multiple people, and therefore cannot be a singular prounoun (which refers to only one person).)
- she (Correct. “She” is singular, meaning that it only refers to one person, and it is a third-person pronoun, meaning that it refers to someone separate from the speaker (“me”) and the listener (“you”). Other third-person singular pronouns include “he” or “it.”)
A: she

Q: Identify the subject-case pronoun in the following list.
- them (Incorrect. “Them” is an object-case pronoun, which means that it is used when something is being done to the pronoun, as in the sentence “We gave the books to them.” “Them” is an object receiving the books, and not a subject doing the action.)
- him (Incorrect. “Him” is an object-case pronoun, which means that it is used when something is being done to the pronoun, as in the sentence “We gave the books to him.” “Him” is an object receiving the books, and not a subject doing the action, which is where a subject-case pronoun goes.)
- her (Incorrect. “Her” is an object-case pronoun, which means that it is used when something is being done to the pronoun, as in the sentence “We gave the books to her.” “Her” is an object receiving the books, and not a subject doing the action, which is where a subject-case pronoun goes.)
- we (Correct. A subject-case pronoun is one that could be doing the action as the subject of the sentence. The sentence “We are going to the store” shows that “we” can be a subject of the sentence.)
A: we

Q: Which word is the pronoun and which is the antecedent in this sentence?

Alexander never knew how to address Christina, because she was easily offended.
- Pronoun = Alexander, Antecedent = Christina (Incorrect. A pronoun replaces a noun, and both Alexander and Christina are separate nouns in this sentence. Neither is replacing the other. Therefore neither of them can be a pronoun.)
- Pronoun = Christina, Antecedent = she (Incorrect. “Christina” is not a pronoun, but is an actual proper noun. “She” is a pronoun that is standing in for “Christina,” so “she” cannot be an antecedent.)
- Pronoun = she, Antecedent = Alexander (Incorrect. “She” is a feminine third-person singular pronoun, so we know that it does not refer to Alexander, which is a male name. It is important to match the pronoun and the antecedent in case, subject, number, and gender, and this would not match that antecedent.)
- Pronoun = she, Antecedent = Christina (Correct. “She” is a pronoun that is used to replace or stand in for the proper noun “Christina,” which is the antecedent for “she.”)
A: Pronoun = she, Antecedent = Christina

Q: Your instructor tells you that one of your sentences lacks antecedent clarity. What does this mean?
- You have used he, she, or it instead of her, him, or its. (Incorrect. This would be a situation of using the wrong case for a pronoun (like a subject-case pronoun like “he” instead of an object-case pronoun like “him), but it is not necessarily an issue with creating clarity of antecedent usage.)
- You have used reflexive pronouns, like “myself,” incorrectly. (Incorrect. Reflexive pronouns do not have to do with whether your antecedents and pronouns agree or are clear, although they should always match the antecedent in order to provide as much clarity as possible.)
- You have not used any indefinite pronouns like you were supposed to. (Incorrect. Indefinite pronouns do not have to do with whether your antecedents and pronouns agree or are clear.)
- When you use a pronoun, it’s not clear what it refers to. (Correct. Pronouns should always very clearly refer to a specific antecedent, instead of possibly referring to multiple nouns within the sentence. If it isn’t clear, the sentence will need to be revised.)
A: When you use a pronoun, it’s not clear what it refers to.

Q: Are the pronouns in this sentence used correctly?

- Dad gave Zane the car keys and said that he was becoming a much better driver.
- Yes, the pronoun use is correct. (Incorrect. The pronoun he is not clearly referring to either of the potential antecedents in this sentence. Since both Dad and Zane are third-person singular pronouns, is he referring to Dad or Zane? This sentence needs to be revised to make that more clear.)
- No, the pronoun him should be used instead of he. (Incorrect. The pronoun he is the correct pronoun case (it is a subject of the clause, not an object like him), so that is not the problem in this sentence. The problem has to do with antecedent clarity.)
- No, the pronoun he is the wrong case. (: Incorrect. The pronoun he is the correct pronoun case (it is a subject of the clause, not an object like him), so that is not the problem in this sentence. The problem has to do with antecedent clarity.)
- No, the pronoun he doesn’t have a clear antecedent. (Correct. The pronoun he is not clearly referring to either of the potential antecedents in this sentence. Since both Dad and Zane are third-person singular pronouns, is he referring to Dad or Zane? This sentence needs to be revised to make that more clear.)
A: No, the pronoun he doesn’t have a clear antecedent.

Q: Which sentence has a problem with antecedent agreement?
- She and I went to the movies. (Incorrect. Both she and I are subject-case pronouns and are being used correctly in this sentence, and it is clear who both antecedents are referring to.)
- They are so tired of doing all their group project themselves. (Incorrect. The pronouns their and themselves are clearly referring to the group they.)
- Susan gave the project to you and me. (Incorrect. The pronouns you and me are being used correctly in this sentence as object-case pronouns, and it is clear who the speaker is referring to.)
- When someone loses a job, they want a bit of hope. (Correct. The pronoun they is a plural pronoun, which should refer to a plural noun. However, the noun someone is a singular noun, so the antecedent and the pronoun are not matching and need to be revised.)
A: When someone loses a job, they want a bit of hope.

Q: What’s the best way, if any, to revise this sentence? “The passenger told the driver that he was going to go open the door and push him out if he continued to yell at everyone like that.”
- The passenger told the driver that the passenger was going to go open the door and push the driver out if the driver continued to yell at everyone like that. (Incorrect. This sentence no longer has any confusion of pronoun-antecedent agreement, but it is also much more clunky and hard to read.)
- The passenger said he was going to push him out of the door if he kept yelling. (Incorrect. This sentence makes more sense than the previous one, but this revision has left out some of the important information of the sentence and still does not provide any more clarity for the antecedents.)
- The sentence is correct as is. (Incorrect. This sentence has some confusion between pronouns and antecedents, so it is difficult to tell what noun or antecedent the pronoun is referring to. So it requires some revisions to make the sentence clear.)
- The passenger said that he was going to open the door and push the driver out if the driver continued to yell at everyone like that. (Correct. This sentence removes the confusion about which antecedents the pronouns are referring to, and makes it a much more readable sentence.)
A: The passenger said that he was going to open the door and push the driver out if the driver continued to yell at everyone like that.

Q: What’s the best way, if any, to revise this sentence? “Neither of my friends liked their meals. I couldn’t convince either to let my sister and me cook for them again.”
- Change my sister and me to my sister and I. (Incorrect. My sister and me is using appropriate pronouns in this sentence, and is not the place where revisions need to be made.)
- Change their meals to his or her meal. (Incorrect. This would be a correct first step in revising this sentence, but if this was the only change made, it would create more confusion with the pronoun them that does not match the previous pronouns or antecedents. All pronouns must match all antecedents.)
- This sentence is correct as is. (Incorrect. This sentence does not have correct pronoun-antecedent agreement when it comes to the pronouns referring to neither.)
- Change their meals to his or her meal and them to him or her. (Correct. Neither is a word that indicates a singular noun, and requires a singular pronoun to refer to it. His or her and him or her are the correct singular pronouns when referring to a singular antecedent, even if it feels awkward.)
A: Change their meals to his or her meal and them to him or her.

