The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation by Jane Straus

Link to book:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=16_a5h6n1yVSM1fM7qFauI0hQVQEeN-rc

Grammar Pretest (pages 76-77)

1.

Use “quickly” because an adverb is needed to describe the verb “runs.” Another possibility is to use
“fast” instead. “Quick” is an adjective and is not used correctly here.

In English, the majority of the adverbs end in “ly,” but not all of them do. For instance, the adverb of
“good” is “well.”

Additional examples can be found at https://www.thefreedictionary.com/A-very-long-list-of-adverbs,-

not-all-of-which-end-in--ly.htm

2.

Always remember that when you use the structure “neither…nor” or “either..or,” the verb must agree
with the subject closest to it.

In this sentence, there are two subjects: DeAndre and I.

Since “I” is closest to the verb “are,” the verb must change to agree with the subject, “I.” For this reason,
the answer is “I am.”
Additional examples can be found at http://theeditorsblog.net/2015/09/12/either-neither-and-subject-
verb-agreement/

Go to “Condition Two.”

3.

Here there are two subjects, “desk” and “chair.” Thus, the verb must be plural. Change “sits” to “sit” to
reflect the fact that there are two subjects.

Verbs must change according to the subject:

 I am,

 He is,

 They are,

 He goes,

 I go,

 They eat,

 She eats.

4.

With “each” and “every”, the verb will be singular (add an “s” to almost every verb in the present tense).
Examples:

Each person has to bring his/her own pen to the test.

Every car uses some form of energy to make it run.

Each city in the world has its own specific problems.

5.

The subject here is “the coach” which is singular. For this reason, the verb must be changed to “has
been.”

When determining the subject, ignore anything in between commas.

6.

When using the there is and there are structures, the subject comes AFTER.

The subject here is “four days.” Thus, the correct verb is “are.”

7.

The subject here is “women,” so make the verb plural, “work.”

8.

When using the structure “it is/was,” use the subject pronoun:

Object Pronouns

Subject Pronouns

It’s for…..

I me

You you

He/She/It him/her/it

We us

They them

For this reason, you must say/write: “It is I who called.” “It is we engineers who work hard.”

Additional examples can be found at http://www.dictionary.com/e/it-is-i-vs-its-me/

9.

Use the object pronoun after a preposition.

10.

Use the comparative form (such as more beautiful, smarter) when comparing two things.
Use the superlative form (such as most beautiful, smartest) when comparing three or more things.

11.

Who is used as a subject.

Whom is used as an object.

Who is doing the calling? “I”. For this reason, you need the subject form.

Additional examples can be found at https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/usage/who-or-whom

12.

See number 8 above.

“Hard” can be both an adjective as well as an adverb.

Don’t confuse “hard and “hardly.” “Hardly” means “almost not, scarcely.”

Examples:

I work hard. = I do a lot of work.

I hardly work. = I do not do much work. I almost do nothing.

13.

Remove the second preposition “of,” as it is not necessary.

14.

Change “his” to “their” because the noun “support” belongs to the neighbors.

Subject Pronouns Possessive Pronouns

I My car

You Your car

He/She/It His/her/its car

We Our car

They Their car

“Support” is a non-count noun. Do not add an “s” to non-count nouns.

Additional examples can be found at the following links:

http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/noncountnoun.htm

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/noncount.htm

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/541/
15.

Use the indirect object pronoun after a preposition: “to him and me.”

For a list of prepositions, visit: https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/prepositions.htm

16.

“Neither” is a singular subject.

Additional examples can be found at http://theeditorsblog.net/2015/09/12/either-neither-and-subject-

verb-agreement/

If you choose to change “neither” to “none,” the verb can be singular or plural, depending on what
“sounds” best to you.

Additional examples can be found at http://www.onlinegrammar.com.au/top-10-grammar-myths-none-

always-takes-a-singular-verb/

17.

“Affect” is a verb.

“Effect” is a noun.

18.

“more slowly” because “walk” is a verb.

19.

“older”

See number 10 above.

20.

Adverb of “good” is “well.”

21.

Use an adverb to describe an adjective.

“really close friends”

“very good colleagues”

Additional examples can be found at https://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/adjAdv.asp

22.

Use the subject: “Whoever”

23.

Use the object pronoun, “me.”

“allow Jenna or me.”

24.

Use the relative pronoun “who” whenever writing about people.

“I work with people WHO judge others..”

25.

