Download File - Ms. Vander Heiden

English 10B Grammar Packet
Name ________________________Period_____
Subjects- What are they? Why do we need them?
A word or phrase used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things, common noun, or to name a
particular one of these, proper noun. They are needed to make a complete sentence.
Ex. Ms. Leuthner loves video games.  A subject answers the questions who or what?
Verbs- Where can we find them?
A verb has many different forms; it can show action or state-of-being. A verb may tell what the subject of the
sentence does or what happens. This kind of verb is an action verb. The action of the verb may be seen or
unseen. Read the following examples:
She danced.
Donna wanted a job.
I have a cold.
The verb may tell that something exists. This kind of verb is a state-of-being verb.
Cheryl is here.
Jack seems happy.
The start grew brighter. The music sounded lively.
State-of-being verbs include am, is, are, was, were, seem, look, feel, grow, taste, sound, become, and appear.
When you are looking for verbs, remember that parts of a verb may be separated. Remember also that the
sentence may be in unusual order.
Will he cook?
Down the aisle came the bride.
Here are some common examples of each type of verb.
Action Verbs
jump
laugh
sing
swim
watch
read
run
engulf
sleep
learn
State of Being Verbs/Auxiliary Verbs
is
was
could
being
can
did
must
have
are
would
has
shall
should
might
will
am
were
been
does
had
may
Linking Verbs
is
are
sound
was
taste
were
feel
be
been
remain
stay
am
smell
look
turn
seem
grow
become
appear
get
Main Subject and Verb Identification Exercises: Underline the subject once and underline the
verb twice in each sentence.
1. The eagle guarded her nest.
2. On the other side of the tracks stood the church.
3. Emily is a very good artist.
4. The fire nearly destroyed the field house.
5. From the attic came a strange sound.
6. Our class decorated the hall for the bazaar.
7. Mary hit the ball over the fence.
8. High above our heads stretched the Eiffel Tower.
1
Verbs and Direct Objects
Definition: The direct object tells who or what receives the action of the verb.
In many sentences, a verb and its subject express a complete thought.
Snow fell.
Everyone laughed.
In other sentences the thought is not complete unless more words are added.
Eric cut ___________.
Katie met ___________.
You can complete the thoughts by including answers to these questions: What did Eric cut? Whom
did Katie meet?
Eric cut the rope.
Katie met Alice.
Direct Object Identification Exercises: Underline the subject once, underline the verb twice,
and circle the direct object in the following sentences.
1. Alice baked her mother a cake.
2. I saw Josh and Michelle at school yesterday.
3. Ms. Anderson shows science videos to help her students understand chemistry.
4. Jesse did not like my choice of colors for the bathroom.
Types of Clauses
The main subject and verb occur in the independent (main) clause of the sentence. They will never
occur in the dependent (subordinate) clause.
What is a dependent clause? – A dependent clause is dependent and cannot stand alone as
its own sentence.
For example: “Because I was late to class.”
What’s the subject? What’s the verb? Is it a sentence? What do we call this type of mistake?
A dependent clause is called a sentence fragment. Even though it has a subject and a verb, it is not a
sentence.
How can we fix this? “Because I was late to class, Mrs. Sebens gave me a tardy.”
Mrs. Sebens is the main subject and gave is the main verb.
Too easy? Try this trickier one with the subject and verb are separated (in this case by an adjective
phrase): Underline the subject once and underline the verb twice.
Ex. “My friends and I, driving home from the basketball game, decided to sing along to country
music on K102.”
2
Independent Clause Identification Exercises: Underline the independent clause in each of the
following sentences.
1. My aunts and uncles, arguing about the economy yet again, spilled gravy all over my suit.
2. In spite of everything, this day was different from any other.
3. My father had brought me a present—half a ration of bread.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - -
Subject/Verb Agreement
 Rule: Subjects must agree in number with the verb.
Exercises: Circle the correct verb form.
1. Far below the bluffs in LaCrosse ( runs / run ) the mighty Mississippi River boats.
2. Katie ( like / likes ) to read books.
3. Despite studying all night for the calculus test, there ( is / are ) many students who do not feel
prepared for it.
4. The football coach, a reliable member of both community and school interests, ( is / are )
among the more respected persons in the public school.
 Rule: Make the verb agree with its subject without being confused by words that
come in between.
Exercises: Circle the correct verb form.
1. The gifts underneath the tree ( look / looks ) awesome!
2. The level of chemicals and other air pollutants ( is / are ) now monitored in many offices.
3. The group of students ( is / are ) expected to sit quietly in their seats.
 Rule: Treat most compound subjects connected by “and” as plural.