Q: What’s the best way, if any, to revise this sentence? “Neither of the monkeys plays with their toys, and she and I think it’s because they are too close to the lion enclosure.”
- Change she and I to her and me. (Incorrect. Her and me would be required if these pronouns were objects in the sentence, but they are subjects of the second clause in the sentence. She and I are correct in this sentence.)
- This sentence is correct as is. (Incorrect. This sentence does not have correct pronoun-antecedent agreement when it comes to the pronouns referring to neither.)
- Change it’s to its. (Incorrect. It’s means “it is” and is correct in this sentence. It doesn’t have anything to do with the correct pronoun usage in this sentence.)
- Change their to his or her. (Correct. Neither is a word that indicates a singular noun, and requires a singular pronoun to refer to it. His or her are the correct singular pronouns when referring to a singular antecedent, even if it feels awkward.)
A: Change their to his or her.

Q: In the sentence “I have paid my dues and suffered enough,” which word is the helping verb?
- paid (Incorrect. Paid is an active verb in this sentence and is expressing the main action of the sentence, so it is not a helping verb.)
- suffered (Incorrect. Suffered is an active verb in this sentence and is expressing a main action of the sentence, so it is not a helping verb.)
- None of these are helping verbs (Incorrect. A helping verb is one that helps to provide support and add additional meaning to a main active verb, and one of the verbs in this sentence is a helping verb. Figure out which of these verbs is not providing an action to the sentence.)
- have (Correct. The verb have here is helping the verb paid, and is expressing the correct tense and giving a sense of completion to this sentence.)
A: have

Q: Which of the following is true about helping verbs?
- They show what something is rather than what it does. (Incorrect. Helping verbs are used to give additional information or to modify a verb’s meaning in some way.)
- They cannot be used in the present tense--only the past. (Incorrect. Many helping verbs actually help to change the tense of an active verb and can be used in any tense. They provide a different type of support in the sentence.)
- They link a subject to the rest of the sentence. (Incorrect. A linking verb is known for linking a subject to the rest of the sentence, and does not provide a “real action” in the sentence. A helping verb provides a different support.)
- They provide support and more meaning to a verb. (Correct. Helping verbs give extra dimensions to what an active verb can mean, or can change the tense slightly to add more complexity to a sentence.)
A: They provide support and more meaning to a verb.

Q: Which of the following sentences has a transitive verb?
- We arrived at home in just a few minutes. (Incorrect. The verb “arrived” is an intransitive verb, because it does not have an object. Remember, intransitive verbs do not have objects, while transitive verbs do. Transitive verbs have to be done to something or someone, and intransitive verbs only need to be done by someone.)
- Julio went to campus. (Incorrect. The verb “went” is an intransitive verb, because it does not have an object. Remember, intransitive verbs do not have objects, while transitive verbs do. Transitive verbs have to be done to something or someone, and intransitive verbs only need to be done by someone.)
- Angela walked as fast as she could. (Incorrect. The verb “walked” is an intransitive verb, because it does not have an object. Remember, intransitive verbs do not have objects, while transitive verbs do. Transitive verbs have to be done to something or someone, and intransitive verbs only need to be done by someone.)
- Jaime sent me a postcard from Ecuador. (Correct. A transitive verb requires an object, and “sent” in this sentence has a direct and an indirect object. The indirect object is “me” and the direct object is “postcard.” These objects make “sent” a transitive verb.)
A: Jaime sent me a postcard from Ecuador.

Q: What does a linking verb do in a sentence?
- Works with another verb to express additional meaning (Incorrect. This is the definition of a helping verb, like the “have” in “I have eaten all of my lunch.” It provides more information than just the active verb. This is not a linking verb, however.)
- Expresses some sort of action (Incorrect. An active verb is one that expresses action. This is not the definition of a linking verb.)
- Expresses the emotion of the subject (Incorrect. Linking verbs are not used to express emotion. This is not the definition of a linking verb.)
- Connects the subject to the object without expressing any real action (Correct. A linking verb doesn’t express any real action, but acts more like an equal sign between the subject and the rest of the sentence. For example, the verb “is” in this sentence is a linking verb: “He is the happiest man I know.”)
A: Connects the subject to the object without expressing any real action

Q: Why is the past tense of sing is sang?
- Because sing is a complex verb (Incorrect. Sing is not a complex verb. The conjugation of the verb from present to past tense is not about whether it is complex or simple. Think about how the verbs are conjugated.)
- Because sing is a transitive verb (Incorrect. Sing is not a transitive verb, because it does not take an object, but that has nothing to do with how it conjugates. It depends on if it follows the regular rules of verb conjugations or not, and sing does not.)
- Because sing is an intransitive verb (Incorrect. Sing is an intransitive verb, because it does not take an object, but that has nothing to do with how it conjugates. It depends on if it follows the regular rules of verb conjugations or not, and sing does not.)
- Because sing is an irregular verb (Correct. Sing is an irregular verb, which means it does not follow the regular rules of conjugation when going into the past tense. These verbs are difficult to conjugate and require mostly memorization.)
A: Because sing is an irregular verb

Q: If you want to change the verb in the sentence “She cried about the breakup of her favorite band” to present tense, which phrase would you substitute for “cried”?
- had not been crying (Incorrect. This form of the verb is not the present tense, but is a form of a past tense. Think about which verb seems like it is happening right now.)
- will be crying (Incorrect. This form of the verb is not the present tense, but is in the future tense. Think about which verb seems like it is happening right now.)
- will have been crying (Incorrect. This form of the verb is not the present tense, but is a form of a future tense. Think about which verb seems like it is happening right now.)
- is crying (Correct. This verb is in the present tense and shows what “she” is doing right now in the present.)
A: is crying

Q: Riddhi wrote, “Because gun control laws are so vague, criminals were getting harder to catch.” What is wrong with the sentence’s grammar?
- Pronouns don’t agree with their antecedents. (Incorrect. There are no pronouns being used in this sentence, so the pronoun-antecedent agreement is not a problem in this sentence. Pay attention to the verbs being used in this sentence.)
- The adjectives aren’t placed correctly. (Incorrect. The adjectives are used correctly in this sentence. Pay attention to the verbs being used in this sentence.)
- There are no linking verbs in this sentence, and there should be. (Incorrect. There is a linking verb in this sentence: “Gun control laws are so vague” has a linking verb. However, linking verbs are not required to make a grammatically correct sentence, so this is not the main problem with this sentence. Pay attention to all of the verbs used in this sentence.)
- The verb tenses don’t match. (Correct. When one clause of the sentence is using a present-tense verb and another is using a past-tense verb, that means something is wrong with how they are working. The verbs should match in tense.)
A: The verb tenses don’t match.

Q: How would you change this sentence to make it grammatically correct? “She and I want to go to Europe by ourselves, but we didn’t have the money.”
- Change “ourselves” to “ourself.” (Incorrect. “Ourselves” is a correct pronoun to use here, and “ourself” wouldn’t make any sense, since it is a plural pronoun. This is not the problem with this sentence. Pay attention to the verbs used in this sentence.)
- Change “ourselves” to “myself.” (Incorrect. “Ourselves” is a correct pronoun to use here, and “myself” wouldn’t make any sense, since this sentence has a compound subject of “She and I.” This is not the problem with this sentence. Pay attention to the verbs used in this sentence.)
- Change “didn’t” to “did not.” (Incorrect. “Didn’t” is just an abbreviation for “did not,” so changing “didn’t” to “did not” does not change the meaning of the sentence and would not fix any problems that have occurred in the sentence.)
- Change “didn’t” to “don’t.” (Correct. The problem with this sentence is that the verb tenses in the two clauses don’t match. The verb “want” is in the present tense, and the verb “didn’t” in the second clause is in the past tense. The two verbs need to match in tense for the sentence to be correct.)
A: Change “didn’t” to “don’t.”

