Grammar-Quizzes › More Practices › Writing Aids › Punctuation
This is a grammar diagnostic page with study links.
Quiz 1: beginning – intermediate
Quiz 2: intermediate – advanced
Intermediate–Advanced ESL, Native Speakers
He's here. He'd be here if he could. He'll be here.
goin', don't, 'til, day 'n' night
The student's/ students', class's/ classes' textbook.
It is James's, Joneses' house.
It is Jack and Jill's, Jack's and Jill's house.
It's theirs (their home). There's its home.
My friend's computer
My boss's office
The children's room
A day's journey
My parents' computer
The Lincolns' bedroom
The Williamses' new home
Intermediate–Advanced ESL, Native Speakers
Job applicants will need to have:
Intermediate–Advanced ESL, Native Speakers
Job applicants will need the following:
Intermediate–Advanced ESL, Native Speakers
He took an Aspirin and lay down. (Trademark Bayer AG)
I took some aspirin to get rid of my headache.
Intermediate–Advanced ESL, Native Speakers
Practice 1 – complete sent.
Practice 2 – correct / incorrect.
Practice 3 – edit
Also see Hyphens – capitalization in headings
He always took the same taxi: a yellow cab with Internet access.
My duties at Tzonga were as follows: planning, purchasing, organizing, and collecting.
My duties at Tzonga were, for example: planning, purchasing, organizing, and collecting.
Beginning–Advanced ESL, Native Speakers
Practice 1 – correct/incorrect
Practice 2 – edit sent.
Because a flock of sheep needs protection, the shepherd guards them.
The shepherd guards the flock of sheep because they need protection.
Being a shepherd, he watches sheep all day.
George, a shepherd, manages a large flock of sheep.
Intermediate–Advanced ESL, Native Speakers
Elements in a Series – (serial comma)
Ellipsis in a Series (omitting articles)
Comma before "and" ("Oxford Comma")
Style Manual Opinions on "Oxford Comma"
Practice 1 – edit sentence
Practice 2 – complete sent.
See clauses with commas at bottom of this page.
He drinks pops and punches. (verb, noun, noun)
He drinks, pops, and punches. (verb, verb, verb)
He drinks pops, and then punches. (verb, noun, verb)
Intermediate–Advanced ESL, Native Speakers
Practice 1 – edit
Practice 2 – edit
Crime—costing the city millions of dollars each year— must be reduced.
Crime, which weakens our city, must be reduced. detail
Crime (burglaries and robberies) must be reduced. explanation
Intermediate–Advanced ESL, Native Speakers
Practice – correct/incorrect
Edward Lee—father, actor, businessman, and mayor—is running for office again.
Intermediate–Advanced ESL, Native Speakers
Practice 1 – correct/incorrect
Calcium is in green leafy vegetables, for example, broccoli, kales, arugula, and spinach.
There is calcium in vegetables such as broccoli, kales, arugula, and spinach.
Cruciferous vegetables (i.e., Brassicaceae) have flowers shaped like a cross.
Intermediate–Advanced ESL, Native Speakers
Hyphen vs. Dash (symbol length)
Capitalization in Titles & Headings
Practice 1 – complete sent.
Practice 2 – complete sent.
Two footstools sold for a half-million dollars at Sothebys.
Two-foot stools sold for a half-million dollars at Sothebys.
Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Treatments
President-Elect / -elect Barack Obama
trans-American (but transatlantic, transcontinental)
Intermediate–Advanced ESL, Native Speakers
The opera Rigoletto was written by Giuseppe Verdi.
Pablo Picasso's most famous proto-Cubist works are Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907) and Guernica (1937)
The best known video game, Mario Bros., features two plumbers.
Leprosy was caused by Mycobacterium leprae.
Intermediate–Advanced ESL, Native Speakers
Practice 1 –correct / incorrect
Practice 2 –edit for errors
Parentheses (often overused) enclose explanations or clarification.
The American Kayaking Association (AKA) has a newsletter.
Intermediate–Advanced ESL, Native Speakers
Practice 1 – correct/incorrect
Practice 2– edit sent.
The UA flight will arrive at LAX on Sat., Sept. 21, at 6:00 p.m. PST.
Intermediate–Advanced ESL, Native Speakers
He said, "Time is money."