Exercises: Cross out and correct the error.
1. Remember, the rules and regulations of this academy is in your hands.
2. Mr. Scherber and Mr. Driver often jokes together.
3. Both the word “scuba” and the word “radar” is acronyms.
*Exception to the rule !! When parts of the subject form a single unit, treat the subject
as singular. Ex. Macaroni and cheese is my favorite food! 
Rule: With compound subjects that are connected with “or” or “nor”, make the verb
agree with the part of the subject nearer to the verb.
3
Ex. Neither the coach or the players was/were able to figure out the other team’s trick play.
Ex. Neither the players or the coach was/were able to figure out the other team’s trick play.
Exercises: Circle the correct verb in the following sentences.
1. Either the coach or his assistant ( has / have ) the keys to the locker room.
2. Neither the teacher nor the students ( was / were ) in the classroom this morning.
3. Either the girls or I ( is / are ) going to prepare dinner tonight.
4. Neither Leila nor Nancy ( is / are ) going to drink at the part on Saturday.
 Rule: Pronouns can be subjects too. Indefinite pronouns do not refer to a particular
person. They are often difficult to recognize as subjects and make sure the verb agrees
in number.
The following indefinite pronouns are singular:
anybody
each
everything
no one
anyone
everybody
neither
somebody
anything
everyone
nobody
someone
Because they are singular, they use singular verbs. Perhaps these sentences will help you to
remember. Read each of them aloud.
No one likes chocolate cake as much as you do.
Someone is knocking at the door.
A few indefinite pronouns are plural. They refer to more than one person or thing:
both
many
few
Few can jump as high as Eli jumps.
several
Several think he is correct.
Four indefinite pronouns may be either singular or plural, depending on their meaning in the
sentence.
all
any
some
All of my pizza has meat on it. (singular)
none
All of the tests are corrected. (plural)
Subject/Verb Agreement with Indefinite Pronoun Exercises: In each of the following
sentences, circle the correct verb, underline the indefinite pronoun, and circle whether the pronoun is
singular or plural.
1. (Do/Does) any of this book need to be read? (singular or plural)
2. Many (works/work) on the weekends. (singular or plural)
3. Everybody at the pool (splash/splashes). (singular or plural)
4. (Do/Does) any of these puppies have calm demeanors? (singular or plural)
5. Both sisters (has/have) brown hair. (singular or plural)
4
6. Something (is/are) not right here. (singular or plural)
 Rule: Treat collective nouns as singular unless the meaning is clearly plural. A
singular noun requires a singular verb. Which means the present tense verb will have a
“s” at the end.
For example: The gymnastics team ( practice / practices ) at 3:45 p.m. on Mondays.
A collective noun includes words like jury, committee, audience, crowd, class, family, and couple.
We treat these words as singular.
For example: The family ( eat / eats ) supper together every night.
(In this example, the family, as a unit, collectively eats together).
For example: The jury ( is / are ) debating a verdict on the case.
(In this example, however, the jury, as a whole, cannot debate themselves—it doesn’t make sense; the
meaning here is plural, and the answer is ARE).Technically this is grammatically correct, though it
sounds funny. In order to clear up the confusion, add a word like “The jury members are debating
among themselves.”
*Beware of nouns that denote "one thing." often times these nouns will end in "s," but they really are
singular:
For example: Measles (one disease) ( is / are ) a dangerous disease.
For example: My sunglasses (one thing) ( fall / falls ) from my head frequently.
For example: Daughters of Copper Woman (name of a book) ( recount / recounts ) several classic
tales of native people of the Vancouver Islands.
 Rule: Nouns in a sentence must have a logical number relation.
For example: The community education section in the newspaper requested that only school-aged
children enter their poster in the contest.
The error here is that there is more than one child (children), so they it must follow that
they submitted more than one poster (their posters).
Usually this is easy, but sometimes it can get tricky; try to spot the error in the following sentences:
Ex. The rubble of Berlin and division of Germany were a reminder of the defeat of the Axis powers
in World War II.
Ex. Many question the validity of laws that do not allow people with a child to rent certain
apartments.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - -
5
Verb Tense
 Rule: Keep verb tense consistent.
For example: Over the last half-century, the building of passenger airlines ( has / had ) grown into
a multi-billion dollar industry.
For example: My excitement grows and intensifies as the game clock ticked and finally buzzed. The
players ran onto the floor, and they ( leap / leaped ) and shout in victory.
Verb Tense Exercises:
1. Although the main tense in the following paragraph is past, the writer correctly shifts to
present tense twice. Circle these two verbs in present tense.