Q: In the following sentence, which is the verb is in a continuous tense?

- Even though he cried every night for weeks, he is growing stronger and may soon overcome his fear of spiders.
- cried because it is a completed action (Incorrect. A continuous tense shows the opposite of a completed action; it should give a sense of continuity or ongoing action. Cried is not in a continuous tense.)
- may soon overcome because it is something that could happen in the future (Incorrect. A continuous tense should give a sense of continuity or ongoing action, and may soon overcome is not indicating that anything has happened or is continuing. This verb is not in a continuous tense.)
- None of these are a continuous tense. (Incorrect. A continuous tense should give a sense of continuity or ongoing action, and a continuous verb is formed by combining “to be” with a present participle or “ing” verb. Think about which verb in this sentence fulfills those criteria.)
- is growing because it is ongoing (Correct. Is growing is a continuous verb because it gives a sense of continuity or ongoing action, it is formed by combining “to be” with a present participle or “ing” verb.)
A: is growing because it is ongoing

Q: Explain if the verb usage in this sentence is right or wrong.

- The organization that helps flooding victims are holding a charity auction tomorrow.
- It’s right because the subject, flooding victims, is plural and this agrees with the plural verb are. (Incorrect. The subject of this sentence is not actually flooding victims but is the organization, which is singular. This means the verb must be singular as well. Be sure not to be distracted by phrases that come in between the subject and the verb.)
- It’s right because are is a helping verb. (Incorrect. The type of verb does not matter in determining whether the subject and verb agree. No matter what type of verb is being used, it must always agree in number with the subject.)
- It’s wrong because are is a linking verb and should never be pluralized. (Incorrect. The type of verb does not matter in determining whether the subject and verb agree. No matter what type of verb is being used, it must always agree in number with the subject. Any type of verbs can be singular or plural depending on the situation and what number the subject is.)
- It’s wrong because are is plural and the subject, the organization, is singular. (Correct. The subject of this sentence is the organization and it must have a matching singular verb to agree with it.)
A: It’s wrong because are is plural and the subject, the organization, is singular.

Q: Choose the correct verb for this sentence: “He and I ________ walking home after the play.”
- is (Incorrect. This sentence has a compound subject with “He and I.” Compound subjects, when joined by “and,” almost always take a plural verb, because it is combining two different subjects together. “Is” would be a singular verb and would not work with this compound subject.)
- was (Incorrect. This sentence has a compound subject with “He and I.” Compound subjects, when joined by “and,” almost always take a plural verb, because it is combining two different subjects together. “Was” would be a singular past-tense verb and would not work with this compound subject.)
- am (Incorrect. Although the verb “am” might work with the singular subject “I,” the subject in this sentence is not just “I,” but is actually “He and I.” That means this sentence has a compound subject joined by the conjunction “and,” which requires a plural verb.)
- are (Correct. The subject of the sentence is a compound subject: “He and I.” It requires a plural verb, which in this case, is “are.”)
A: are

Q: Choose the correct verb for this sentence: “Either my mom or my sisters ________ going to bring over the puppy for us to watch today.”
- is (Incorrect. This sentence has a compound subject joined by the conjunction “or,” which means that the verb must agree with the closest subject. The closest subject in this sentence is “my sisters,” which is plural, and this means that the verb must be plural as well. “Is” is a singular verb and therefore does not agree with the subject.)
- was (Incorrect. This sentence has a compound subject joined by the conjunction “or,” which means that the verb must agree with the closest subject. The closest subject in this sentence is “my sisters,” which is plural, and this means that the verb must be plural as well. “Was” is a singular past-tense verb and therefore does not agree with the subject.)
- am (Incorrect. This sentence has a compound subject joined by the conjunction “or,” which means that the verb must agree with the closest subject. The closest subject in this sentence is “my sisters,” which is plural, and this means that the verb must be plural as well. “Am” is a singular first-person verb and therefore does not agree with the subject.)
- are (Correct. When a sentence has a compound subject joined by the conjunction “or,” it means that the verb must agree with the closest subject. If the closest subject is singular, the verb must be singular. In this case, the closest subject is “my sisters,” which is plural, so the verb must also be plural. “Are” is the correct verb for this sentence.)
A: are

Q: In the following sentence, explain which is the non-finite verb.

- To discover the origin of cancer remained my friend’s greatest wish.
- remained because the action takes place in the past (Incorrect. A non-finite verb doesn’t actually provide the action of the sentence, and does not take the place of a verb. Remained is a verb in the past tense, which means it cannot be a non-finite verb.)
- wish because it’s not clear when this action is taking place (Incorrect. Wish is actually a noun in this sentence, and is not a non-finite verb.)
- None of these are non-finite verbs. (Incorrect. One of these is a non-finite verb, which by definition looks like a verb, but does not provide action in the sentence and is in a different spot in the sentence.)
- to discover because the it is the subject of the sentence (Correct. Non-finite verbs look like verbs, but act in other roles and don’t provide the action of the sentence. In this sentence, to discover is the subject of the sentence, which makes it a non-finite verb.)
A: to discover because the it is the subject of the sentence

Q: Identify the gerund in this sentence: “Eating ice cream can be difficult if your ice cream is melting and making a mess.”
- melting (Incorrect. Melting is acting as a verb and is providing action in this sentence. It is actually a part of a present continuous tense verb. Just because a verb has an -ing at the end does not mean that it is a gerund.)
- making (Incorrect. Making is acting as a verb and is providing action in this sentence. It is actually a part of a present continuous tense verb. Just because a verb has an -ing at the end does not mean that it is a gerund.)
- is (Incorrect. Is is just a verb in this sentence, providing the main action of the sentence. A gerund always ends with -ing, and acts as a noun, so this verb definitely is not a gerund.)
- Eating (Correct. Eating ends with an -ing and is acting as a noun in this sentence. Eating ice cream is the subject of the sentence, which makes it a noun, and shows that it is a gerund.)
A: Eating

Q: Identify the infinitive verb in this sentence: “You think you know all the answers, but the guy to save us on this group project is Luis.”
- think (Incorrect. An infinitive is almost always preceded by to. Because it is a non-finite verb, it does not act as a verb in the sentence and should not be providing any of the action. Think is the main verb of the first clause of this sentence, so it is acting as a verb and therefore is not an infinitive.)
- know (Incorrect. An infinitive is almost always preceded by to. Because it is a non-finite verb, it does not act as a verb in the sentence and should not be providing any of the action. Know has a subject and is the verb providing action for that subject, so it is acting as a verb and therefore is not an infinitive.)
- is (Incorrect. An infinitive is almost always preceded by to. Because it is a non-finite verb, it does not act as a verb in the sentence and should not be providing any of the action. Is is the main verb of the second clause of this sentence, so it is acting as a verb and therefore is not an infinitive.)
- save (Correct. Save is preceded by to, which indicates that it is an infinitive, but it is also being used as a modifier in this sentence and not as a verb, which indicates that it is a non-finite verb. It is not providing any action in this sentence.)
A: save

Q: You are explaining adjectives and how they are ordered to a non-native English speaker. What should you tell her?
- Adjectives always describe verbs, so make sure they come before that verb. (Incorrect. Adjectives do not describe verbs, but nouns. Adverbs are words that describe verbs.)
- Adjectives always come at the end of a sentence. (Incorrect. Adjectives always come before the noun they are modifying, or after a linking verb that links the adjective to the noun.)
- The order doesn’t matter; you can place them in whatever order sounds good to you. (Incorrect. There is a prescribed order that adjectives are supposed to follow when there are multiple adjectives modifying the same noun.)
- Adjectives occur in order according to their category. (Correct. There is a prescribed order that adjectives are supposed to follow when there are multiple adjectives modifying the same noun. Native English speakers know this order naturally, but your non-native English-speaking firend should study the order of adjectives to know how to order their adjectives.)
A: Adjectives occur in order according to their category.

