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Diagnostic Test

This is a starting point to see where some of your problems may be. Read the question carefully and think about what is wrong with it and how you would fix it to make it correct. Then, move your mouse over the part that you think is incorrect and a box will appear to tell you the answer. At the end of each category there is a link to the respective website page that will give you more information on this point of grammar, and some practice exercises to do. Please note that every question is wrong.

Lesson 1 There is no verb in this sentence. Answer: The six people who are in our group all work very hard. The second independent clause has no subject. Answer: The internet is often full of misleading information, but, in this case it was correct.This verb is incomplete. Answer: The council have been building the new bridge for over a year now, and it's still not finished.This is a sentence run on. It is 2 sentences joined together with no punctuation. Answer: Put a semicolon (;) after month.A dependent clause can't stand alone. These two sentences should be joined together. Answer: I like all candy; such as chocolates, ice creams, and chips.This is not a sentence. It is only giving extra information about the brooch, which is the subject, but it doesn't tell us what happened to the brooch. Answer: The beautiful, old, but well-kept, antique brooch which was my mother's, was valued at $2,000 recently by a jeweller.'If' starts a dependent clause and so needs to be connected to an independent clause which will give the result. Answer: If the richer countries in the world gave more money at lower interest rates to poorer nations, fewer people might die from starvation.An '-ing' form, when not an appositive, needs an auxiliary verb. Answer: Not understanding it was impossible, he tried to do it anyway.This has no verb. Answer: Going to a University that has such a gorgeous lake is wonderful.'Until' is a conjunction that starts a dependent clause. It must be connected to an independent clause, so these two parts of a sentence should be joined as one. Answer: Women had never been allowed to vote until they demonstrated and won the right in 1901.

If you had problems with numbers 1 – 10, please click here to be taken to the relevant grammar page about sentence structure.

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Lesson 2 'Because of' is followed by a noun or pronoun (phrase), not an independent clause. Answer: Because I liked studying, I decided to do a PhD.A parallel problem. These verbs are not the same type. Answer: I have always hated writing, doing grammar, and reading books.

If you had problems with numbers 11 – 12, please click here to be taken to the relevant grammar page about cohesion.

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Lesson 3

If you had problems with numbers 13 – 15, please click here to be taken to the relevant grammar page about  verbs.

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Lesson 4 Answer: All fathers-in-law should support their step-children. 'Step children' is also correct.'Ours' is a possessive pronoun and never has an apostrophe.Look at the rules for writing numbers and hyphens. Answer: Nine-month-old babies are able to make more than sixty-three different sounds.'its' involvement is a possessive pronoun which never has an apostrophe. 'It is' an interesting viewpoint needs to be contracted to 'it's' because the 'i' has been omitted.Look at the rules for writing numbers and hyphens. Answer: Nine-month-old babies are able to make more than sixty-three different sounds.

If you had problems with numbers 16 – 19, please click here to be taken to the relevant grammar page about punctuation.

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Lesson 5 Answer: argument. When adding a suffix to a word that ends in vowel+e always drop the 'e'.Answer: unnecessary. When adding a prefix, make sure you add it all, even if it doubles the consonant (un-necessary).Answer: It's. Short for 'it is.'Answer: questionnaires. Two words with similar endings can be spelt differently!Answer: Millionaires. Spelling.Answer: My paper is on the effects on the economy of long term high unemployment. Words that sound and look similar cause problems for everyone!Answer: which is why they're going to take it to dog-school. 'they're' is a contraction for 'they are.'Answer: Their dog has been barking a lot lately - a possessive pronoun is needed - whose dog?

If you had problems with numbers 20 – 23, please click here to be taken to the relevant grammar page about Spelling.

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Lesson 6 Which did he want to stop - the sea or the boat? Again, there is confusion over which noun the pronoun is referring to. One answer: The boat was tossed up and down because the sea was huge and rolling, and he just wanted to get off the boat.What will be better? - The person selling the phone, or the phone and CD player? This is a case of a pronoun not referring back to one specific thing. Answer: The mobile phone and CD player will be better than your old ones, no matter who you buy them from.'Every' needs a singular pronoun. Answer: Every student should make his or her own list of his or her most common mistakes. OR All students should make lists of their most common mistakes.'Every' needs a singular pronoun. Answer: Every student should make his or her own list of his or her most common mistakes. OR All students should make lists of their most common mistakes.Who is 'they'? Too vague! Better answer: The government should give people more money for child care.When pronouns are grouped with another noun, think about which pronoun you would use if the other noun weren't there. Answer: The union leader talked to (John and) me about the demands they were going to give to the company.

If you had problems with numbers 24 – 28, please click here to be taken to the relevant grammar page about Pronouns.

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Lesson 7 The first clause means you ate more than one piece of cake, but the second is disagreeing with this idea. Answer: I nearly ate two pieces of cake, but decided I shouldn't have any because I was on a diet.This sentence is unclear because it can have two meanings. 1, you have to take the tablet fast to get relief, or, 2, after you take the tablet you'll get relief fast. When an adverb is between two words and could modify either, confusion is often the result.Which is going round in circles? The guy or the roundabout? Participle phrases need to be clarified by position in a sentence or they sometimes need a pronoun in the phrase so it is clear what is being referred to. Answer: Because he was going round in circles, he felt sick and wanted to get off the roundabout.

If you had problems with numbers 29-31, please click here to be taken to the relevant grammar page about Modifiers.

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Lesson 8 There is a tense change in this sentence from 'will' to 'could' and this shouldn't happen. Answer: People will use computers for shopping as their preferred way to spend money, but it will not be possible to stop internet fraud.Think about the order of events. This sentence says that he brushed his teeth after he got into bed, which would be strange unless his bed was in the bathroom. Use a past perfect tense to show an action that happened before another one in the past. Answer: He had brushed his teeth when he got into bed.The passive tense is used incorrectly. What is needed? 'more rules' - so it should be used as the subject. Answer: Teachers are having trouble controlling students in classrooms, and more rules from the government now are needed. OR change the second part to an active sentence - and the government needs to introduce more rules now.

If you had problems with numbers 32 – 34, you are having problems with tenses. Go to this page to find helpful resources to help grammar.

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Lesson 9 It is redundant to use 'but' and 'however' in the same sentence. Answer: However, all these essays are going to be graded at once.It is redundant to use 'but' and 'however' in the same sentence. Answer: However, all these essays are going to be graded at once.Various already means different so this is repetitive. Answer: There are various solutions to this problem.

If you had problems with numbers 29-31, please click here to be taken to the relevant grammar page about  Wordiness.

Click here for a printable version This meaning of 'discipline' is uncountable and therefore doesn't have a plural form. Answer: More discipline from parents is necessary so children respect them.Company names are treated as singular even if the name contains a plural. Answer: Johnson Brothers has recently opened another shop.Words like 'together with', 'as well as', and, 'in addition to', are called parenthetical additions and just add extra information to a sentence. Take away the extra information and work out the verb needed from the base subject. Answer: My first grade teacher, together with my parents and my bosses, has influenced my life greatly.

 

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