Grammar and Correct Usage

Instructions Identify the word/phrase that makes the sentence incorrect if there are any. If no error
is found, write NE.

1. The inventor stood to except the award.

2. Between the three of us, I think I am the slowest runner.

3. There are scarcely no more birds in this city.

4. This fruit contains fewer sugar.

5. I have never seen nothing as beautiful as this city.

6. Place the mirror on the wall to give you an allusion of bigger room.

7. We were lucky we didn’t have typhoon this month. 8.

My favorite vegetable are peas.

9. Either James or John are going to lead the choir in the recital tommorow.

10. The additional supplies that we need to bring are: band aids, cottons, alcohol, and gauze.

11. All the students has finished their report.

12. He was a honorable man.

13. The recently heavy flooding effected the crops of farmers.

14. Emmanuel could of passed the examinations if he had studied hard enough.

15. I believe that were going to have a prosperous new year.

Subject-Verb Agreement
Instructions Identify the word/phrase that makes the sentence incorrect if there are any. If no error
is found, write NE.

1. My brother or my sister are arriving tomorrow.

2. Neither Ella nor her friends is available to assist you.

3. Armand, together with his friends, are going on a camping trip tomorrow.

4. Jim and Mike are going to take the Subprofessional Civil Service Examination next month.

5. Each of the boys play piano well.

6. Neither of them are available to meet you at the airport.

7. Ten years are such a long time to wait my love.

8. Five thousand pesos are a high price to pay for a single T-shirt.

9. Fifty percent of the cake have disappeared after just two minutes.

10. Everybody is happy about the result of the examination

11. One-tenth of the people in this city are unemployed.

12. He is one of the men who does the work without complaining.

13. The team are going to practice tomorrow for the final competition

14. The committee are in disagreement whether to use the fund in a feeding program or donate it to
a hospital.

15. Nina, as well as his brother and sister, is attending a birthday party.
Answers to Grammar Practice Test 1
Below are the answers and the explanations to the Grammar and Correct Usage Practice Test 1.
The incorrect word or phrase in the sentence is highlighted red, while the correct word or phrase is
highlighted green.
1. The inventor stood to except the award.
Correct Sentence: The inventor stood to accept the award.
Explanation: Accept means “to receive”, except means “to exclude.”
2. Between the three of us, I think I am the slowest runner.
Correct Sentence: Among the three of us, I think I am the slowest runner.
Explanation: Among is used to refer to 3 or more members of the group, while between is used to refer
to two member of the group.
3. There are scarcely no more birds in this city.
Correct sentence: There are scarcely any birds in this city.
Explanation: Double negative. Scarcely and no more are both negative word/phrase.
4. This fruit contains fewer sugar.
Correct sentence: This fruit contains less sugar.
Explanation: Fewer is used to describe plural nouns (how many) while less is used to describe
singular nouns (how much). Sugar is singular.
5. I have never seen nothing as beautiful as this city.
Correct sentence: I have never seen anything as beautiful as this city.
Explanation: Double negative. Never seen and nothing are both negative word/phrase.
6. Place the mirror on the wall to give you an allusion of bigger room.
Correct sentence: Place the mirror on the wall to give you an illusion of bigger room.
Explanation: Allusion means “a passing or casual reference,” while illusion means “something that
deceives by producing a false or misleading impression of reality.”
7. We were lucky we didn’t have typhoon this month. (No Error)

8. My favorite vegetable are peas.

Correct sentence: May favorite vegetable is peas.
Explanation: The subject is favorite is singular, therefore the verb are should be is.
9. Either James or John are going to lead the choir in the recital tommorow.
Correct sentence: Either James or John is going to lead the choir in their recital tomorrow.
Explanation: In either or statements, the verb considers the subject after the or statement. The
subject John is singular, so the verb should be is. The correct spelling is tomorrow.
10. The additional supplies that we need to bring are: band aids, cottons, alcohol, and gauze.
Correct sentences:

