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More Practice in Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage
MORE PRACTICE IN GRAMMAR, MECHANICS, AND USAGE
The following exercises are keyed to the “Handbook of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage.”
1. Possessive Nouns
Review Section 1.1.4. Then, beside each noun below, write its possessive form.
a. women ______________________________________
b. secretaries ______________________________________
c. worker ______________________________________
d. Matthew Kitsos ______________________________________
e. editor-in-chief ______________________________________
2. Antecedents (Multiple and Unclear)
Review Sections 1.2.1 and 1.2.2. Then, for each sentence that follows, underline the correct pronoun, circle
Number
___ a. Joe, Frank, and Bob gave (their, his) opinions.
___ b. Any company worth (its, their) salt has one.
planned by professionals.
___ f. Was it Marilyn or Lupe who sent (her, their) résumé?
___ g. Both candidates did well in (his, their) interviews.
More Practice in Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage
5. Verb Tenses
Review Section 1.3.1. Then write the correct form of each verb in the space provided.
TO PROVIDE
TO BECOME
a. present: I
p. present: we
b. past: you
q. past: I
c. future: we
r. future: you
d. present perfect: they
s. present perfect: he
e. past perfect: she
t. past perfect: it
TO ALLOW
TO BE
f. present: he
u. present: you
g. past: it
v. past: she
h. future: you
w. future: we
i. present perfect: they
x. present perfect: they
j. past perfect: I
y. past perfect: I
TO SHRINK
k. present: they
l. past: she
m. future: it
n. present perfect: you
o. past perfect: we
6. Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
c. The contract has (laid, lain) forgotten in our safe for months.
More Practice in Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage
7. Voice of Verbs
Review Section 1.3.5. Then rewrite these sentences so that their verbs are in the active voice.
_______________________________________________________________________
b. Your report has been read by three of us.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
d. Complaints are handled by Jane Harper.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
8. Adjectives
b. Which check is the (large) ___________________ of the two?
9. Adverbs
Review Section 1.5. Then turn these adjectives into adverbs.
a. intense _______________ f. good _______________
b. poor _______________ g. whole _______________
More Practice in Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage
10. Prepositions
Review Section 1.6.1. Then underline all the prepositions in these sentences.
a. Providing a few samples of cheese created better sales in many areas.
b. Lead into the letter without a break.
11. Conjunctions, Articles, and Interjections
a. although ___ d. because ___ g. if ___
12. Longer Sentences
c. (Although, However,) it was over by the time we got there.
13. Sentence Fragments
Review Section 1.7.3. Some of the following are sentence fragments; others are correct as they stand.
More Practice in Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage
Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.
b. At least ten one-week sessions, beginning the first week in June, with no breaks.
c. Drop the economy model.
d. Who of all our employees?
f. Charging our office with the task of counting supplies.
h. Our coats, water-repellent, sleek, and undeniably tough.
More Practice in Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage
14. Fused Sentences and Comma Splices
Review Section 1.7.4. Some of the following are fused sentences; others are correct. Rewrite the fused
one.
you stand.
d. If satisfaction is not forthcoming, we will be forced to cancel our order, find another supplier,
and take legal action.
15. Misplaced Modifiers
Review Section 1.7.6. Then rewrite each of the following sentences so that modifiers are placed correctly.
b. An unauthorized caller cannot get through this “smart” telephone, no matter how clever.
More Practice in Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage
Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.
d. _____ Is private placement extinct? Yes. And no.
e. _____ What is your career goal the interviewer asked?
f. _____ After looking at the quarterly sales reports, all I can say is, “Ouch!”
g. _____ What direction do you think we should go next.
h. _____ (book title) The Trader Joe’s Adventure.
18. Punctuation C
Review Sections 2.7 and 2.8. Then, in the space provided, write C if the sentence is punctuated
b. _____ Job-hunting is not for the faint-of-heart.
c. _____ During the highest level trials we will resume operations.
twenty- and thirty-something workers.
f. _____ Use our specially-designed tracking-system to monitor your website traffic.
g. _____ The supply quotas are set by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries—
OPEC.
for business news on the web.
19. Punctuation D
Review Sections 2.10 through 2.12. Then, in the space provided, write C if the sentence is
d. _____ “Two years after an election,” the study concluded, “a citizen . . . may hold a favorable
opinion of a politician to avoid the discomfort of having voted for someone for whom he
or she has a poor opinion.”
. . until April 2007.
f. _____ All multi-outlet devices (e.g., power strips) must have circuit protection.
g. _____ San Francisco Convention Facilities, (SFCF), is the exclusive telecommunications
provider for the Moscone Center.
More Practice in Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage
20. Capitalization
c. at northern natural gas company, for one, president samuel f. segnar holds monthly
luncheons with employees who have hit the five-year service mark.
wholesalers.”
21. Word Division
22. Frequently Confused Words
Review Section 4.1. Then underline the correct word in each sentence.
e. Good lines of communication maintain company (moral, morale).
f. I’ve worked with both Tom and Rita, and I prefer the (later, latter).
k. I would (advice, advise) you to hedge your investments.
l. The color of that hat is a perfect (complement, compliment) to the colors in the dress.