Q: In the sentence “I listened to him distractedly because I was editing a complex essay,” which word is the adjective?
- distractedly (Incorrect. “Distractedly” is modifying the verb “listened,” which means that it is an adverb and not an adjective.)
- listened (Incorrect. “Listened” is a verb expressing the action of the sentence, which means it cannot be an adjective.)
- None of these are adjectives. (Incorrect. There is an adjective in this sentence. It is a word modifying or describing a noun.)
- complex (Correct. The word “complex” is modifying or describing the noun “essay,” which makes it an adjective.)
A: complex

Q: Sofia wants a word that can describe the storm she saw yesterday. She is looking for
- a proper noun. (Incorrect. Proper nouns are nouns that refer to specific things, like names or brands. A proper noun is not used to describe other nouns.)
- an adverb. (Incorrect. Adverbs are used to modify or describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs, but they cannot be used to describe a noun like “storm.” That requires a different type of word.)
- a pronoun. (Incorrect. A pronoun is used to replace a noun, not to describe it. This requires a different type of word.)
- an adjective. (Correct. Adjectives are used to modify or describe nouns, and provide more detail about them.)
A: an adjective.

Q: If you were describing a lake with the following three adjectives, which order would you put them in and why?
- “The immense African charming lake” because the order goes size, origin, then opinion (Incorrect. The Royal Order of Adjectives follows a different order. Opinions come first before other types of adjectives.)
- “The charming African immense lake” because the order goes opinion, origin, then size (Incorrect. The Royal Order of Adjectives follows a different order. Opinions come first before other types of adjectives, but origin should come last.)
- “The African immense charming lake” because the order goes origin, size, then opinion (Incorrect. The Royal Order of Adjectives follows a different order. Opinions come first before other types of adjectives.)
- “The charming immense African lake” because the order goes opinion, size, then origin (Correct. The Royal Order of Adjectives requires that the adjectives in this sentence should go in this order. The only way to know this order is by practice.)
A: “The charming immense African lake” because the order goes opinion, size, then origin

Q: What does it mean if an adjective is comparable?
- It means that it can only be one or the other; either something is that adjective or it isn’t. (Incorrect. This is actually the definition of the opposite, an adjective that is non-comparable. Non-comparable adjectives either are or aren’t, like, for example, “dead.” What does that tell you about comparable adjectives?)
- It means that it should always come first in the order of adjectives. (Incorrect. Whether an adjective is comparable or not has nothing to do with where it falls in the correct order of adjectives. It has more to do with how those words are used.)
- It means that it is an adjective that is comparing the noun to another type of noun. (Incorrect. A comparable adjective means that the adjective can be compared more to itself, not about how it is comparing two different nouns.)
- It means that it exists on a continuum; something can be more of that adjective than another thing. (Correct. For example, if one person is careful, another person can be more careful, and another person could be the most careful. There are different degrees of the adjective “careful,” and this makes that adjective comparable to itself.)
A: It means that it exists on a continuum; something can be more of that adjective than another thing.

Q: The sentence “I know I don’t run quick, but I jump pretty good” is grammatically incorrect. What is the most effective way to revise it?
- I know I don’t run quickly, but I jump pretty good. (Incorrect. There are two adverbs in this sentence that need to be modified. Quickly is one of them, but good is not being used correctly in this sentence. Good is an adjective and should be used in the place of an adverb.)
- I know I don’t run quick, but I jump pretty well. (Incorrect. There are two adverbs in this sentence that need to be modified. Good being changed to well is correct, but quick also needs to be changed. Quick is an adjective that is being used in the place of an adverb, so it needs to be changed to revise the sentence to be correct.)
- I know I don’t run quickly, but I jump pretty well. (Correct. The adjectives quick and good have been revised to become the adverbs quickly and well, so this sentence is now grammatically correct.)
A: I know I don’t run quickly, but I jump pretty well.

Q: In the following sentence, identify the relative adverb.

- When she breaks the news, make sure you are close by and ready with a calming cup of tea.
- close because it gives more information about where you are. (Incorrect. Close is an adjective modifying you in this sentence, so it is not a relative adverb. Adverbs do not modify nouns; they modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.)
- calming because it modifies the noun cup of tea. (Incorrect. Calming is an adjective modifying the noun cup of tea in this sentence, so it is not a relative adverb. Adverbs do not modify nouns; they modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.)
- ready because it is modifying the words close by. (Incorrect. Ready is an adjective modifying you in this sentence, so it is not a relative adverb. Adverbs do not modify nouns; they modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.)
- When because relative adverbs are question words. (Correct. When is a relative adverb that is introducing a phrase that is telling the listener when something is supposed to happen. It is modifying the whole phrase, which makes this use of when an adverb.)
A: When because relative adverbs are question words.

Q: Which two words in this sentence are adverbs?

- She almost always stops for lunch, but she was afraid she might be late for her date.
- Afraid and might (Incorrect. Afraid is an adjective modifying the pronoun she. Since the word is modifying a noun, it cannot be an adverb.)
- Stops and was (Incorrect. Both of these words are verbs expressing the action of their clauses, which means they cannot be adverbs.)
- Afraid and late (Incorrect. Both afraid and late are adjectives modifying the pronoun she.)
- Almost and always (Correct. Almost and always are both adverbs; almost is modifying the adverb always and always is modifying the verb stops.)
A: Almost and always

Q: Read the following sentence and decide if it is grammatically correct or not.

- Paying for college is an investment, it will enrich my life and career.
- It is correct because you can use a comma by itself to connect two separate ideas. (Incorrect. A comma is not sufficient to connect two independent clauses, but it needs some sort of conjunction to connect them.)
- It is not correct because there should be a comma before and career. (Incorrect. Commas are not required before every conjunction. When a conjunction such as and is joining two words instead of two phrases, a comma is not required before it. There is a different problem with this sentence.)
- It is not correct because this sentence needs two correlative conjunctions for it to make sense. (Incorrect. Correlative conjunctions are words such as either …. or which join words or groups of words that are of equal weight in a sentence. They can be useful but they are not required, and would not be helpful in fixing this sentence. There is a different problem with this sentence.)
- It is not correct because it needs a conjunction after the comma before the word it. (Correct. When there are two independent clauses in a sentence, they need to be joined by conjunctions, such as and or so.)
A: It is not correct because it needs a conjunction after the comma before the word it.

Q: Identify the conjunction in the list below.
- too (Incorrect. Too is an adverb which can modify an adjective or another adverb, and is not a conjunction, which should join together phrases or words.)
- are (Incorrect. Are is a verb, and not a conjunction, which is used to join together phrases or words.)
- the (Incorrect. The is an article and not a conjunction, which is used to join together phrases or words.)
- but (Correct. But is a coordinating conjunction which can join two equivalent items, like two nouns or two verbs.)
A: but

Q: What does a conjunction do?
- It describes or modifies an action. (Incorrect. Adverbs are used to describe or modify verbs, but not conjunctions.)
- It is a person, place, thing, or idea. (Incorrect. This defines a noun, but not a conjunction.)
- It indicates time or location for the meaning of the sentence. (Incorrect. Conjunctions are used for a different purpose. This describes the role of prepositions, which are different than conjunctions.)
- It joins sentences, phrases, or words. (Correct. Conjunctions join different items together. There are many different types of conjunctions, but they all serve this same purpose.)
A: It joins sentences, phrases, or words.