The additional supplies that we need to bring are band aids, cottons, alcohol, and gauze. (The colon
was deleted).
The additional supplies that we need to bring are the following: band aids, cottons, alcohol, and
gauze.
Explanation: The colon is used before a list of items especially after expressions like the
following and as follows. Do not use a colon before a verb or a preposition.
11. All the students has finished their report.
Correct sentence: All the students have finished their report.
Explanation: In this sentence, “all” refers to many students, therefore “have” is the correct verb.
12. He was a honorable man.
Correct sentence: He was an honorable man.
Explanation: A is used before words beginning with a consonant sound (a car, a pencil), while an is
used to before words beginning with vowel sounds (an ant, an egg). An is also used to before words
beginning with the consonant h when h is not pronounced (such as honorable).
13. The recently heavy flooding effected the crops of farmers.
Correct sentence: The recently heavy flooding affected the crops of farmers.
Explanation: Affect means “to influence” while effect means “the result of some actions.”
14. Emmanuel could of passed the examinations if he had studied hard enough.
Correct sentence: Emmanuel could have passed the examinations if he studied hard enough.
Explanation: The word “of” is not used after the verb could.
15. I believe that were going to have a prosperous new year.
Correct sentence: I believe that we’re going to have a prosperous new year.
Explanation: The word were is the past tense of was while we’re is the contraction of we are.
Subject-Verb Agreement Practice Test 1 Answers
1. My brother or my sister are arriving tomorrow.
Correct sentence: My brother or my sister is arriving tomorrow
Explanation: Two singular subjects connected by or require a singular verb. In this sentence,
there brother and sister are both singular, so the sentence should use the singular verb is.
2. Neither Ella nor her friends is available to assist you.
Correct sentence: Neither Ella nor her friends are available to assist you.
When a singular subject and a plural subject are connected by neither/nor or either/or, the verb agrees
with the subject nearest to it. In the sentence above, the plural verb are is used because it is nearer
to the plural subject friends.
3. Armand, together with his friends, are going on a camping trip tomorrow.
Correct sentence: Armand, together with his friends, is going on a camping trip tomorrow.
Explanation: In general, phrases such as together with, along with, as well as, should be ignored when
considering the verb of the sentence. The verb should always agree with the subject. In this sentence,
Armand is the singular subject, so the singular verb is is used.
4. Jim and Mike are going to take the Subprofessional Civil Service Examination next month.
Explanation: No error. Jim and Mike is a plural subject, so the plural verb are is used.
5. Each of the boys play piano well.
Correct sentence: Each of the boys plays piano well.
Explanation: The pronouns each, anyone, anybody, everyone, every one, everybody are singular and
require singular verbs. In the sentence, each is singular so, the singular verb plays must be used.
6. Neither of them are available to meet you at the airport.
Correct sentence: Neither of them is available to meet you at the airport.
Explanation: Sentences that use either or neither (without or) always require singular verb.
7. Ten years are such a long time to wait my love.
Correct sentence: Ten years is such a long time to wait my love.
Explanation: Periods of time take singular verb.

8. Five thousand pesos are a high price to pay for a single T-shirt.
Correct sentence: Five thousand pesos is a high price to pay for a single T-shirt.
Explanation: Amount of money takes singular verb.

9. Fifty percent of the cake have disappeared after just two minutes.
Correct sentence: Fifty percent of the cake has disappeared after just two minutes.
Explanation: The verb used in words that indicate portions such
as percent, fraction, part, all, some, etc. depends on the noun in the “of phrase.” In the sentence
above, the cake in “of the cake” phrase is singular, therefore, the singular verb has should be used.
10. Everybody is happy about the result of the examination
Explanation: No Error. See no. 5 for explanation.

11. One-tenth of the people in this city are unemployed.

Explanation: No error. See no. 9 for explanation.

12. He is one of the men who does the work without complaining.
Correct sentence: He is one of the men who do the work without complaining.
Explanation: The pronouns who, which, and that which is the subject of the verb in the middle of the
sentence become singular or plural according to the noun directly in front of them. In the sentence
above, the noun in front of who is men which is plural, so the plural verb do must be used.
13. The team are going to practice tomorrow for the final competition
Correct sentence: The team is going to practice tomorrow for the final competition
Explanation: Collective nouns such as team and staff may either be singular or plural depending on
their use in the sentence. In the sentence above, the team acts as a unit and therefore requires a
singular verb.
14. The committee are in disagreement whether to use the fund in a feeding program or donate it to a
hospital.
Explanation: No error. Unlike in number 13, the committee in this sentence act as individuals and not
as a unit.
15. Nina, as well as his brother and sister, is attending a birthday party.
Explanation: No error. See no. 3 for explanation.