GRAMMAR GOTCHA’S II


Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the classroom. OK, we’ll skip the theme from Jaws and jump right into the quiz on some of the most common grammar mistakes students make when writing. Choose the correct answer. Some sentences have more than one type.

    1. Your gonna miss me when I’m gone.
    2. You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone.
    3. You’re going to miss me when I’m gone.
    1. She ran to the door and yells at the children in her azaleas.
    2. She runs to the door and yelled at the children in her azaleas.
    3. She ran to the door and yelled at the children in her azaleas.
    1. I did my homework in, math, science, and English.
    2. I did my homework in math science and English.
    3. I did my homework in math, science, and English.
    1. The soccer player slipped passed two defenders.
    2. The soccer player slipped past two defenders.
    3. The soccer player past two defenders.
    1. For my birthday, I got two toy dinosaurs my mom always knows what I like.
    2. For my birthday, I got two toy dinosaurs. My mom always knows what I like.
    3. For my birthday, I got two toy dinosaurs, my mom always knows what I like.
    1. Basketball is a fast-paced game.
    2. Basketball is a fast paced game.
    3. Basketball is a fast paste game.
    1. Bill and Joe went to the store, and he bought him a pack of gum.
    2. Bill and Joe went to the store, and Bill bought him a pack of gum.
    3. Bill and Joe went to the store, and Bill bought Joe a pack of gum.
    1. The firemen kept their equipment clean; it served them well in emergencies.
    2. The firemen kept their equipment clean. And it served them well in emergencies.
    3. The firemen kept their equipment clean, it served them well in emergencies.
    1. Cats and dogs make good pets. Dogs are loyal and cats are clean.
    2. Cats and dogs make good pets. Cats are clean and dogs are loyal.
    3. Cats and dogs make good pets because they’re clean and loyal.
    1. There are two ways to get to grandmother’s house, we took the long way.
    2. There are two ways to get to grandmother’s house and we took the long way.
    3. There are two ways to get to grandmother’s house. We took the long way.

Answers:

1. c (using your and you’re correctly; avoiding slang)
2. c (avoiding tense shifts)
3. a (proper use of commas in a series)
4. b (commonly confused words: past and passed)
5. b (using commas with dependent clauses, avoiding run-ons)
6. a (hyphens joining two words to form an adjective. Also, paste and paced are commonly confused words)
7. c (agreement of pronouns and antecedents)
8. a (use of the semicolon with subordinate clauses)
9. b (parallel structure)
10. c (avoiding comma splices, varying sentence rhythm)


By Emmet Rosenfeld