The Iroquois Indians of the Northeast regularly burned land to increase open space for agriculture. In fact, the
early settlers of Boston found so few trees that they had to row out to the islands in the harbor to obtain fuel.
Just how far north this practice extended is uncertain, but the Saco River in southern Maine appears to have
been the original northern boundary of the agricultural clearings. Then, pressured by European settlement, the
Iroquois extended their systematic burning far northward, even into the Maritime Provinces of
Canada. (Abridged from Hay and Farb, The Atlantic Shore)
2. Read the following paragraph and circle the three verbs that shift incorrectly from the main
tense.
For the past seven years, I have called myself a swimmer. Swimming, my one sport, provides a necessary outlet
for my abundant energy. I have always drawn satisfaction from exertion, straining my muscles to their limits. I
don't know why pushing forward in the water, as my muscles cried out in pain, sets off a booming cheer in my
head. Many times when I rounded the turn for the last lap of a race, my complaining muscles want to downshift
and idle to the finish. My mind, however, presses the pedal to the floor and yells, "FASTER!" The moment that
I touched the wall my muscles relax; the pain subsides. I am pleased to have passed the point of
conflict. (Adapted from Brendon MacLean, "Harder!")
3. You will notice several shifts in tense in the following paragraph describing action in a fictional
narrative. Circle the six faulty shifts in tense.
In "The Use of Force" William Carlos Williams describes a struggle involving a doctor, two parents, and their
young daughter. The doctor must obtain a throat culture from the girl, who was suspected of having diphtheria.
This ordinarily simple task is hindered by the frightened and uncooperative patient, Mathilda Olson. Adding to
the doctor's difficulties were the parents, who had to struggle with their own conflicting emotions. They want
their daughter helped, but they did not trust the doctor to do the right thing. Sensitive to the parents'
uncertainty, the doctor became more and more frustrated by Mathilda's resistance. Williams gives considerable
attention to how each of the Olsons react, but it is clear that his main interest was in the doctor and his
responses. (Adapted from a student essay) (Adapted from owl.english.purdue.edu)
6
 Rule: When writing about literature, keep events in the present tense:
For example: The Scarlet Letter is (not was) a punishment sternly placed upon Hester’s breast by
the community, and it is (not was) and extremely fanciful and imaginative product of Hester’s own
needlework.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - -
Pronouns and Antecedents
Pronouns replace nouns or other pronouns and can serve the same roles as nouns. The antecedent
of a pronoun is the noun or pronoun that it replaces or to which it refers.
Larry came today and brought his tools. (Larry is the antecedent of his.)
Debbie and Tom came in. They were laughing. (Debbie & Tom are the antecedents of they.)
Exercises: Underline the pronoun and draw an arrow to its antecedents.
1. Tim and Rick didn’t bring their raincoats.
2. Steel mills can create a serious problem. They pollute the air.
3. Owen had the injured sparrow with him. He carried it carefully.
 Rule: Make pronouns and antecedents agree in number.
* Use a singular pronoun for a singular antecedent. Use a plural pronoun for a plural antecedent. *
For example: The runner talked about his Olympic medals. (Runner is singular; his is singular.)
For example: The actors learned their lines. (Actors is plural; their is plural.)
For example: A student must read voraciously if they want to excel in school.
(Some people don’t like the awkwardness of writing this way; one way to avoid it is to
change the wording around: Students must read voraciously if they want to excel.)
Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement in Number Exercises: Circle the correct pronoun and
underline its antecedent in the following sentences.
1. If I ever find my glasses, I think I'll have ( it / them ) replaced.
2. Students must see ( his or her / their ) counselors before the end of the semester.
3. George wants to go into politics; he finds ( it / them ) exciting.
4. Jeff and Isabel planned ( his and her / their ) wedding.
5. Few of today’s teenagers are loyal to one brand of clothing even though (he or she / they )may
prefer one brand to another.
7
 Rule: Use personal pronouns and nouns in the proper case.
Pronoun case refers to the function of the pronoun in the sentence. There are three cases.



Subjective case: pronouns used as subject.
Objective case: pronouns used as objects of verbs or prepositions.
Possessive case: pronouns which express ownership.
Pronouns as Subjects Pronouns as Objects Pronouns that show Possession
I
me
my (mine)
you
you
your (yours)
he, she, it
him, her, it
his, her (hers), it (its)
we
us
our (ours)
they
them
their (theirs)
who
whom
whose
The pronouns This, That, These, Those, and Which do not change form.
The following sentences use pronouns correctly. Read each sentence out loud.
