Sample Grammar Exam #1

Practice Test for Grammar

Note: You must pass this test with a grade of 70% or higher in order to pass English 28. There will be a second test with the same rules.

A. Label the parts of speech above all of the words in the following sentences:

N = noun Adv = adverb
Pro = pronoun Prep = preposition
Adj = adjective Conj = conjunction
V = verb Interj = interjection
Art = article


Example 1: I recently read some facts about movie kisses.

Ex. 2: The first one occurs in a film by Thomas Edison in 1896.

1. I have no idea when the movie will start.

She went to the doctor’s office to meet her mother.

Don’t you want some more ice cream?

The heart is a lonely hunter, but we still need to love others.

B. Underline the subjects once and the verbs twice in the following sentences. Be careful because there are sometimes more than one verb and one subject in the sentence.

Ex. 1: Nathaneal and Cora fell in love with each other.

Ex. 2: When the dog bites and the bee stings, you can be sure trouble is ahead.

Ex. 3: Sacagawea visited her village, but her father was dead.

Her mother warned her not to marry Captain Clark.

After she visited her sister, she went to her aunt’s house.

When the time comes, we will study for the exam, but not before.

C. Put parenthesis around the prepositional phrases in the sentences below. Be sure to include all the words that belong to each prepositional phrase. (Sentences may have more than one prepositional phrase—or none at all.)

Ex. 1. In the movie, the artist is played by a beautiful actress.

Ex. 2. The last time I saw Richard, he was cleaning off the counter with a rag.

Ex. 3. If you have the time, would you come over here to help me with my essay?

Miss Narwin warned Philip to study more but he didn’t want to do it for her.

The couple went to the chapel to get married.

In Key West, Barbara was a waitress for almost a month.

Minneapolis is in the great state of Minnesota, the land of a thousand lakes.


Label the following sentences Declarative, Interrogative, Imperative, or Exclamatory.

This is the easiest test I have ever taken.

What time do you get to class?

Please don’t waste my time.

Watch out!

There are a lot of students absent these days.

Insert capitals wherever they are needed.

1. She went to long beach for a boat ride over to Catalina island.

2. Queen elizabeth has been the queen of England for many decades now.

3. Although she speaks english poorly, she has no trouble speaking thai with her friends.

4. I will see you in class on tuesday, and you can call me tonight about the homework.

5. World war I was called the war to end all wars by president wilson.

In the following sentences, make sure that the possessives are done correctly.

All of the students papers were well done; at least that’s what the professors secretary said.

Tonight we are going to Johns party, and then we are going to my girlfriends parents house.

I saw Marys brother last night, and he was asking about the colleges policy on residents fees.

These shrimp don’t taste as good as last years shrimp, but we ate them anyway.

President Obamas Chrysler is on sale at E-bay for over one hundred thousand dollars.



With a broken line, underline the dependent clauses in the following sentences and write DC above this. Then with an unbroken line, underline the independent clauses, and put IC above it.

Ex. 1. After he passed the exam, he felt much better.

Ex. 2. The dogs are taller than they were last year, which makes them the tallest we have ever had.

Ex. 3. While she was in the garage, he was cooking dinner in the kitchen.

We can have no doubt that he loves her.

Ever since this class began, we have been learning about writing.

Whenever school starts, I will be there, and she will, too.

Circle the correct pronoun to make a complete, grammatically correct sentence.

Ex. 1. She (herself, her) cleaned the kitchen without any help from (he, him).

Ex. 2. Both (she and I, she and me) will be at the game tonight.

Ex. 3. Between (you and I, you and me) (this, these) flowers are pretty ugly, aren’t (they, them)?

If (she, her) brother comes to the game, (he and me, he and I) will sit together.

I told them to be quiet and do it (theirselves, themselves), but (they, them) wouldn’t listen to (I, me).

If not for (you, your), I would never have seen (my, mine) mother again.

The difference in (they, their) attitude is noticeable, isn’t (they, it)?


Fix the following Run-ons or comma splice sentences.

Ex. 1. This is the easiest test I have ever taken, Ryan must be crazy to thin it is hard.

Ex. 2. A lion is the king of the jungle what is a tiger then?

Ex. 3. She wore a yellow sweater over a dark blue dress she looked beautiful.

1. The traditional Thanksgiving feast includes turkey after you eat a lot, you must lie down.

The college isn’t closed on Fourth of July that’s because it is on a Saturday.

3. The teacher failed to assign us homework, that gave us time to enjoy ourselves last night.