Q: Which of the following is not one of the coordinating conjunctions?
- Or (Incorrect. Or is one of the coordinating conjunctions. You can easily remember what the coordinating conjunctions are by using the acronym FANBOYS to remember “for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.”)
- Yet (Incorrect. Yet is one of the coordinating conjunctions. You can easily remember what the coordinating conjunctions are by using the acronym FANBOYS to remember “for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.”)
- So (Incorrect. So is one of the coordinating conjunctions. You can easily remember what the coordinating conjunctions are by using the acronym FANBOYS to remember “for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.”)
- Thus (Correct. Thus is not one of the coordinating conjunctions. It is a conjunction, but is considered an adverbial conjunction that links two separate sentences or independent clauses, and it follows different rules for punctuation than coordinating conjunctions. You can easily remember what the coordinating conjunctions are by using the acronym FANBOYS to remember “for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.”)
A: Thus

Q: Which of the following are not a pair of correlative conjunctions?
- Neither . . . nor (Incorrect. Neither … nor is a pair of correlative conjunctions, which are used to join groups of words that are of equal weight in sentences. The two of these words work together and when one is used, it sets up the expectation that the other will follow.)
- As much . . . as (Incorrect. As much … as is a pair of correlative conjunctions, which are used to join groups of words that are of equal weight in sentences. The two of these words work together and when one is used, it sets up the expectation that the other will follow.)
- Rather . . . than (Incorrect. Rather … than is a pair of correlative conjunctions, which are used to join groups of words that are of equal weight in sentences. The two of these words work together and when one is used, it sets up the expectation that the other will follow.)
- Unless . . . it (Correct. Unless … it is not a pair of correlative conjunctions. Unless is a conjunction, but it is not, and they do not go together to create meaning in a sentence.)
A: Unless . . . it

Q: Which word in this sentence is the subordinating conjunction?

- Janae begins to sneeze whenever she opens the window to let in some fresh air, so she has to live with a stuffy apartment.
- Some (Incorrect. Some is not a conjunction, but is an adverb modifying the word fresh in this sentence.)
- So (Incorrect. So is a coordinating conjunction, not a subordinating conjunction. Coordinating conjunctions join two clauses or words that are of equal weight or are similar types, but subordinating conjunctions join a dependent clause to an independent clause, which is to say that they “subordinate” the clause to make it dependent.)
- Stuffy (Incorrect. Stuffy is an adjective modifying apartment in this sentence, so it is definitely not a conjunction, which joins words or phrases together.)
- Whenever (Correct. Whenever is a subordinating conjunction because it is joining a dependent clause to an independent clause in this sentence.)
A: Whenever

Q: Is the following sentence punctuated correctly, and why?

- I woke up extremely late this morning; nevertheless, I raced to get ready and was not late for school.
- No, because the adverbial conjunction nevertheless is combining the two ideas, and when it separates two independent clauses, a comma should be used before and after. (Incorrect. Adverbial conjunctions should have a semicolon before them when they are joining two independent clauses. If they are just interrupting one clause, they can just have a comma before and after.)
- No, because this sentence is a run-on and needs to be separated into two distinct sentences to remove the problem. (Incorrect. This sentence could be separated into two sentences, but that is not necessary for it to be written correctly. When a semicolon is used to separate two independent clauses, it is correct.)
- No, because the adverbial conjunction nevertheless requires a semicolon before and after it to indicate that it is changing the subject of the sentence. (Incorrect. The adverbial conjunction does require a semicolon before it when it is combining two independent clauses, but you should not include a second semicolon. A comma would be more appropriate instead of a second semicolon.)
- Yes, because the adverbial conjunction nevertheless is combining two independent clauses, and a semicolon should go before an adverbial conjunction in this case. (Correct. Adverbial conjunctions should have a semicolon before them when they are joining two independent clauses. If they are just interrupting one clause, they can just have a comma before and after.)
A: Yes, because the adverbial conjunction nevertheless is combining two independent clauses, and a semicolon should go before an adverbial conjunction in this case.

Q: Which of the following is true about prepositions?
- They are words that modify a noun. (Incorrect. Words that modify a noun are considered adjectives. Prepositions do not have to do with modifying nouns.)
- They are words that combine with verbs to explain more about an action. (Incorrect. Prepositions are words that indicate the relation between things, indicating time, space, or more abstract relationships. They do not combine with any other types of words.)
- They cannot end a sentence. (Incorrect. There used to be a standard rule in English that ending a sentence with a preposition was incorrect, but that rule is only based on the way Latin works, instead of the different expectations of English. It is 100% okay to end a sentence with a preposition.)
- They are a closed group, meaning new ones aren’t being invented. (Correct. There is a set list of prepositions, and there can’t be any new ones added to that list. The English language changes over time, but prepositions do not change.)
A: They are a closed group, meaning new ones aren’t being invented.

Q: Identify the prepositions in this sentence: “My parents waited for years to travel with my sister, and they finally left ten days ago.”
- my, to, with (Incorrect. With is a preposition, but to is part of an infinitive verb to travel in this sentence, and my is a pronoun.)
- with, finally, ago (Incorrect. With and ago are both prepositions, but finally is an adverb modifying the verb left, so this is not a completely correct answer.)
- to, my, ten (Incorrect. My is a pronoun, ten is an adjective, and to is a part of an infinitive verb in this sentence. None of these words are prepositions.)
- for, with, ago (Correct. For, withy, and ago are all prepositions expressing time (for years, ago) and relationship (with my sister).)
A: for, with, ago

Q: What’s the best way, if any, to revise this sentence?

“Because her father trusted her to do anything as she grew up, she wasn’t dependent with anyone; she also learned at a young age how to use a chainsaw.”
- Change learned at to learned in because that is the correct prepositional phrase. (Incorrect. Learned at is a correct use of the preposition at, because it indicates a time at which something happened.)
- This sentence is correct as written. (Incorrect. A preposition in this sentence is being misused and changing the meaning of the sentence, which will provide confusion to the readers.)
- Change the preposition as to while because that is a more proper use of a preposition. (Incorrect. As and while are not prepositions, but conjunctions. Either one of them provides the same meaning for the sentence, so changing one of them to the other would not help fix any problems with this sentence.)
- Change dependent with to dependent on because that is the correct prepositional phrase. (Correct. Dependent on is the correct use of the preposition, and using an incorrect preposition will confuse readers and change the meaning of the sentence. This is the main thing that needs to be changed in this sentence.)
A: Change dependent with to dependent on because that is the correct prepositional phrase.

Q: In the following sentence, what words are the prepositions?