1. We tried the mushroom pizza. (subject form)
2. The girl on the left is she. (subject form)
3. Sam’s friend congratulated him for winning the contest. (object form)
4. Tom keeps his room clean. (possessive form)
Some problems of case:
1. In compound structures, where there are two pronouns or a noun and a pronoun, drop the other
noun for a moment. Then you can see which case you want.
Not: Bob and me travel a good deal. (Would you say, "me travel"?)
Not: He gave the flowers to Jane and I. (Would you say, "he gave the flowers to I"?)
Not: Us men like the coach. (Would you say, "us like the coach"?)
2. In comparisons. Comparisons usually follow than or as:
He is taller than I (am tall).
This helps you as much as (it helps) me.
She is as noisy as I (am).
Comparisons are really shorthand sentences which usually omit words, such as those in the
parentheses in the sentences above. If you complete the comparison in your head, you can choose the
correct case for the pronoun.
Not: He is taller than me. (Would you say, "than me am tall"?)
8
3. In formal and semiformal writing:
Use the subjective form after a form of the verb to be.
Formal: It is I.
Informal: It is me.
Use whom in the objective case.
Formal: To whom am I talking?
Informal: Who am I talking to?
(Adapted from owl.english.purdue.edu.)
Pronoun Case Exercises: Circle the correct pronoun in each of the following sentences.
1. The base runners were Mark and ( I / me ).
2. ( We / Us ) boys were selected as the finalists.
3. Chris and ( her / she ) are coming.
4. Kirk helped ( he / him ) and ( she / her ) with the dishes.
5. The amount of annual leave a federal worker may accrue depends on ( his or her / their )
length of service.
6. Most infants, even unusually quiet ones, will cry with greater intensity when ( he or she / they )
begin teething.
Try this one... you have been told by your English teacher not to use second-person pronouns.
To learn how to snowboard, you have to get a board, boots, and bindings.
Fix it!
To learn how to snowboard, one has to get a board, boots, and bindings.
However! This does flow very well, so let’s try this:
Learning to snowboard requires getting a board, boots, and bindings.
or
A new snowboarder must get a board, boots, and bindings to begin learning the sport.
Much better! If we can learn to write like this in the first place, we won’t have to bother to go back and
change all of our second-person pronouns.
Indefinite Pronouns (Review)
Definition: Indefinite pronouns do not refer to a particular person.
The following indefinite pronouns are singular:
anybody
each
everything
no one
anyone
everybody
neither
somebody
anything
everyone
nobody
someone
Because they are singular, use the singular possessive pronouns his, her, or its to refer to them.
Perhaps these sentences will help you to remember. Read each of them aloud.
Everybody took his turn. Something had its burrow here.
9
Someone left her raincoat. No one had his or her ticket.
A few indefinite pronouns are plural. They refer to more than one person or thing:
both
many
few
several
Both raised their hands.
Few stopped their cars.
Many of the fans left their seats. Several offered their help.
Four indefinite pronouns may be either singular or plural, depending on their meaning in the
sentence.
all
any
some
none
All of the salad was eaten. (singular)
All of the seats were empty. (plural)
Does any of this newspaper need to be saved? (singular)
Do any of these songs sound familiar? (plural)
Indefinite Pronoun Exercises: Circle the correct pronoun in each of the following sentences.
1. Somebody lost ( his or her / their ) hockey stick.
2. Both of the referees blew ( his / their ) whistles.
3. No one raised ( his or her / their ) hand.
4. All of the snakes shed ( its / their ) skins.
5. Each of the boys displayed ( his / their ) drawing.
6. Some of the plants dropped ( its / their ) leaves.
7. Did everyone bring ( his or her / their ) permission slip?
8. Many of the runners clocked ( his or her / their ) best times.
9. Can anyone touch ( his or her / their ) toes?
10. Neither of the twins remembered ( her / their ) locker number.
Compound Personal Pronouns
Definition: A compound personal pronoun is formed by adding –self or –selves to certain
personal pronouns.
myself
ourselves
yourself
yourselves
himself, herself, itself
themselves
Here are some examples:
We always do the repairs ourselves.
(You) Read the story yourself.
She weighs herself every day.
10
Compound Personal Pronoun Exercises: On the line in each sentence, write the correct
compound personal pronoun for each of the following sentences.
1. Nancy thought of ____________________ as everyone’s friend.
2. He bandaged the cut ____________________.
3. The wolves threw ____________________ against the cage bars in an attempt to escape.
4. A motor-driven robot can walk by ____________________.
5. If you’re still hungry, cut ____________________ another piece of cake.
Interrogative Pronouns
Definition: The interrogative pronouns are who, whose, whom, which, and what.
