Grammar and Usage Flashcards

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

Answer: He said, "I'll be there soon."

A comma follows the attribution 'He said,' and the period is placed inside the closing quotation mark.

Select the sentence that avoids a double negative.

Answer: They don't have any money.

'Don't have any money' uses a single negative and is grammatically correct; the other options each contain two negatives.

Which word is an adverb in the sentence: 'She quickly finished her extremely difficult exam.'?

Answer: quickly

'Quickly' modifies the verb 'finished,' making it an adverb.

Choose the correct word: 'The council will ______ vote on the new law tomorrow.'

Answer: all together

'All together' means 'as a group,' which fits the context; 'altogether' means 'completely' and would not make sense here.

Identify the sentence that uses parallel structure correctly.

Answer: She likes hiking, swimming, and running.

'Hiking, swimming, and running' maintains parallel structure by using three gerunds in the same form.

Which sentence correctly uses the word 'lie' vs. 'lay'?

Answer: Please lay the book on the table.

'Lay' means 'to place something,' and here it correctly takes an object ('the book').

Which sentence correctly uses a comma after an introductory element?

Answer: Before leaving, she turned off the lights.

A comma is correctly placed after the introductory prepositional phrase 'Before leaving.'