English Grammar Test English Grammar Sentence Structure 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence contains a comma splice?
- I went to the store; I bought milk.
- I went to the store, I bought milk. (Correct answer)
- I went to the store and bought milk.
- I went to the store because I needed milk.
Correct answer: I went to the store, I bought milk.
A comma splice incorrectly joins two independent clauses with only a comma.
Question 2: What grammatical structure is 'to become a doctor' in: 'Her dream is to become a doctor'?
- Gerund phrase
- Infinitive phrase (Correct answer)
- Participial phrase
- Prepositional phrase
Correct answer: Infinitive phrase
'To become a doctor' is an infinitive phrase functioning as a predicate nominative.
Question 3: In which sentence is the relative clause used correctly?
- The book which I read it was fascinating.
- The book that I read was fascinating. (Correct answer)
- The book, that I read, was fascinating.
- The book whom I read was fascinating.
Correct answer: The book that I read was fascinating.
'That' correctly introduces a restrictive relative clause modifying 'book,' with no pronoun repetition.
Question 4: Which sentence is an example of a fused (run-on) sentence?
- He ran fast; he still missed the bus.
- He ran fast, but he still missed the bus.
- He ran fast he still missed the bus. (Correct answer)
- Although he ran fast, he still missed the bus.
Correct answer: He ran fast he still missed the bus.
A fused sentence joins two independent clauses with no punctuation or conjunction.
Question 5: What is the subject of the sentence: 'There are three cats on the roof'?
- There
- three cats (Correct answer)
- roof
- on the roof
Correct answer: three cats
In sentences beginning with 'There,' the true subject follows the verb; here it is 'three cats.'
Question 6: Which sentence uses an absolute phrase?
- Running quickly, she reached the finish line.
- The storm having passed, we resumed our walk. (Correct answer)
- Because the storm passed, we resumed our walk.
- After the storm, we resumed our walk.
Correct answer: The storm having passed, we resumed our walk.
An absolute phrase has a noun and a participle ('storm having passed') and modifies the whole sentence.
Question 7: Which best describes an indirect object in a sentence?
- The main action performed by the subject
- The person or thing receiving the direct object (Correct answer)
- A word modifying the subject
- The object of a preposition
Correct answer: The person or thing receiving the direct object
An indirect object indicates to whom or for whom the action of the verb is done.
Which sentence contains a comma splice?