Who plays tennis?
Whose is this bike?
Whom did you call?
Which came first?
What is the answer?
Using Who and Whom
The interrogative pronouns who and whom are often confused. Study these examples. They will help
you to use who and whom correctly.
Use who as the subject of the verb.
Who is coming today?
Who gave you that sweater?
Use whom as the direct object of the verb and as the object of the preposition.
Whom were you describing?
Whom did Jim call?
With whom did you dance?
To whom was she talking?
Interrogative Pronoun Exercises: Circle the correct interrogative pronoun from the two given in
parentheses.
1. ( Who / Whom ) is your favorite teacher? Answer: (look up) 
2. At ( who / whom ) did the bus driver yell?
3. ( Who / Whom ) ate all the banana bread?
4. ( Who / Whom ) did Emily invite to the dance?
5. To ( who / whom ) did Eva pass the ball?
6. ( Who / Whom ) plays first base?
11
 Rule: Pronoun references must be clear (rather than ambiguous).
Incorrect: The child looked sadly at the squirrel after it had stolen its food.
Correct: The child looked sadly at the squirrel after the squirrel had stolen its food.
Exercises: Fix the unclear pronoun reference errors in the following sentences.
1. After rising fuel prices caused a shutdown of the project, they are considering alternate
transportation methods.
2.  The student asked for clarification from the teacher after he had explained the situation.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - -
Adjectives/Adverbs
 Rule: Adjectives only modify nouns.
Adjectives help to give your readers a clear picture of what you are writing about. They add to the
meaning of another word. They make the meaning more exact. Adjectives can tell three things about
the words they modify.
Which one or ones?
this book, that jet, these shoes, those passengers
What kind?
blue sky, hot oven, small jar, old house, beautiful sunrise
How many?
four bicycles, several cars, many people, few children
Adjectives in Comparisons
Definition: When you compare one person or thing with another, use the comparative form of the
adjective.
Rob is taller than John.
My dog is smarter than your dog.
The comparative form is made in two ways:
1. For short adjective like calm and slow, ad –er.
calm + -er = calmer
slow + -er = slower
happy + -er = happier
bright + -er = brighter
2. For longer adjective like delicious, use more.
more delicious
more gracious
12
Most adjectives ending in –ful and –ous form the comparative with more.
more thoughtful
more gracious
Definition: When you compare a person or a thing with all others of its kind, use the superlative
form of the adjective. In fact, whenever you compare a person or thing with more than one other
person or thing, use the superlative.
Lynn is the tallest person in the class.
The tiger seems to be the most ferocious animal in the zoo.
The superlative form of adjectives is made by adding –est or by using most. For adjective that take -er
in the comparative, add –est for the superlative. Those that use more to form the comparative use
most for the superlative.
Adjective
Comparative
Superlative
full
fuller
fullest
dim
dimmer
dimmest
pretty
prettier
prettiest
practical
more practical
most practical
courageous
more courageous
most courageous
Adjective Exercises: Circle the correct form of the adjective.
1. My suitcase is ( heavier / heaviest ) than yours.
2. It was ( warmer / warmest ) in Texas than in Florida.
3. Wilson’s store was always the ( busier / busiest) in town.
4. Of the two parks, I like this one ( better / best).
5. This is the ( worse / worst ) program I’ve ever seen.
 Rule: Adverbs may modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
In order to make your meaning clear, vivid, and complete, you often use words that tell how, when,
where, or to what extent. These words are called adverbs.
Adverbs Modify Verbs
How?
When?
Where?
We walked.
We walked slowly.
We walked yesterday.
We walked out.
Adverbs Modify Adjectives
How clear?
How difficult?
To what extent?
It was a clear day.
It was a fairly clear day.
The problem was difficult.
The problem was too difficult.
I was late.
I was very late.
Adverbs Modify Other Adverbs
Joe talked fast.
Joe talked extremely fast.
The senators agreed enthusiastically.
How enthusiastically? The senators agreed most enthusiastically.
The ball rolled away.
To what extent?
The ball rolled far away.
How fast?
13
Position of Adverbs: When an adverb modifies an adjective or another adverb, it usually comes
before the word it modifies:
very hot
quite still
not often
But when an adverb modifies a verb, its position is not usually fixed:
I see now.
Now I see. I now see.
Forming Adverbs: Many adverbs are made by adding –ly to an adjective:
plain + -ly = plainly
brave + -ly = bravely
Sometimes the addition of –ly involves a spelling change in the adjective:
noisy + -ly = noisily (y changed to i)
terrible + -ly = terribly (final e dropped)
Exercises: Underline the adverb(s) in each sentence, and draw an arrow to the word it modifies.
