Part 1: Parts of Speech
In this section, you’ll “diagram” each sentence by correctly identifying the part of speech of each of the words. This illustrates your understanding of the parts of speech and their appropriate placement in sentence structure.
Example: The boy hit the ball.
The (definite article) boy (subject) hit (past tense verb) the (definite article) ball (direct object).
Please write the identified parts of speech on the lines beneath each sentence.
1. Mother gave me a card for my birthday.
2. The new mail carrier finally arrived.
3. How many players are on a team?
Part 2: Types of Sentences
In this section, you’ll identify what type of sentence each example is. You don’t need to explain as we did in Examples 1 and 2. Just identify whether each sentence is complex, an exclamation, declarative, or interrogative.
Example 1: While Annie stayed home and sulked, Jimmy went to the movies. Complex
This is a complex sentence, because it has one or more independent clauses joined by one or more dependent clauses. “While Annie stayed home and sulked” is a dependent clause because it’s an incomplete thought. “Jimmy went to the movies” is an independent clause because it’s a complete sentence that has a subject, a verb, and an object.
Example 2: I like this. Declarative
This is a declarative sentence, because it’s simply making a statement.
Please write your answers in the spaces provided at the end of each sentence.
1. Tim likes soup, so Mary bought tomatoes. _______________
2. Oh no! _______________
3. Do you want to play in the garden? _______________
4. In the story, the author told how useful a sled can be.
5. She plays the piano. _______________
6. I love you! _______________
7. My brother baked a cake last night. _______________
8. The car broke down, but a rescue van arrived within minutes. _______________
9. If you leave late, take a cab home. _______________
10. What did you name your new puppy? _______________
Part 3: Word Choice
Which word is correct? In this section, you’ll apply your knowledge of troublesome words by making choices in the following sentences. You don’t need to explain your choice. Read the sentence out loud to yourself several times using the different options. Once you’ve decided which word is correct, circle your choice.
Example: I can’t go any (farther, further) up this hill.
The correct choice is farther. Farther means physical advancement in distance, while further denotes advancement to a greater degree, as in time.
Please circle the correct choice.
1. I think (there, their, they’re) son is the quarterback of the team.
2. The storm didn’t have as much (affect, effect) on our community as it did on others.
3. He is much bigger (than, then) I remember him being.
4. The (principle, principal) of the school graduated with my sister.
5. You have no choice but to (accept, except) this decision.
6. When I got home, my parents had (already, all ready) left.
7. Because the president will be in the building, the streets surrounding the (capital, capitol) will be closed.
8. Did you win or (loose, lose) the game?
9. She performed (good, well) on the balance beam.
10. These colors (complement, compliment) each other well.
Part 5: Sentence Structure
The following section contains True/False items concerning grammar, punctuation, and definition of terms.
Indicate whether each of the following is True or False.
______ 1. You should use a comma before the word “and.”
______ 2. The following is a sentence fragment: It no longer flies.
______ 3. In the following sentence, the underlined word is used correctly: The Jones’ controlled the South Side for years. (Jones’ is underlined)
______ 4. A participle is a noun word that acts like a verb.
______ 5. The parenthesized portion of the following sentence
is an infinitive phrase: Malls are designed (to make shoppers feel safe.)
______ 6. The parenthesized word in the following sentence is the correct pronoun: The committee voted to disband (itself).
______ 7. The parenthesized portion of the following sentence is an adjectival clause:
The school began teaching parents (when adult literacy gained national attention).
______ 8. In the following sentence, the parenthesized portion is the main clause: Because it was directed at people who could not read, (advertising had to be inventive).
______ 9. You should generally spell out units of measures and the names of places, people, and courses in formal writing assignments.
______10. In the following sentence, the subject and the verb agree: Neither the owners nor the contactor agree.