- When she went to bed that night, she dreamed of the ocean, and when she woke up, the waves were still behind her eyes.
- When, of, and up because these words link sentences, phrases, and other words (Incorrect. Of is a preposition, but the others are not. Words that link sentences, phrases, and other words are conjunctions, not prepositions.)
- Of, up, still, and behind because these words reference and describe nouns (Incorrect. Several of these are prepositions (f, and behind), but the others are adverbs which are modifying other words instead of indicating the relationship between items in the sentence.)
- She and her because those take the place of nouns. (Incorrect. These are both pronouns, which by definition take the place of another noun.)
- of, to, and behind because these words indicate location, time, or more abstract relationships (Correct. These words are all prepositions, and this is the main role of the preposition.)
A: of, to, and behind because these words indicate location, time, or more abstract relationships

Q: How are the words “the” and “a” different?
- One is used with nouns, and the other is used with verbs. (Incorrect. Either article can be used with any part of speech.)
- “A” is more formal and more accepted in academic writing. (Incorrect. Either “the” or “a” can be used in any setting of any formality.)
- There is no difference. You can use them interchangeably. (Incorrect. “The” and “a” indicate different things and should be used specifically when called for. When referring to something specific and definite, “the” should be used, and when referring to any member of a group, “a” should be used.)
- “The” is for a specific term, and “a” is for any of those terms. (Correct. “The” is called the definite article, and its use lets the reader know that it is referring to something specific. “As” is called the indefinite article, and it refers to any member of a group. Think about the difference between the phrases “the boy” and “a boy.”)
A: “The” is for a specific term, and “a” is for any of those terms.

Q: You are tutoring someone who isn’t sure whether he should use the or a in the sentence “After all this time, I learned that I should always listen to ________ good piece of advice.” What should you tell him?
- You should use the because you’re talking about a specific piece of advice. (Incorrect. The speaker is not referring to a specific piece of advice, which means the definite article is not needed.)
- You should use a because you’re differentiating advice you’ve been given from advice others have been given. (Incorrect. If you are differentiating and referring to a specific piece of advice, you should use “the” since that is what the definite article is for. However, that is not what is happening in this sentence.)
- Either one can be used because it doesn’t matter as long as you know what you’re talking about. (Incorrect. “The” and “a” indicate different things and should be used specifically when called for. When referring to something specific and definite, “the” should be used, and when referring to any member of a group, “a” should be used.)
- You should use a because you’re talking about one piece of advice out of many. (Correct. When you’re referring to an item out of a group, but not something specific, the indefinite article “a” is most appropriate.)
A: You should use a because you’re talking about one piece of advice out of many.

Q: What’s the best way, if any, to revise this sentence?

“Even though he was sure he wouldn’t miss her when he left for the summer, he found himself writing her a really long letter.”
- Change a really long to really a long, since this is the correct way to use really plus an article. (Incorrect. While there are certain words that can precede the article, really is not one of them. It should not be moved in front of the article in this situation.)
- Change a really long to the really long, since you are referring to a specific letter. (Incorrect. This is not referring to a specific letter, so a definite article is not necessary.)
- Remove the article altogether, because it is not necessary to the meaning of the sentence. (Incorrect. Using an article is necessary to identify the noun in this sentence. It would be more confusing having removed the article.)
- This sentence is correct as written. (Correct. The article usage in a really long letter is correct and provides enough context for the reader to understand what is happening. This sentence is correct and does not require any revision.)
A: This sentence is correct as written.

Q: Your classmate is confused about the difference between a subject and a predicate. How would you explain the difference to them?
- A subject has to be a noun, and a predicate has to be a verb, but they can be used interchangeably depending on your sentence. (Incorrect. The subject is a noun, and the predicate does have a verb, but they cannot be used interchangeably. They are always used in the same way in every sentence--each sentence must have a subject and a predicate to be a complete thought.)
- “Subject” is just another word for “noun,” and “predicate” is just another word for “verb,” but neither one is necessary for a sentence to be complete. (Incorrect. A “subject” is not just another word for “noun” and a “predicate” is not just another word for “verb.” A subject must be a noun--the main noun of the sentence--and the predicate is the rest of the sentence that tells what happens to the verb.)
- The subject is any noun in your sentence, and the predicate is the main verb in your sentence. (Incorrect. The subject does need to be a noun, and the predicate explains what happens to that subject, but they cannot be just any noun or verb in the sentence.)
- A subject is the noun or noun phrase that the sentence is about, and the predicate is the rest of the sentence that is not the subject, including the verb and objects of the verb. (Correct. This is a very clear definition of a subject and a predicate. A predicate is more than just a verb, but is the rest of the sentence that explains what is happening to the subject.)
A: A subject is the noun or noun phrase that the sentence is about, and the predicate is the rest of the sentence that is not the subject, including the verb and objects of the verb.

Q: Can you identify the subject and the predicate in this sentence, and explain your choice?

- The actor was determined not to let one bad performance ruin his career
- The subject is the actor, because that is the noun the sentence is about, and the predicate is was, because that is the main verb of the sentence. (The subject is correct here, but the predicate is more than just the verb of the sentence. The predicate is the rest of the sentence after the subject.)
- The subject is career because that is the point of the sentence, and the predicate is was determined because that is the complete verb of the sentence. (Incorrect. The subject of the sentence is the noun that is doing the action, or is the main noun that the sentence is about, and that is not career in this sentence. The predicate is also more than just the verb, but is the rest of the sentence after the subject.)
- The subject is performance because that is what the sentence is about, and the predicate is was determined not to let one bad performance ruin his career because that is what the rest of the sentence is saying about the subject. (Incorrect. The predicate here is correct, but the subject is not the performance of the actor. The subject is always the noun that is doing the action in the sentence, which in this case, is the actor.)
- The subject is actor because that is the main noun that the sentence is about, and the predicate is was determined not to let one bad performance ruin his career because that is what the rest of the sentence is saying about the subject. (Correct. The subject is the main noun of the sentence, and the predicate is the rest of the sentence after the subject, including the verb.)
A: The subject is actor because that is the main noun that the sentence is about, and the predicate is was determined not to let one bad performance ruin his career because that is what the rest of the sentence is saying about the subject.

Q: There are two predicates in this sentence (also known as a compound predicate). Please identify the subject and the two predicates, and explain your choice.

- Kaori, the school genius, finished her science fair project and was determined to win the first place prize again for the third year in a row.
- The subject is Kaori because that is the noun the sentence is about, and the predicates are finished and was determined because those are the main verbs of the sentence. (Incorrect. The subject is correct, but the predicates are more than just the main verb in the sentence. The predicate tells us what the subject is or does, so it includes the verbs, but also includes everything else in the sentence that is not the subject.)
- The subject is school genius because that is the main noun of the sentence, and the predicates are science fair project and first place prize because those are the other main nouns in the sentence. (Incorrect. The subject of the sentence is the main noun that the sentence is about, which in this case is Kaori, and the predicates in the sentence should be the rest of the sentence that tells you what the subject is doing, including the verb. So the predicates are not the other nouns in the sentence.)
- The subject is science fair project because that is the main object of the sentence, and the predicates are finished her science fair project and was determined to win because those are the verbs that express the action of the sentence. (Incorrect. The subject of the sentence is the main noun that the sentence is about, which is doing the action for the sentence. The predicates are more than just the verbs in the sentence, but are the rest of the sentence that tell you what the subject is.)
- The subject is Kaori because that is the main noun the sentence is about, and the predicates are finished her science fair project and was determined to win the first place prize again for the third year in a row because those contain the verbs of the sentence and are explaining what the subject is doing in the sentence. (Correct. The subject is the main noun the sentence is about, and the predicates are the rest of the sentence that tell us what the subject does or is.)
A: The subject is Kaori because that is the main noun the sentence is about, and the predicates are finished her science fair project and was determined to win the first place prize again for the third year in a row because those contain the verbs of the sentence and are explaining what the subject is doing in the sentence.