Linking verbs are often followed by adjectives:

Appear, be, become, feel, get, go, grow, look, prove, remain, seem, smell, sound, stay, taste, turn

“they felt angry”

26.

“You look good.”

27.

“Don’t feel bad.”

28.

“… the cuter one.”

29.

“speaker more slowly”

30.

Remove the preposition “on” because it is not necessary. “Later” is sufficient.

31-43

31.

“Affect” is a verb. “Effect” is a noun.

32.

I want to lie down.

LAY - LAID - LAID [transitive verb, takes a direct object]

• I lay my book on the table every night before turning out the light. (He/she lays his/her book on the
table.)
• I laid my book on the table last night.
• I will lay my book on the table tonight.
• I am laying my book on the table right now.
• I have laid my book on the table every night for years.

LIE - LAY - LAY [intransitive verb, takes no direct object]

To lie is an intransitive verb: it describes an action undertaken by the subject, but it will never have a
direct object. That is, the verb to lie does not express the kind of action that can be done to anything.
Think of it as meaning “to recline” or “to rest.” It is conjugated in this manner:
• I lie here every day. (He/she/it lies here.)
• I lay here yesterday.
• I will lie here tomorrow.
• I am lying here right now.
• I have lain here every day for years.
Source: http://www.getitwriteonline.com/archive/051402lielay.htm

33.
Never put a comma before the relative pronoun “that.”

Replace the second “that” with “which”

For additional information about differences between “that” and “which,” please visit this website:
http://www.betterwritingskills.com/tip-w022.html

34.
Change “lay” to “laid.”

See number 32 above.

35.

Farther for distance.

Further to refer to “a greater degree”

The quick and dirty tip is to use “farther” for physical distance and “further” for metaphorical, or
figurative, distance. It's easy to remember because “farther” has the word “far” in it, and “far” obviously
relates to physical distance.

Source: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/further-versus-farther

36.

“…an honorary member”

Other examples:

• I have an MBA.
• He works at FAO (the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations).

The real rule is this: You use the article “a” before words that start with a consonant sound and “an”
before words that start with a vowel sound. For example, He has a unique point of view on the subject
and talked about it for an hour. The “u” in “unique” makes the “Y” sound—a consonant sound—
therefore you use “a” as your article, while the “h” in “hour” sounds like it starts with “ow”—a vowel
sound.

Source: http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/a-before-consonants-and-an-before-vowels-is-not-
the-rule

37.

Use “between” when comparing two things.

Use “among” when comparing three or more things.

38.
You’re the only.

You are = you’re (contracted form)

39.
taller than
40.
Change “past” [noun, adjective] to “passed” [verb].

41.
It’s = it is
Its = possessive form
• The dog’s bone = Its bone
42.
Use “may” for permission.
• May I borrow your car? Yes, you may. No, you may not.
Use “can” for ability.
• I have two legs, so I can walk by myself.

43.
I could have danced = I could’ve danced.
When we speak quickly, this sentence ends up sounding like “could of.” However, this is not the way it is
written.

44.
There are three verbs you need to be able to distinguish: migrate, emigrate and immigrate.
This sentence, you should use “emigrate” which means leave from.

“Immigrate” means to go into.

Look at the roots, “im” is like “in” and “e” is from “exit.”
The other trick is the preposition “from,” so it can’t be “immigrate.”
45.
Homonyms = words that have the same sound but different meanings.

Brooch (n) = a piece of jewelry that you fasten to your clothes, usually worn by women.
Broach (v) = to mention a subject that may be embarrassing of unpleasant or cause an argument.
The broach the subject/question/matter.

Ex. We should not broach the question of Thaksin’s legal cases. People have been killed disagreeing
about this man.

46.
Homonyms again.
The answer should be “elicit.”
Illicit (adj) = not allowed by laws or rules, or strongly disapproved of by society.
Ex. Illicit drugs, the illicit trade in wild animals/e-cigarettes
Elicit (v) = to succeed in getting information or a reaction from someone, especially when this is difficult.
Ex. When her knock elicited no response, she opened the door and peeped in.

47.
Change the verb to “went.” Use the simple past to describe something that is over and completed.
“she had went” does not exist. “She had gone,” is the past perfect tense.

48.

Homonyms
Use “plain.”

49.

“Put” is the correct verb. You

50.

Spell out numbers under ten. Also, never start a sentence with an Arabic number (1, 2, 3, etc.). Instead,
spell out the word.

 Twenty-three students study in this class.