1. Our puppy barked eagerly.
2. Sandra and Andy play tennis regularly.
3. Rain fell heavily during the night.
4. They ran swiftly from the car to the house.
5. The Warners had parked nearby.
6. Ben scored easily from mid-court.
7. The water rose steadily.
8. He will leave tomorrow for San Francisco.
9. Have you skied lately?
10. The skiers raced daringly down the slopes.
Adverbs in Comparisons
Definition: When you compare one action with another one, use the comparative form of the
adverb. The comparative form is made in two ways:
1. For short adverbs like high and early, add –er.
The rocket soared higher into space.
Betsy left the party earlier than Sue.
2. For most adverbs ending in –ly, use more to make the comparative.
Stores handle eggs more carefully than other foods.
The instructor skied more smoothly than his pupils.
Definition: When you compare one action with two or more actions of the same kind, use the
superlative form of the adverb.
Of all the clerks, Debbie works most efficiently.
Connie and Dave try hard, but Joe tries hardest.
14
The superlative form of adverbs is formed by adding –est or by using most. Adverbs that form the
comparative with –er form the superlative with –est. Those that use more for the comparative use
most for the superlative.
Adverb
Comparative
Superlative
late
later
latest
fast
faster
fastest
fiercely
more fiercely
most fiercely
softly
more softly
most softly
Exercises: Circle the correct form of the adverb from in the following sentences.
1. I walked into the library ( more quietly / most quietly ) than before.
2. Nobody can count money (better / best ) than she.
3. My mother exercises ( more regularly / most regularly ) than I do.
4. Our relay team could run the ( faster / fastest ) of all.
5. He wrapped my package the ( more carefully / most carefully ) of all.
Adjective or Adverb?
An adverb tells
how
when
where
to what extent
An adjective tells
what kind
how many
which one
about a verb, adjective,
or adverb.
about a noun or pronoun.
Study the following sentences. Which sentence sounds right to you?
Our team won easy.
Our team won easily.
The second sentence is the correct one. An adverb (easily) should be used, not an adjective (easy).
It is sometimes difficult to decide whether an adjective or an adverb should be used in sentences like
the two given above.
When you are not sure which modifier to use, ask yourself these questions:
1. Which word does the modifier describe? If it describes a verb (like won in the sentences
above), it is an adverb. It is also an adverb if it describes an adjective or another adverb. If it
describes a noun or a pronoun, it is an adjective.
2. What does the modifier tell about the word it describes? If the modifier tells how,
when, where, or to what extent, it is an adverb. If it tells what kind, how many, or which one, it is an
adjective. In the sentences above, the modifier tells how our team won. Therefore, it must be an
adverb: easily.
15
Adjective/Adverb Exercises: Choose the correct word from the words in parentheses.
1. He lined up his airplane collection ( neat / neatly ).
2. This way is ( more quickly / quicker ).
3. That’s a ( real / really ) tough question.
4. Watch this film ( more close / more closely ) than that.
5. The roads are icy, so drive ( safe / safely ).
6. He can run ( quick / quickly ).
7. My mother exercises ( more regular / more regularly ) than I do.
8. May plays the piano ( good / well ), doesn’t she?
9. Marcus did ( terrible / terribly ) on his math homework.
10. Mr. Wilson’s store was always the ( busiest / busier ) in town.
More Adjective/Adverb Exercises: Circle all adjectives and underline all adverbs. Then draw an
arrow to the word it modifies.
1. The sportscaster talked endlessly about the new season.
2. A single sailboat drifted on the peaceful lake.
3. Suddenly, a heavy rainstorm flooded the streets.
4. The tiny car left a gray cloud of smoke as it quickly pulled away.
5. This salesperson seems too pushy.
6. An extremely deep hit by Garvey scored two runs.
7. Rapidly and skillfully, the farmer steered a huge tractor through the fields.
8. The gray horse responds more gently than the brown one.
9. Jed was pleasantly surprised by very good grades last semester.
10. Kris usually studies in the quietest room in the house.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
16
Double Negatives
 Rule: Avoid double negatives.
Circle and fix the error!
1. I can’t hardly wait until Halloween!
2. Nobody is never going to believe I saw a ghost.
3. The pilot can’t find no place to land the plane.
4. The secret cave did not have none of the treasures they wanted.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Idiomatic English
Definition: An idiom is a phrase or expression that means something different from what the words
actually say (using over his head for didn’t understand).
A piece of cake = a task that can be accomplished very easily
Blue moon = a rare event or occurrence
Idiomatic language is language or dialect peculiar to a particular people.