Q: In the following sentence, identify the direct and the indirect objects and explain your choice.

- The book my professor assigned me is incredibly long.
- The direct object is professor because professor is the one doing the action, and the indirect object is bookbecause book is the thing being assigned. (Incorrect. The professor is the one doing the action, which means that he cannot be an object of the sentence. The direct object is always the object that the verb is happening to, and the indirect object is receiving the action or the direct object.)
- The direct object is book because book is the thing being assigned, and the indirect object is professor because professor is the one assigning it. (Incorrect. The direct object is book, but the indirect object is not professor. The indirect object is the thing receiving the action of the verb, and the professor in this sentence is the one doing the action instead of receiving it.)
- The direct object is book because book is the thing being assigned, and there is no indirect object in this sentence. (Incorrect. The direct object is indeed book, but there is an indirect object. It is the thing/person in the sentence that is receiving the action, or receiving the direct object.)
- The indirect object is me because me is the thing receiving the action, and the direct object is book because book is the thing being assigned. (Correct. The direct object is always the object that the verb is happening to, and the indirect object is receiving the action or the direct object.)
A: The indirect object is me because me is the thing receiving the action, and the direct object is book because book is the thing being assigned.

Q: Your peer is working on understanding direct objects and indirect objects. He has written the following passage, italicized the direct objects, and bolded the indirect objects. What piece of feedback is the correct one to give him?

Scarab beetles have horns and luminous wings. Most people know that Egyptians ascribed them magical powers. Fewer people know that these insects occupied a mystical place in civilizations far older than ancient Egypt. People who lived 20,000 years ago probably put the beetles on their hearts or foreheads. Now, people often sell tourists beetle-shaped “ancient” pendants that are, of course, new.
- Hearts and foreheads aren’t indirect objects. (Incorrect. Both hearts and foreheads are receiving the action of the sentence. The beetles were put on them, which means they are receiving the direct object, and which makes them the indirect objects.)
- Them is an indirect object, and powers is a direct object. (Incorrect. The verb ascribed is referring specifically to the noun powers, which makes that the direct object and them the indirect object.)
- Tourists is a direct object, and pendants is an indirect object. (Incorrect. The verb of the sentence is sell, and the items being sold, or receiving that verb, are the pendants, which makes that word the direct object. The people being sold to, or the tourists, are the indirect object of the sentence.)
- The underlining and italicizing are correct. (Correct. The direct and indirect objects have been correctly identified in this paragraph. Remember that the direct objects always have the verb happening to them, and the indirect objects are receiving the verb.)
A: The underlining and italicizing are correct.

Q: In the following sentence, identify the direct and the indirect objects and explain your choice.

- Tomas paid the mechanic $200 to fix his squeaky brakes.
- Tomas is the direct object because it is the thing doing the action, and $200 is the indirect object because it is the thing receiving the action. (Incorrect. Tomas is the subject of the sentence, the one doing the action, so he cannot be an object of the sentence. The direct object should be the thing taking the action of the main verb. The indirect object is also not $200, because it should be the thing receiving the action.)
- $200 is the indirect object because it is receiving the action, and Tomas is the direct object because it is the thing doing the action. (Incorrect. The direct object should be the thing taking the action of the main verb. Also, Tomas is the subject of the sentence, the one doing the action, so he cannot be an object of the sentence.)
- The mechanic is the direct object because it is the thing receiving the action, and there is no indirect object in this sentence. (Incorrect. The direct object is not the mechanic, because the mechanic is not the object the verb is happening to. Additionally, there is an indirect object. It is the thing/person in the sentence that is receiving the action, or receiving the direct object.)
- $200 is the direct object because it is the thing being paid, and the mechanic is the indirect object because it is the thing receiving the object being paid. (Correct. The direct object is always the object that the verb is happening to (in this case, the $200 being paid), and the indirect object is receiving the action or the direct object (in this case, the mechanic receiving the money).)
A: $200 is the direct object because it is the thing being paid, and the mechanic is the indirect object because it is the thing receiving the object being paid.

Q: Is the following a phrase or a clause? Explain your choice.

- Much too quickly to see clearly
- A phrase, because it cannot stand alone as a sentence. (Incorrect. This cannot stand alone as a sentence, but that is not the determining factor as to whether something is a phrase or a clause. Phrases cannot stand alone, but neither can some clauses. The most important thing is whether it has a subject and a verb, because a clause always has both, and a phrase does not. Check whether this group of words has a subject and a verb.)
- A clause, because it has a verb in it, and phrases cannot have verbs. (Incorrect. Phrases can have verbs (some are called verbal phrases), but they cannot have a subject and a verb together. Clauses always do. Check whether this group of words has a subject and a verb.)
- A clause, because it is too long to be a simple phrase. (Incorrect. Length has nothing to do with whether a group of words is a phrase or a clause. Some clauses are only two words, whereas some phrases can be much longer. The most important thing is whether it has a subject and a verb, because a clause always has both, and a phrase does not. Check whether this group of words has a subject and a verb.)
- A phrase, because it does not have a subject and a verb. (Correct. Clauses always have a subject and a verb, but phrases cannot have both. This phrase is missing a subject, which means it cannot be a clause.)
A: A phrase, because it does not have a subject and a verb.

Q: Your peer is trying to remember how to tell whether a group of words is a phrase or a clause. What would you tell her to help her?
- Phrases are always shorter because they don’t have as many elements in them, so always look at the length. (Incorrect. Phrases are not always shorter; in fact, they can be longer than some clauses. Length is not a determiner of whether something is a phrase or a clause. The most important thing is that a clause will always have a subject and a verb.)
- Clauses always express a complete thought, so if it isn’t complete, then it is a phrase. (Incorrect. Some types of clauses do not express complete thoughts. They are called dependent clauses.)
- Phrases never have verbs in them, but clauses always do, so look to see if there is a verb. (Incorrect. Some phrases do have verbs in them; they are called verbal phrases. However, they will not have a subject and a verb, because that is what a clause is.)
- Clauses always have a subject and a verb. Phrases might have a subject or a verb, but never both. (Correct. Phrases are groups of words that go together as a unit, but never have a subject doing the action of a verb. Clauses always do.)
A: Clauses always have a subject and a verb. Phrases might have a subject or a verb, but never both.

Q: Select which of the following options is a phrase.
- My grandma called (Incorrect. A phrase cannot have a subject doing the action of a verb. This is a clause because it has a subject (“My grandma”) and a verb (“called”).)
- She wanted to talk to my sister (Incorrect. A phrase cannot have a subject doing the action of a verb. This is a clause because it has a subject (“She”) and a verb (“wanted”).)
- Although we were tired (Incorrect. A phrase cannot have a subject doing the action of a verb. This is a clause because it has a subject (“we”) and a verb (“were”). This is a dependent clause because it cannot stand on its own as a complete thought.)
- And later to me (Correct. This is a phrase because there is no subject and verb completing an action in the sentence.)
A: And later to me

Q: Select which of the following options is a clause.
- To the bus (Incorrect. This is a phrase, because it does not have a subject and a verb doing the action.)
- Picking wildflowers in the sun (Incorrect. This is a phrase, because it does not have a subject and a verb doing the action. It does have the verb “picking,” but there is no subject, so it is only a phrase.)
- Except me (Incorrect. This is a phrase, because it does not have a subject and a verb doing the action.)
- While it was raining (Correct. A clause always has a subject and a verb doing the action. This does have a subject (“it”) and a verb (“was raining”) so it is a clause. It is a dependent clause because it cannot stand on its own as a complete thought.)
A: While it was raining

Q: Identify whether the two clauses in the following sentence are dependent or independent, and explain your choice.

