A Christmas Eve quiz!
Written by Pat Wootton, PromptProofing.com
In the spirit of the season, a quick recap on some of the grammar issues we've covered so far on this blog with a fun Christmas quiz!
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'Twas the night before Christmas...
In the spirit of the season, a quick recap on some of the grammar issues we've covered so far on this blog with a fun Christmas quiz!
Find the correct sentence from each pair below: (Score 10 points for each correct answer and a bonus 5 if you can explain why!)
Maximum score - 120
1) a) It's nearly Christmas.
b) Its nearly Christmas.
2) a) If I were spending Christmas in Hawaii, I wouldn't have to shovel snow.
b) If I was spending Christmas in Hawaii I wouldn't have to shovel snow.
3) a) The blizzard really effected our Christmas party.
b) The blizzard really affected our Christmas party.
4) a) Tom almost ate the whole turkey.
b) Tom ate almost the whole turkey.
5) a) The whole family enjoys opening Christmas gifts.
b) The whole family enjoy opening Christmas gifts.
6) a) Sara received far more gifts than I.
b) Sara received far more gifts than me.
7) a) This gift is from my wife and I.
b) This gift is from my wife and me.
8) a) The children's party was a great success.
b) The childrens' party was a great success.
Scroll down for answers and explanations - refer back to earlier blog posts if you need more detailed explanations or some help in answering the questions!
ANSWERS:
1 - a
2 - a
3 - b
4 - b
5 - a
6 - a
7 - b
8 - a
EXPLANATIONS:
1) It's vs its (possessive pronoun - its - versus contraction of it is - it's)
2) Subjunctive mood used with an 'if' clause (conditional clause)
3) Affect (verb) vs effect (noun)
4) Misplaced modifier (almost)
5) Subject-verb agreement
6) Pronoun case
7) Pronoun case
8) Misplaced apostrophe
Check back next Friday for another Prompt Proofing blog post!
About the Author
Pat Wootton is originally from England and is a former high school English teacher. Having spent many years in the Caribbean, where she raised her family, she now lives in Vancouver, BC. In addition, she has taught English as a Second Language (ESL) for several years after earning a diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from the University of British Columbia. She now owns and runs Prompt Proofing, a copy editing and writing service that caters to individuals and partners with marketing and public relations companies.