"What does that mean?" he asked.
Don't you agree "Time is money"?
Jim Dale performs eleven different voices for characters in "Lord Voldemort's Request" in the audiobook recording of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Intermediate–Advanced ESL, Native Speakers
The sandwich choices include tomato, bacon and lettuce; cheese, ham and lettuce; peanut butter and jelly.
He didn't want help; he didn't ask for it. (nor)
We needed to have a security report; otherwise, we wouldn't go.
The inner city has small narrow streets; for example, two cars cannot pass on a street in the old town.
Beginning–Advanced ESL, Native Speaker
FANBOYS — for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
Practice 1 – multiple choice
Practice 2 – edit the sentence
Practice 3 – select the part of speech
She danced and waved a fan.
She danced and waved a fan, and he played the flute.
Beginning– Advanced ESL, Native Speaker
Contrast — but, while, whereas, on the other hand, in contrast to, however
Contrary Outcome — but, still, yet, nevertheless, regardless, in spite of, despite
Practice 1 – multiple choice
Practice 2 – multiple choice
Practice 3 – multiple choice
like sugar in my coffee, whereas Edward likes black coffee.
I like sugar in my coffee in contrast to Edward who likes none.
One the one hand, I like sugar in my coffee.
On the other hand, Edgard does not!
I shouldn't eat sugar, but still I do.
Though I shouldn't eat sugar, I do.
I shouldn't eat sugar. Nevertheless, I do.
Intermediate– Advanced ESL, Native Speaker
The baby reached up so that he could get some candy.
The baby got nothing, so he cried.
Beginning–Advanced ESL
Practice 1 – multiple choice
Practice 2 – multiple choice
My brother has a new toy, and so do I. (American English)
My brother has a new toy, and so have I. (British English)
My bother got a new toy, and I did too.
My brother got a new toy, but I didn't.
You got a new toy, didn't you? Yes, I did. / No, I didn't.
Beginning–Advanced ESL, Native Speaker
Practice 1 – multiple choice
Practice 2 – multiple choice
I am eight today, and my cousin is too.
I am not a child, and my cousin isn't either.
I am excited. Me too! (informal) / I am too!
I am not worried. Me either! (informal) / I am not either!
Nobody helped me. Me either. (negative pronoun)
We barely understand it. Me either. (negative adverb)
Beginning–Advanced ESL, Native Speaker
Both the movie and the play were good.
Not only the movie but also the play was good.
Neither the movie nor the play was good.
Either the movie or the play was good. I can't remember.
Beginning–Advanced ESL, Native Speaker
Contrast — but, while, whereas, on the other hand, in contrast to, however
Contrary Outcome — but, still, yet, nevertheless, regardless, in spite of, despite
Practice 1 – multiple choice
Practice 2 – multiple choice
Practice 3 – multiple choice
like sugar in my coffee, whereas Edward likes black coffee.
I like sugar in my coffee in contrast to Edward who likes none.
One the one hand, I like sugar in my coffee.
On the other hand, Edgard does not!
I shouldn't eat sugar, but still I do.
Though I shouldn't eat sugar, I do.
I shouldn't eat sugar. Nevertheless, I do.
Intermediate– Advanced ESL, Native Speaker
Cuz / Bcuz (texting)
Practice 1 – multiple choice
Practice 2 – multiple choice
Practice 3 – multiple choice
She married at the age of thirteen because she had no other options.
She had no other options. Consequently, she married at the age of thirteen.
Illiteracy results from a poor childhood education.
A poor childhood education results in illiteracy.
Intermediate–Advanced ESL, Native Speakers
His work is indeed more amazing than before
His work is even more amazing than before
His work is in fact more amazing than before
Intermediate ESL, Native Speaker
When/While – Other Complements
When/While – Other Expressions
Practice 1– complete the sentence (MC)
Practice 2 – correct/incorrect
When you called, he picked up his phone. (interruption)
While he was talking on the phone, the baby slept. (same-time)
When I call, the doctor comes. (about same time)
When the doctor comes in, I ask questions. (immediately after)
Intermediate– Advanced ESL, Native Speaker
Sentence Editing – adding punctuation, removing wordiness, adding capitalization
Practice – edit sent.
*Because I needed to miss a board meeting, so I notified the speaker.