In the previous sentence, we wouldn't say, "an attempt in attracting”; we would say "an attempt to
attract." Some questions on the ACT test your understanding of the idiomatic way English speakers
talk (and write). These types of sentences are particularly difficult for non-native speakers of English.
Also difficult are idioms--expressions that, at face value, don't make a lot of sense:
Kick the bucket
A chip on your shoulder
It cost an arm and a leg
Between a rock and a hard place
A back-seat driver
Hit the sack
Idiom Exercises: For each group of idioms, circle the one that is worded correctly.
1. You are what you eat
You eat what you are
You eat a lot
2. Until the cows go home
Till the cows come home
Till the cows arrive home
3. Keep an eye on him
Keep eyes on him
Keeps eyeing him
As native speakers of English, we all understand these expressions, but consider how difficult learning
them would be for someone trying to learn to speak English. Fortunately, these types of expressions
don't usually show up on the ACT test.
------------------------------------------------------------------17
Confused Terms
Accept means “to agree to something” or “to receive something willingly.”
Except means “to exclude” or “omit.” (As a preposition, except means “but” or “excluding.”)
1. Kay did accept the Hansens’ invitation to go camping with them.
2. The ninth grade will be excepted from locker inspection.
3. Everyone except the team will sit in the bleachers.
Affect means “to influence” and is a verb.
Effect means “to produce, accomplish, or complete” as a verb or “the result” as a noun.
1. Mark’s hard work effected an A on the test, which positively affected his semester grade.
2. Good grades have a calming effect on parents.
A lot is a vague descriptive phrase that should be used sparingly.
Alot is not a word. Ever.
Allot means to divide or distribute by share or portion
1. “You can observe a lot just by watching.” –Yogi Berra
2. I will allot the snacks equally among the children.
Allusion means an indirect reference to someone or something.
Illusion means a false picture or idea.
1. My little sister, under the illusion that she’s movie-star material, makes frequent allusions to
her future fans.
Borrow means “to receive for temporary use.”
Lend means “to give for temporary use.”
1. I told Mom I needed to borrow $18 for a CD, but she said her lending service was for school
supplies only.
Capital means “most important” or “most serious.” It also refers to the city or town that is the
official seat of government of a state or nation.
Capitol is a building in which a state legislature meets.
The Capitol is the building in Washington, D.C., in which the US Congress meets.
1. Montpelier is the capital of Vermont.
2. Use a capital letter to begin every line of poetry.
3. The committee held a special meeting at the capitol building.
4. We visited the Capitol in Washington, D.C., last summer.
Among is used when speaking of more than two persons or things.
Between is used when speaking of only two.
1. The friends talked among themselves to decide between going out or eating in.
Farther refers to a physical distance.
Further refers to additional time, quantity, or degree.
1. Alaska extends farther north than Iceland.
2. Further information can be obtained in an atlas.
18
Fewer refers to the number of separate units.
Less refers to bulk quantity.
1. Because we have fewer orders for cakes, we’ll buy less sugar and flour.
Good is an adjective; it describes nouns.
Well is nearly always an adverb or to describe a state of health.
1. The strange flying machines worked well and made our team look good.
Its is a word that indicates ownership.
It’s is a contraction for it is or it has.
1. The city lost its power during the thunderstorm.
2. It’s almost noon, and I haven’t finished my work.
Lead (lēd) means “to go first.”
Led (lĕd) is the past tense of lead.
Lead (lĕd) is a heavy, silvery-blue metal.
1. A circus wagon pulled by horses will lead the parade.
2. This wagon had led the parade for many years.
3. Lead is one of the heaviest metals, yet it melts at a very low temperature.
Lie means “to recline.” (It’s an intransitive verb which means it completes the action on its own.)
Lay means “to place.” (It’s a transitive verb which means its action is received by an object.)
1. In this heat, the children must lie down for a nap. Yesterday they lay down without one
complaint.
2. Sometimes, they have lain in the hammocks to rest.
3. Lay your books on the big table where your friend laid his packages.
Lose means “to misplace” or “suffer the loss of something.”
Loose means “free” or “not fastened.”
1. Our car began to lose some of its power as we reached the top of Pike’s Peak.
2. The hinges on the back gate are quite loose.
Past refers to that which has ended or gone by.
Passed is the past tense of pass and means went by.
1. Our past experience with that team has taught us to use a different defense.
2. We passed through the Grand Tetons on our vacation last summer.
Saw is the past tense of see which means to view or have the power of sight.
Seen is the past participle of see which means to view or have the power of sight.
