5 Essential Grammar Rules

Question 1

Singular subjects

Answer 1

Take singular verbs
Often don’t end in “s” but sometimes can

Question 2

Singular verbs

Answer 2

Often end in “s” in the present tense and are used for third-person singular subjects
Not for “I” or “you”

Question 3

Plural subjects

Answer 3

Often end in “s”

Question 4

Plural verbs

Answer 4

Do not end in “s”

Question 5

Compound subjects connected by “and”

Answer 5

Use a plural verb

Question 6

Compound subjects connected by “or” or “nor”

Answer 6

Look at the noun closest to the verb to decide the agreement

Question 7

Compound subjects (singular units)

Answer 7

Two subjects connected by “and” and are a single unit, then use a singular verb

Question 8

Prepositional phrase

Answer 8

Begins with a preposition and has a noun that is a direct object
(Over the river, under the table, etc.)

Question 9

Participle phrase

Answer 9

Describes a noun or pronoun and has a verb that often ends in -ing

Question 10

Portion words

Answer 10

The object determines if the verb is singular or plural
Include words like “the majority,” “the remainder,” “fractions,” “percentages,” “all,” etc.

Question 11

Subjunctive mood

Answer 11

Used when you have a hypothetical situation, or something that is not yet true
The verb form changes: “Was” changes to “were”

Question 12

Conditional mood

Answer 12

Shows cause and effect in possible situations

Question 13

Pronouns

Answer 13

Replaces the noun the pronoun refers to

Question 14

Antecedent

Answer 14

The noun that the pronoun is replacing

Question 15

Gender pronouns for the purpose of this quiz

Answer 15

Assume that a single person will have a singular pronoun

Question 16

Pronouns’ subject/verb agreement

Answer 16

Singular pronouns take singular verbs
Plural pronouns take a plural verb

Question 17

Subjective pronouns

Answer 17

Use for the subject of a sentence
Use when making a comparison with “than”
Ex: I, he, she, we, they, you, it

Question 18

Objective pronouns

Answer 18

Receive the action in a sentence
Often follow verbs and can be objects of prepositions or direct objects
Ex: him, her, me, us, them, you, it

Question 19

Indefinite pronouns

Answer 19

Doesn’t refer to a specific person, amount or thing

Question 20

Singular indefinite pronouns

Answer 20

Another, anybody, anyone, anything
Each, either
Everybody, everyone, everything
Neither, nobody, no one, nothing
One, other
Somebody, someone, something

Question 21

Collective nouns

Answer 21

Refers to a group of people or things
Singular; use singular verbs and pronouns with them
Ex: team, group, class, department, etc.

Question 22

Team names

Answer 22

Always plural

Question 23

Who/whoever

Answer 23

Subjective pronouns

Question 24

Whom/whomever

Answer 24

Objective pronouns
Usually no verb with it, making it an object

Question 25

If pronouns can be BOTH a subject and an object (who/whom)

Answer 25

Use the subjective form (who/whoever)

Question 26

Questions with who/whom

Answer 26

Rephrase the question as a statement
Ex: Whom am I waiting for?
I am waiting for whom.

Question 27

Replacing question who/whom with she/her

Answer 27

Ex: Who/whom ate all of the ice cream?
She at all of the ice cream. (Subject)
Her ate all of the ice cream. (Object) (WRONG)
Who (subject) ate all of the ice cream? (CORRECT)

Question 28

Adjective

Answer 28

Modifies or describes a noun or pronoun

Question 29

Types of adjectives

Answer 29

Coordinate (equal)
Cumulative
Compound Modifiers

Question 30

Coordinate (equal) adjectives

Answer 30

Equal to each other and can be placed in any order before a noun
Order doesn’t change the meaning of the sentence
Use a comma if you’re able to reverse them and insert the word “and” between them
Equal in rank
If they’re in the same category, they’re coordinate

Question 31

Cumulative adjectives

Answer 31

Modify a noun by building meaning
HAVE to be in a particular order to convey the correct meaning of a sentence
NO COMMAS!

Question 32

Compound Modifiers

Answer 32

Consists of two words connected by a hyphen that act as one adjective
When two adjectives work together to modify the noun or pronoun that comes after them, use a hyphen
If the compound modifier comes AFTER a form of the “to be” verb, use a hyphen

Question 33

“To be” verbs

Answer 33

Am, is, are, was, were, been, being

Question 34

When NOT to use a hyphen (compound modifiers)

Answer 34

DO NOT use a hyphen with adverbs (-ly)
DO NOT use a hyphen with compound nouns (high school, swimming pool, etc.)

Question 35

Suspended hyphen

Answer 35

When one or more adjectives has a common lament that is only included with the last item
Ex. “Five- or six-page paper”

Question 36

Plurals

Answer 36

Add an “s” to make a common or proper noun plural if it doesn’t already end in “s”
Add an “es” to make them plural if the word ends in “s” “ch” “sh” “x” and “z”

Question 37

Possessive nouns

Answer 37

Show ownership
You could also use “of”
Ex: The child’s room; The room of the child.

Question 38

Possessive singular nouns

Answer 38

Add an apostrophe “s” for words that don’t end in “s”
Ex: Dog’s bone
If it already ends in “s,” just add an apostrophe
Ex: Chris’ hat

Question 39

Compound subjects

Answer 39

If the parties within the compound subject share ownership, make only the second noun or pronoun possessive
If they have distinct ownership, make each noun/pronoun possessive

Question 40

Possessive plural nouns

Answer 40

Add an apostrophe
Ex: Dennises’

Question 41

Descriptive instead of possessive

Answer 41

These words mean “for” or “by” instead of “of”
Ex: Farmers market (it’s FOR the farmers)
Teachers union (its FOR the teachers)

Question 42

Men’s basketball team

Answer 42

It needs an apostrophe because its not FOR the men, it’s a team OF men

Question 43

Making single letters & strings of letters plural

Answer 43

Use an apostrophe to form a plural with a single letter
Ex: Four A’s on my report card
No apostrophe for a string
Ex: I know my ABCs