- If my neighbor doesn’t pay his rent on time, he will be evicted from his apartment.
- Both clauses in this sentence are independent because they both contain a subject and a verb and express a complete thought. (Incorrect. This is the correct definition of an independent clause, but it doesn’t apply to one of the clauses in this sentence. Read them again, separately, and decide whether they both can stand alone as a complete thought.)
- The dependent clause is he will be evicted from his apartment because it is attached to the other clause and wouldn’t make sense without it. The independent clause is If my neighbor doesn’t pay his rent on time because it comes first and has a subject and a verb in it. (Incorrect. Both clauses have a subject and a verb. The dependent clause should be the clause that does not express a complete thought and cannot stand alone. The independent clause can stand alone.)
- Both clauses are dependent. The two clauses are If my neighbor doesn’t pay and he will be evicted, because the rest of the sentence contains phrases, which cannot be a part of a clause. (Incorrect. This is not the correct definition of a clause. Phrases can be a part of clauses, even though the main part of the clause is the subject and the verb. One of the clauses is dependent and one is independent. Remember that an independent clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone on its own, whereas a dependent clause cannot. Read the sentence again to decide which clause does that.)
- The dependent clause is If my neighbor doesn’t pay his rent on time, because it cannot stand on its own as a complete thought because of the subordinator if at the beginning of the clause. The independent clause is he will be evicted from his apartment because it can stand alone as a complete thought. (Correct. The first clause is a dependent clause because of the if at the beginning of the clause. It makes it so that wouldn’t make sense by itself as a standalone sentence. The second clause is an independent clause.)
A: The dependent clause is If my neighbor doesn’t pay his rent on time, because it cannot stand on its own as a complete thought because of the subordinator if at the beginning of the clause. The independent clause is he will be evicted from his apartment because it can stand alone as a complete thought.

Q: Select which of the following options is an independent clause.
- Because it is raining (Incorrect. The word “because” is a subordinating conjunction, which makes this conjunction dependent. It does not make sense as a complete thought because of the word “because,” so it cannot be an independent clause.)
- Pointing to a major error in our calculations (Incorrect. This is a phrase, because there is no subject doing the action of this phrase. A clause must always have a subject and a verb.)
- Until she pulled a tendon (Incorrect. The word “until” is a subordinating conjunction, which makes this conjunction dependent. It does not make sense as a complete thought because of the word “until,” so it cannot be an independent clause.)
- She decided to run a marathon (Correct. This is an independent clause, because it has a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought.)
A: She decided to run a marathon

Q: What is the difference between a dependent and independent clause?
- A dependent clause cannot stand on its own because it does not have a subject and a verb. An independent clause can stand on its own because it always has both a subject and a verb. (Incorrect. Both types of clauses always have a subject and a verb; that is essential to it being identified as a clause. Phrases do not have a subject and a verb, but both types of clauses always do. The type of clause is more determined by whether it expresses a complete thought or not.)
- An independent clause is longer than a dependent clause because it always contains a complete sentence. A dependent clause is shorter than an independent clause because it does not contain as many elements. (Incorrect. The length of the clause has nothing to do with what type of clause it is. The type of clause is more determined by whether it expresses a complete thought or not.)
- The only difference is that dependent clauses have an added word like a subordinating conjunction, but that does not affect how they are used. Dependent clauses and independent clauses are basically interchangeable. (Incorrect. They are not interchangeable. Independent clauses can stand on their own, but dependent clauses cannot. Dependent clauses do have a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun attached to them, which makes them dependent, and which means that they do indeed function differently than independent clauses.)
- A dependent clause has a subject and a verb, but it does not express a complete thought and therefore cannot stand on its own. An independent clause also has a subject and a verb and can stand on its own as a complete thought. (Correct. Both types of clauses have a subject and a verb, but only independent clauses can stand on their own as a complete sentence. Dependent clauses must be attached to an independent clause to form a sentence.)
A: A dependent clause has a subject and a verb, but it does not express a complete thought and therefore cannot stand on its own. An independent clause also has a subject and a verb and can stand on its own as a complete thought.

Q: Identify what kind of sentence this is.

- The shark I saw while snorkeling in Oman came a little too close for comfort.
- This is a sentence with a compound predicate because the person is doing two different actions. (Incorrect. This is not a sentence with a compound predicate, because the subject of the sentence is “the shark” and the verb of the predicate is “came,” and there is not another predicate in this sentence.)
- This is a compound sentence because it contains two independent thoughts. (Incorrect. There are not two independent clauses in this sentence, but just one.)
- This is a complex sentence because there is a dependent clause after the independent clause. (Incorrect. There is not an independent clause and a dependent clause in this sentence. The subject of the sentence is “the shark” and the verb of the predicate is “came,” which means there is one main clause in this sentence.)
- This is a simple sentence because there is only one subject and one predicate. (Correct. This sentence does only have one subject (“the shark”) and one predicate (“came”). It has an additional clause (“I saw while snorkeling”) but that is acting as an adjective clause describing the shark, which means this sentence still works as a simple sentence.)
A: This is a simple sentence because there is only one subject and one predicate.

Q: Identify the sentence structure of this sentence: “I will not send him any more money.”
- Subject + verb (Incorrect. This sentence has more than just the subject and the verb. Figure out what functions the following words play in the sentence.)
- Subject + verb + direct object (Incorrect. This sentence does have a direct object, but there are other words as well. Figure out what functions the following words play in the sentence.)
- Subject + verb + verb (compound predicate) (Incorrect. This sentence only has one verb, which means that it cannot be a compound predicate sentence.)
- Subject + verb + indirect object + direct object (Correct. This sentence has a subject (“I”), a verb (“will not send”), an indirect object (“him”), and a direct object (“any more money”).)
A: Subject + verb + indirect object + direct object

Q: Identify the type for this sentence: “Being a good roommate requires the kind of patience that I used to think I didn’t have.”
- This is a sentence with a compound predicate. (Incorrect. A compound predicate means that there is one subject doing two actions in the sentence. There is only one main action in this sentence, so it is not a compound predicate.)
- This is a compound sentence. (Incorrect. A compound sentence has two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction, and this sentence only has one clause.)
- This is a compound-complex sentence. (Incorrect. A compound-complex sentence has at least two independent clauses and a dependent clause, and this sentence only has one clause.)
- This is a simple sentence. (Correct. A simple sentence has one subject and verb in one clause, which is what this sentence has.)
A: This is a simple sentence.

Q: Which of the following is a common sentence punctuation pattern?
- A sentence that has several dashes and a hyphen. (Incorrect. Several dashes is not a common sentence pattern. Think about how clauses are commonly joined together in normal writing.)
- A sentence with two or more lists introduced by colons. (Incorrect. Multiple colons in a sentence is not a common sentence pattern. Think about how clauses are commonly joined together in normal writing.)
- A sentence with more than one semicolon. (Incorrect. Multiple semicolons is not a common sentence pattern, although one can be used easily to join two clauses together. Think about how clauses are commonly joined together in normal writing.)
- A sentence with a dependent clause, a comma, and an independent clause. (Correct. This is a very common sentence pattern, to have a dependent clause joined to an independent clause with a comma. Example: “Because we ran out of food, we had to go to the store.”)
A: A sentence with a dependent clause, a comma, and an independent clause.