1. Last night a saw a falling star for the first time.
2. I have seen Taylor Swift in concert three times.
Who is used as the subject of a verb.
Whom is used as the object of a preposition or as a direct object.
1. To whom do we owe our thanks for these pizzas?
2. And who ordered that one with pepperoni and pineapple?
19
Whose is the possessive form of who.
Who’s is a contraction for who is or who has.
1. Do you know whose bicycle is chained to the parking meter?
2. Who’s going to volunteer to help at the children’s Christmas party?
Your is the possessive form of you.
You’re is a contraction of you are.
1. Please take your books back to the library today.
2. You’re going there right after school, aren’t you?
There means in that place.
Their means belonging to them.
They’re is a contraction for they are.
1. Please put the groceries over there on the counter.
2. In 1803, the explorers Lewis and Clark led their expedition to the western United States.
3. Sue and Pam are skiing, and they’re going snowmobiling on Saturday.
To means toward, or in the direction of.
Too means also or very.
Two is the number 2.
1. We all went to the zoo last weekend.
2. It was too cold to go cross-country skiing.
3. Two television stations carried the President’s last press conference.
Weather refers to atmospheric conditions such as temperature or cloudiness.
Whether helps to express choice.
1. Daily weather reports are studied by meteorologist all over the world.
2. Whether we call or write for our vacation reservations, we must do it soon.
Complement refers to something that completes or goes well with something.
Compliment indicates praise or flattery to another person.
1. The sauce is a nice complement to the vegetables.
2. This book will complement his collection.
3. She gave him a compliment on his drawing.
4. Thank you for the compliment.
Principal - Can be used as an adjective, if used in the meaning of  ‘most important’ or ‘main one’
Can also be used as a noun, used in the meaning of ‘the main or chief one’
Principle - Noun ONLY, referring to a fundamental law or concept
1. The sum of money on which one draws interest is the principal.
2. The principal called the students down to the office upon hearing of the food fight.
3. "Regardless of what you plan to do, I have principles."
Implied- not directly or specifically made known
Inferred- to derive by reasoning or to conclude or judge from premises or evidence
1. They inferred that he was mad because of his raised voice.
2. The way he spoke about my hat implied he did not like it.
20
Continuous: referring to something that is happening without interruption
Continual: referring to a close, prolonged recurrence, happening again and again (regularly)
1. The concert went on with continuous silence.
2. Students continually talk and laugh in the hallways.
Flair-Noun: A natural talent or aptitude. 
Flare-Verb: To burn unsteadily. (literally or figuratively)  Noun: as in a flare gun
1. The fire flared up as the firefighters looked on helplessly.
2. Tempers flared up at the meeting.
3. She had a flair for writing rhymes.
Raise needs an object to receive its action.
Rise doesn’t need an object; something can rise by itself.
* Both mean “to move upwards.”
1. I knew the answer so I raised my hand.
2. They raised just enough money for the new equipment.
3. The sun rises in the morning.
4. The zombie rose from the dead.
Counsel used as a noun means advice; when used as a verb, it means to advise.
Council refers to a group that advises.
1. The city council got together and had a meeting about this years’ parade.
2. At school, the kids were being counseled about the side effects of alcohol abuse.
Cite- The verb cite means to mention or quote as an authority or example.
Sight- The noun sight refers to something that is seen or the power or process of seeing.
Site- The noun site means a particular place.
1. This style guide explains how to cite sources in a term paper.
2. "The sight of the stars makes me dream." (Vincent Van Gogh)
3. That field is the site for the new high school.
Confused Terms Exercises: Choose the correct word from the words in parentheses.
1. This ( past / passed ) year I had a special tutor to help me in math.
2. Theodore Roosevelt ( lead / led ) the charge up San Juan Hill.
3. The latch door is ( lose / loose ) and needs to be fixed.
4. All of the players ( accept / except ) the goalie were involved in the argument.
5. My daughter loved the magician’s great ( allusions / illusions ) during his show.
6. ( Lay / Lie ) your keys on the table so we know where to find them.
7. Call us when ( your / you’re ) ready.
8. Our neighbors never let ( their / there ) cat out at night.
9. That movie was ( to / too ) funny for words.
10. ( Whose / who’s ) making all that noise?
21
11. If the ( weather / whether ) permits, we will have a picnic.
12. Greg will be dancing with ( who / whom ) at the homecoming dance?
13. Mother will ( a lot / allot ) a certain amount of money for groceries this week.
14. The athlete’s attitude will ( affect / effect ) her performance.
15. I can’t believe ( its it’s ) almost Christmas.
16. The thief had previously been arrested for a ( capital / capitol ) offence.
22