501 GRAMMAR AND WRITING QUESTIONS

154 Pages·2006·0.65 MB·English

501 GRAMMAR
AND WRITING
QUESTIONS

501 GRAMMAR
AND WRITING
QUESTIONS
3rd Edition
®
N E W Y O R K
Copyright © 2006 LearningExpress,LLC.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.
Published in the United States by LearningExpress,LLC,New York.
Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
501 grammar & writing questions.—3rd ed.
p.cm.
ISBN 1-57685-539-2
1.English language—Grammar—Examinations,questions,etc.2.English language—
Rhetoric—Examinations,questions,etc.3.Report writing—Examinations,questions,
etc.I.Title:501 grammar and writing questions.II.Title:Five hundred one grammar
and writing questions.III.Title:Five hundred and one grammar and writing questions.
PE1112.A15 2006
428.2'076—dc22
2005035266
Printed in the United States ofAmerica
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Third Edition
ISBN 1-57685-539-2
For more information or to place an order,contact LearningExpress at:
55 Broadway
8th Floor
New York,NY 10006
Or visit us at:
www.learnatest.com
Contents
INTRODUCTION vii
SECTION 1 Mechanics:Capitalization and Punctuation 1
SECTION 2 Sentence Structure 11
SECTION 3 Agreement 29
SECTION 4 Modifiers 43
SECTION 5 Paragraph Development 49
SECTION 6 Essay Questions 95
ANSWERS 103
v

Introduction
T
his book—which can be used alone,along with another writing-skills text ofyour choice,or in com-
bination with the LearningExpress publication,Writing Skills Success in 20 Minutes a Day—will give
you practice dealing with capitalization,punctuation,basic grammar,sentence structure,organiza-
tion,paragraph development,and essay writing.It is designed to be used by individuals working on their own and
for teachers or tutors helping students learn or review basic writing skills.Additionally,practicing with 501 Gram-
mar and Writing Questionswill greatly alleviate writing anxiety.
Many people grimace when faced with grammar exercises.But in order to communicate with others,pass
tests,and get your point across in writing,using words and punctuation effectively is a necessary skill.Maybe you’re
one ofthe millions ofpeople who,as a student in elementary or high school,found memorizing grammar rules
tedious.Maybe you were confused by all ofthe exceptionsto those rules.Maybe you thought they would just come
naturally as you continued to write and speak.
First,know you are not alone.It is true that some people work very hard to understand the rules,while oth-
ers seem to have a natural gift for writing.And that’s okay;we all have unique talents.Still,it’s a fact that most
jobs today require good communication skills,including writing.The good news is that grammar and writing skills
can be developed with practice.
vii
–INTRODUCTION–
Learn by doing.It’s an old lesson,tried and true. (cid:2) How to Use This Book
The 501 grammar and writing questions included in
these pages are designed to provide you with lots of Whether you’re working alone or helping someone
practice. As you work through each set of questions, brush up on grammar and usage, this book will give
you’ll be gaining a solid understanding ofbasic gram- you the opportunity to practice,practice,practice.
mar and usage rules. And all without memorizing!
This book will help you improve your language skills Working on Your Own
through encouragement,not frustration. Ifyou are working alone to review the basics or prepare
for a test in connection with a job or school,you will
probably want to use this book in combination with a
(cid:2) An Overview
basic grammar and usage text, or with Writing Skills
Success in 20 Minutes a Day.Ifyou’re fairly sure ofyour
501 Grammar and Writing Questions is divided into basic language-mechanics skills,however,you can use
six sections: 501 Grammar and Writing Questions by itself.
Use the answer key at the end ofthe book not only
Section 1:Mechanics:Capitalization and to find out if you chose the right answer, but also to
Punctuation learn how to tackle similar kinds of questions next
Section 2:Sentence Structure time.Every answer is explained.Make sure you under-
Section 3:Agreement stand the explanations—usually by going back to the
Section 4:Modifiers questions—before moving on to the next set.
Section 5:Paragraph Development
Section 6:Essay Questions Tutoring Others
This book will work well in combination with almost
Each section is subdivided into short sets con- any basic grammar and usage text.You will probably
sisting of8–20 questions. find it most helpful to give students a brieflesson in the
The book is specifically organized to help you particular skill they’ll be learning—capitalization,
build confidence as you further develop your written- punctuation,subject-verb agreement,pronoun agree-
language skills. 501 Grammar and Writing Questions ment, sentence structure, style—and then have them
begins with the basic mechanics of capitalization spend the remainder ofthe session answering the ques-
and punctuation,and then moves on to grammar and tions in the sets.You will want to impress upon them
sentence structure.By the time you reach the section the importance of learning by doing, checking their
on paragraph development,you’ve already practiced on answers,and reading the explanations carefully.Make
almost 300 questions.You will then continue practic- sure they understand a particular set of questions
ing the skills you’ve already begun to master in the before you assign the next one.
previous four sections, this time, in combination.
When you get to the last section, you’ll be ready to
write your own essays.
viii
–INTRODUCTION–
(cid:2) Additional Resources Grammatically Correct: The Writer’s Essential Guide to
Punctuation, Spelling, Style, Usage and Grammar by
For more detailed explanations of English grammar Anne Stilman (Writers Digest Books)
and usage rules, you may want to buy—or borrow
The Oxford Dictionary ofAmerican Usage and Styleby
from the library—one or more ofthe following books:
Bryan A.Garner (Berkley Publishing Group)
Action Grammar: Fast,No-Hassle Answers on Everyday
Quick Review Writing: Grammar, Usage, and Style by
Usage and Punctuationby Joanne Feierman (Fireside)
Jean Eggenschwiler and Emily Dotson Biggs (Cliffs
The American Heritage Book ofEnglish Usage: A Prac- Notes)
tical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English
Woe is I: The Grammarphobes Guide to Better English in
(Houghton Mifflin)
Plain English, 2nd Edition, by Patricia T. O’Conner
The Blue Book ofGrammar and Punctuation: The Mys- (Riverhead Books)
teries of Grammar and Punctuation Revealed by Jane
Writing Skills Success in 20 Minutes a Day,3rd Edition
Straus (Jane Straus Books)
(LearningExpress)
Grammar Smart: A Guide to Perfect Usage,2nd Edition
Writing Smart: Your Guide to Great Writing,2nd Edi-
(Princeton Review)
tion,by Marcia Lerner (Princeton Review)
ix